The Sweetwater enterprise. (Sweetwater, Tenn.) 1869-187?, 1869-12-23

! 80 we took him out into the garden,
and, armed him with an opera-glass, and
Mrs. BObsby, watchful at her first front
window, detached him as she believed,
and with my conniyance, ogling her CHG
noned maid-servant, and bounced down
stairs accordingly. Meantime Quilter had
been looking about him. He stretched
his arm over the partition fence, and pick
ed up the torn fragment of an address
card.
"In an inquiry of this kind, nothing,
however trivial apparently, is unimpor-
tant," he remarked; and then, as he read
of the inscription, he turned round to me,
ill-concealed triumph beaming from his
sharp grey eyes. "What did you say was
the name of that Norfolk farm %
"The farm !-oh! Westrepps. Why
do you ask!'
Sand you say that you have had moth
ing at all sent you from there lately p
"Why, Of course, I'll swear they sent
that turkey, and old Bobsby stopped it,"
go yes; of course they did. Bat moth
ing else, | meanl"
"No, nothing whatever"
every good then; by Jove we have
him F.! You may send round and fetch
constable. should say even for first
offense of the sort they can hardly give
him less than fortnight and hard labor.
Look herew And he held before my as.
tonished eyes the damning evidence of
Bobsby's guilt. The card indeed had
been torn across, but on the half picked
up was written, in bold characters, in old
Mr.. Wurzel's family hand, "From Wes-
trepps Farm"
'Look here" suggested Palette, who
had hitherto left the affair in Quilter's
hands "You've carried the matter SO
far, and very creditable to you it is; but
if you go handing this respectable Mr..
Bobsby over to the law, why you'll have
to hand over the turkey too; in the mean
time at least, remember that. Got any.
thing else for dinner, Brown, eh %
Quilter and | started blankly in each
others faces.
"NO, by Jove there's something in
what Palette says"
"And nothing in the lardor, 1 suppose
you may mean. Well, but we can't leS
the boggar slip through our fingers, eth
er," demonstrated Quilter.
"You'd better not let that turkey
splendid fellow he seems, by the by-slip
through yopr- fps,er.n Eetorted fafutte.
81 vote for IA WnpRs. T."
"Compounding a felony" murmured
Ouilter, yisibly relentino.
eff we had a second turkey, as Bobsby
has, should be on the side of principle"
said Palette; Gas we have not, lean to
expediency, and am still of opinion, that
at this Christmas season it would be both
wise and right to temper justice with mer-
cy. Besides, that is singularly heavy
bird, and will want great deal of roast
ing. [ vote we look sharp, and secure him
with as little delay as possible. Keep the
law and the policeman in the background,
if you will, but let us confront Bobsby at
once. / see he's stuffed the bird for U.S.
perhaps with chestnuts, possibly trufles
he looks as if he had sound ideas of COM
fort. Small wonder, for he lays in his
supplies cheap"
Palette'S Achtophellan counsels carrl-
ed the day. We all three successfully
stepped over the little ratings, our pro-
ceedings, as we could see, watched by the
enemy from the dim background of their
drawing-room. We rung the bell. Some
scufling Of feet and whispering from with
in, and the ringleted maid came to pre-
sent herself. A brief parley, and we were
ushored iuto Mr.. Bobsby's presence and
back parlor. In admirably affected sur
prise, and with much hypocritical bon
homie he received us, and begged us to
be seated. He stood himself on the
hcarth-rug, rubbing his hands, and looking
at US uneasily.
"We have called, Mr.. Bobsby, | am
sorry to say, on a disagreoable business,
which | have no doubt you suspect"
"Really, gentlemen, unless you have
come as a deputation, asking subscriptions
for something or other. have had at
least dozen of them here in the last two
days. lam quite at loss, but"-brigh
ing up littlo-"I am sure am always
glad to make the acquaintance of any
neighbor"
81 could wish, Mr. Bobsby, that the ac-
quaintance had commenced in more pleas
ant circumstances. The turkey" Mr..
Bobsby's face suddenly clouded over He
hushed me to silence with an agitated,
impatient gesture, and, glancing uneasily
at the door, opened it sharply, and closed
it again suspioiously.
"Ddn't l tell youm said Quilter, nudg.
ing my elbow. "Clear as mud. Leave
the matter to me HIN = he be-
gan, cieanidg his throat, Strengthening
himself in his chair, and assuming most
judicial and imposing manner. ''It's
bad business, Mr.. Bobsby, as my friend
says-a very bad business indeed"
Mr.. Bobsby looked stupcfed. "a had
bu9iness!p p he repeated slowly, and half
to himsolf--"a bad business? What can
you possibly know about itl Few better
businesses i'm tho line. fnyy hetter indeed