The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1869-12-03

|, prccede him Mr.. Godfrey said few civil words
they bowed, and parted In the street.
Thoughtless and superficial people may say
Here Is surely very trumpery little inciden
related In an absurlly circumstantial manne
Oh, my young friends AMI fellow-sinners be
ware OF presuming to exercise your poor carna
reason. Oh, be merclfully tidy Letyour faiti
be As your stockings, and your stockings As you
, faith. Both ever spotless, and both ready topu
on at a moments noticel
|. beg thousand pardons. have fallen In
sensibly into my Sunday-school style. Most In
appropriate In such q record ss this. Let p'
try to be worldly-let me say that triaes. II
this case n In many others, led TO terrible 10
suits Merely promising that the polite stran'
ger was Mr.. Luker, Of Lsmbeth, we will nov
follow Mr.. Godfrey home to his residence ut Kill
burn.
He found waiting for him, In the hall, poor
ly clad but delicate and intercsting-ooking lttl'
boy. The boy handed him letter, merely men,
tioning that he had been intrustel with Il by an
old lady whom he did not know, and who had
given him no instructions to wait for an answer
| Such incidents a these were not uncommon In
Mr.. Golfrcy's large experience As o promoter Of
public charities. He let the boy SO, and opened
the letter.
The handwriting was entirely unfamiliar to
him. II requested his attendance, within an
hours time, Mt house in Northumberland
Street, Strand, which he had never had occasion
to enter before. The object sought was to obtain
from the worthy manager certain details on the
subject Of the Mothers Small Clothes Conver-
sion Society, and the information was wanted by
an elderly lady who proposed adding largely to
the resources Of the charity, II her questions
were met by satisfactory replies. She mention
ell her name, and she added that the shortness
Of her stay in London prevented her from CIV
ing any longer notice to the eminent philanthrop-
ist whom she addressed.
Ordinary people might have hesitated before
setting aside their own engagements to suit the
convenience Of stranger. The Christian Hero
never hesitates where good Is to be done. Mr..
Godfrey instantly turned back. and proceeded TO
the house in Northumberland Street. A most
respectable though somewhat corpulent man an
swered the door, and, on hearing Mr.. Godfrcy's
name Immediately conducted him into an empty
apartment at the back, on the drawing-rooul
door. lie noticed two unusual things on enter
ing the room. One Of them was a faint oder OF
musk and oamphor. The other was an ancient
Oriental manuscript, richly illuminated with
Indian figures and devices, that lay open to in
spection on q table.
He Was looking at the book, the position Of
which caused him to stand with his back turned
toward the closed folding-doors communicating
with the front-room, when, without the slightest
previous noise TO warn him, he felt himself sud
denly seized round the neck from behind. lie
had Just time TO notice that the arms round his
neck was naked and Of tawny- -brown color, be-
Il q a l..
ged, and he was thrown helpless on the floor by
(as he judged) two men. A third rifed his
pockets, and-if, as lady, Imay venture to use
such an Ipresion-scarchcd him. without ccrc.
mony, through and through to his skin.
The outrage had been perpctratcd throughout
in dead silence. At the end Of II some words
were exchanged, among the invisible wretchcs.
in language which he did not understand. but
in terms which were plainly exprcssive(to his
cultivated ear) Of disappointment and rage. Hc
was suddenly lifted from the ground, placed In
q chair, and bound there hand and foot. The
next momeat 10 felt ihe air aewisg in fsem -ths
open door, listened and felt persuaded that he
was alone again in the room.
An interval elapsed, and he heard sound be-
low like the rustling sound Of woman's dress.
II advanced up the stairs, and stopped. A fe-
male scream rent the atmosphere Of guilt. A
mans voice below exclaimed, 'Ilullo" Aman's
feet ascended the stairs. Mr.. Godfrey felt Chris
tian fingers unfastening his bandage, and cx-
tracing his gag lie lookel in amarement at
two respectable strangers, and family artculat
ed, What does il mcanr' The two respectable
strangers looked back, and said. Exactly the
question we were going to ask you.'
The inevitable explanation followed. 1t
appeared. from the statement Of the land
lord and landlady Of the house (persons Of good
reputc in the neighborbood), that their first and
second floor apartments had been engaged, on
the previous day, for week certain, by a most
rcspectable-looking gentleman-the same who
has been already described as answering the
door to Mr.. Godfrcy's knock. The gentleman
had paid the weeks rent and all the weeks cI-
tras In advance, stating that the apartments
were wanted for the Oriental noblemcn, friends
Of his, who were visiting England for the first
time. Early on the morning Of the outrage two
Of the Oriental strangers, accompanied by their
respectable English friend, took possession Of
the apartments. The third was expected to join
them shortly and the luggage (reportcd rs
very bulky) was announced to follow when II
had passed through the Custom-house, late In
the afternoon. Not moro than ten minutes
previous to Mr.. Godfrey's visit the third for
eigncr had arrived. Nothing out Of the COM
mon had happened, to the knowledge OF the
landlord and landlady down stairs, until within
the last fve minutes-when they had seen the
three foreigners, accompanied by their rcspccta-
bic English friend, all leave the house together,
walking quietly in the direction Of the Strand.
Remembering that visitor had called, and not
having seen the visitor also leave the house, the
landlady had thought II rather strange that the
gentleman should be left by himself up stairs.
hfter q short discussion with her husband she
had considered II advisable to ascertain whether
any thing was wrong. The result had followed,
As have already attempted to describe II and
there the explanation Of the landlord and land
lady came to an end.
/ An investigation was next made In the room.
Dear Mr.. Godfrcy's property was found scatter
ell in all directions. When the articles were
collected, however, nothing was missing; his
watch, chain, purse, keys, pocket-handkerchief,
notebook, and all his loose papers had been
, closely examined, and had then been left un-
harmel to be resumed by the owner. In the
same way, not the smallest morsel Of property,
belonging to the proprictors Of the house had
been distracted. The Oriental noblemen had
removed their own illuminated manuscript, and
had removed nothing else.
We must leave Mr.. Godfrey to recover in
Northumberland Street, and must follow the
proceedings Of Mr.. Lukcr, at later period Of
the day.
Amer leaving the bank, Mr.. Luker had visit
cd various parts OF London on business errands.
Returning to his own residence he found a letter
waiting for him, which was described as having
been lett short time previously by . boy. In
this case, rs in Mr.. Godfrcy's case, tbs hand
writing was strange; but the name mentioned
was the name Of onc OF Mr.. Lukcr's customers.
Ills correspondent announced writing In the
third person-apparcntly by the hand Of dep.
uty) that he had been unexpectedly summoned
to London. lie bad just established himself in
lodgings In Alfred Place, Tottenham Court Road
and he desired to see Mr.. Luker Immediately,
on the subject Of q purchase which he contemp-
lated making The gentleman was an cnthusi.
astic collector of Oriental antiquities, and had
been for many years . liberal patron Of the e.