Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-05-04

like. sir. But III send q sergeant with
you. sir. The man on the beat viii know
where the foreman of the shop lives, nc
doubt, sir"
The police sergeant, q grizzled, care
worn man, started with me to the beat
The officer on duty knew where the fore.
man of English & Jardine lived; it was
in q street off the Tottenham Court road
Another short cab drive, and we were
knocking at Mr. Whites door. Mr.. White
was bachelor and lodger. BE was evi-
IDENTIFY giving party that night; the
front room was lighted up, and there was
piano going, and song with thunder
ing chorus My heart felt great relief
Chubb was here, of course; this vas the
very sort of thing in which he delighted ;
for which he'd give mp any kind Of civil
lied society Wouldn't he be wild at be-
ing fetched home by police sergeant and
a friend!
White came to the door in his shirt
sleeves; he had long clay pipe Ia his
hand, with which he was beating time to
the chorus. He seemed too perfectly hap
py to feel any surprise at the sight OF two
strangers at his gate, although one OF
them was police constable. A rich tenor
voice inside was singing "Hard times
come again no more"
"Chubb Jackson here?" NO, he
isn't" "'Tis song, sigh of the weary,
hard times but if you're friend Of his,
come in and join u.s." Again he was led
away by the chorus, Around my cabin
door-come again no more"
The police sergeant sighed he'd soft
heart, I fancy, under his blue coat, and
few who have had hard times themselves
can hear unmoved the plaintive refrain.
"Can you give us a few minutes con-
versation on matter Of Importance"
"Certainly; only don't interrupt the
song. Come in there. Hard times, hard
times, come again no more;' now, chorus,
all"
We stood there in the hall, under the
lamp; Mr. White waving his pipe to the
time, and the police sergeant joining gruf-
fly in the strain.
Bravo; thank We, gentlemen. Now,
then, what have you got to say to me9"
l told him briefly of Chubb being
missing, and asked him what clue he had
TO give me.
"Why, let's see. Chubb went away
first thing this morning; he wasn't quarter
of an hour at the shop. He'd been draw
ing some tin, hadn't he? He don't often
show much at the shop on such occasions.
Where he went to, don't know, Yes, l
DO, though. l can tell you where he start
ed from, at least. He went to the Essex
street pier; for he was asking Brown if it
was open again, as it had been repairing
ately, and Brown said it was. But where
he went after that, know no more than
,he dead. But, bless, you, he'll turn up all
right"
We took our leave sadly; it didn't seem
. very hopeful trail.
81 don't like track as ends in the
river, sir. You don't often get any farther
han that"
We didn't get any farther.
At the early dawn found myself YEARLY
along Albany street, with feeble
hope that Chubb might have come home
In the meantime. But there was only
Mrs. Chubb, sitting up, sad and wan, and
looking ten years older in that single
any poor boy, my poor tboy!" she
could onlyc cry, quite broken down, quite
past comfort. Eetty took her up stairs,
and l didn't venture to see her for month
after.
l had the direction of all the inquiries
which were made. Spurred on by the re
ward of ESQ, the police exerted them
selves most strenuOusly. But not the
faintest trail could they find Of Chubb
Jackson. One of the notes he had re-
ceived from his aunt was traced to a low
public house in the Waterloo road but al
though the house was watched for months,
and the haunts of all the doubtful charac-
ters who resorted there thoroughly
they failed to get glimpse Of
the fate of poor Chubb.
The atelier on the second floor in Albany
street was shut up from that time Aunt
Chubb would let no one enter it but her
self; once week she would 90 in and
dust 1t with her own hands. Poor Letitia
thought herself almost widow, and wore
deep mourning for her lost sweetheart.
1t was q year after Chubb's untimely
fate that l ventured one day-she was
sewing button on my sleeve at the time:
the sight of her sweet patient face and
downcast eyes was too much for me, and
took her in my arms and asked her If she'd
let me take the vacant place in her heart.
She was dreadfully shocked, and wouldn't
forgive me for long time; but Aunt
Chubb was my friend, and told my darling
that the time for grief was past, and that
it was her dearest wish now that we two
should be married; and then Letitia re-
Tented, and gave me all her heart
Aunt Chubb reused up wonderfully
now. In our happiness she seemed to
live again tor the soul wearies of hopeless
grief. In the preparations for the wed.
ding, in the necessary house hunting, and
furniture buying Aunt Chubb took great
interest. But l couldn't help feeling q
little nettled at how completely in the
mind of aunt, and partially in Letty's
view, was simply a representative OF the
lost Chubb. We were not to live in st.
Johns Wood, because Chubb detested ST.
Johns Wood We must live in the neigh
borhood of Regents Park, because Chubb
thought it was the healthiest part OF Lon
don. The dining-room curtains were to
be blue, for that was Chubb's favorite
color; the drawing room was to be up
holstered in white and gold, for Chubb
had been heard to say that when he had a
house OF his own that would be his choice.
In other respects, however, 1t was more
satisfactory to stand in Chubbs shoes.
His aunt had announced her intention of
making us the same allowance she had in
tended for Chubb when he married; and
she told us that having no near relations