The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1869-06-01
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II-nov notbing.-nor did the nurse. L
49, dark windy night, but the lamp
IN the streets had given them light, 81
tbat thew had not noticed the night
Nor did they noticeit now as the street
became narrower and darker: The.
were hardly thinking that their journey
was vet at an end, and the mother wa
in the act of covering her boys face a:
he lay asleep on the nurses lap, wher
the cab was stopped Nora, looking
through the window, saw the wore
"Hotep over a doorway, and was salts
fed. "Shall take the child, ma'am p
said manin black, and the child wa
handed out. Nora was the first to fol
low, and she then perceived that the
door of the hotel was not open. Mrs
Trevelyan followed; and then they look
ed round them,-and the child was gone
They heard the rattle of another cab as
it was carried away at gallop ronnd
distant corner;-and then some mixing
of what had happened came upon them
The father had succeeded In getting
possession Of his child.
II was a narrow, dark street, very
quiet, having about it a certain air Oh
poor respectability,-an obscure, NOISE
less street, without even sign OF lie;
Some unfortunate one had endeaVoIed
here to keep hotel; but there was no
hotel kept there now. There had been
much craft in selecting the place in
which the child had been taken from
them. As they looked around them,
perceiVing the terrible misfortune
which had befallen them, there was not
a human being near them save the cab
man, who was occupied in Enchanting
or pretending to unchain, the heavy
mass of luggage on the roof. The win
dows of the house before which they
were stopping were closed, and Nora
perceived at once that the hotel was moi
inhabited. The cabman must have per-
ceived it also. As for the man who had
taken the child, the nurse could only
say that he was dressed in black, wal
ter, that he had napkin under his arm
and no hat on his head. He had taken
the boy tenderly in his arms, and then
she had seen nothing further. The trsl
thing that Nora had seen, as she stood
on the pavement, was the other cal
moving off rapidly.
Mrs. Trevelyan had staggered against
the ratings, aRd was soon screaming II
her wretchedness. Before long there
was a small crowd around them, com
prising three or four women, few boys
an old man or two,-and policeman
To the policeman Nora had soon tolC
the whole story, and the cabman was o
course attacked. But the cabman play
ed his part very we'll. He declared tina
he had done Just what he had been tolC
to do. Nora was indeed sure that sh'
had heard her nRcle desire him to driv'
to Gregg's Hotelin Baker Street. Tn,
cabman, in answer to this, declared tina
he had not clearly heard the old gentle
mans directions; but that man when
he had conceived to be q servant, haC
very plainly told him to drive to Par
ker's Hotel, Mowbrsy Street, Cover
Street. 81 coined ever so far out of my
way" said the cabman, "tO avoid the
rumpus with the homnibuses at the hill
cause the ladies' things is so heavy
we'd never got up if the 'orse had once
jibbed." All which, though it had moth
ing to do with the matter, seemed tC
impress the policeman with the idea
that the cabman, if not true man, was
going to be too clever for them on this
occasion. And the crafty cabman went
on to declare that his horse was so tired
with the load that he could not go on
to Baker Street. They must get another
cab. Take his number OF course they
could take his number. There was his
number. His fare was four and Six
that is, if the ladies wouldn't pay him
ANYTHING extra for the terrible load;
and he meant 10 have 1t. 1t would be
six-pence more if they kept him there
many minutes longer. The number was
taken, aud another cab was got, and the
luggage was transferred, and the money
was paid, while the unhappy mother
was still screaming in Mysteries agains
the ratings. What had been done wa
soon clear enough to all those arounC
her. Nora had told the policeman, ant
had told one of the wAmen, thinking t.
obtain their sympathy and assistance
ats the kids dada as has taken it,,
said one man, "and there amt nothing
TO be done" There was nothing to b
done,-nothing at any rate then ant
there.
Nora had been very eager that tn
cabman should be arrested. but the pc
lliceman assured her that such an arres
was ont of tho question, and woulC
have been useless, had it been possible
The man would be forthcoming If hi
presence should be again desired, bu
he had prObably-so said the policeman
really been desired to drive to Now
bray Street. "They knows where to tinC
me If they wants me,-only l must b'
paid my time," said the caomau, conf
deHtly. And the policeman was o
opinion that, as the boy had been kid
mapped on behalf of the father, no lega
steps could be taken either for the re
covery of the child or for the punish
ment of the perpetrators of the act. III
got up, however, on the box of the cab
and accompanied the party to the hote
in Baker Street. They reached it almoS
exactly at tho same time with Sir Mar
maduke and Lady Rowley, and the read
er must imagine the confusion, tn
anguish, and the disappointment of tina
Meeting. Mrs. Trevelyan was hardl
in possession of her senses when sh
reached her mother, and could not b
induced to be tranquil even when sh
was assured by her father that her sol
would suffer no immediate evil by bcin
transferred to his fathers hands She il
her frenzy declared that she would new
or see her little one again, and seemed
to think that the father might not i'm
probably destroy the child. "He is mad
papa, and does not know what he does
Do you mean osay that mailman M,
do as he please THAT he may rob NJ.
child from me in the streetsi-that h
may take him out of my very arms i
that way y And she was almost angr
with her father because 10 attemp
was made that night to recover the boy
To be Continued.