South-eastern Independent. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1871-1871, 1871-04-28

once or twice with something of his oil
8 spirit. 1t was a grotesque drama the
s played, but it saddened me, too; ther
e was something weird and ghostly abou
e the fun. 07s hs-s7Ia i9r O.
S Act succeeded act but still no Club
g Jackson. q, Ever and again l turned m.
5 head, thinking heard him enter the box
/ My uneasiness seized my companions also
] they, too, began to look over their shoul
5 ders each minute 1t was hot midsum
2 mer night, but the theatre felt chilly
Aunt and Letitia drew their shawls rounC
: them. fancied, too, that the audience OF
2 the other side began to notice our uneasi
: ness; lorgnettes were leveled at our box
: I All of a sudden the box-door wa
: thrown violently open, hung suspended TO
moment-the instant during which ;
person! might pass in-and then closeC
) heavily. I jumped up and ran into th'
passage. Not soul was there. Letiti;
r had given a little scream; she looked
deadly pale, and almost faipting. Aun
I play was coming to an end. took then
u out Of the theater and put them into a cab
, 1t would be relief to get back to Albany
! street, and to find Chubb in his little
: snuggery, smoking pipe and chipping
away at his blocks; relief to give him 8
good seolding for putting us out so.
But when we got back to Albany street
the house was dark and desolate. The
4 servants had gone to bed, according to or
ders. The supper tray was III the dining
4 room, in readiness for our rejection; few
dozen oysters, a brown loaf, half cut
J ham But there was no trace of Chubb's
presence, no opened shells, no. empty bot
ties of Guinness. Where could he be?
Itwas necessary that should go out to
look after the missing Chubb. embraced
my mission very reluctantly; for | was
tired and hungry, and thought that Chubb
was indulging in some freak. His aunt
would not hear of the possibility of such
thing; her boy had never been out so
late as this without her knowledge, and
she felt convinced some evil had come to
him. She besought me to lose not mo-
ment in putting the police in motion, in
advertising, in offering reward of a hun
dred pounds for any information. sa1i
Had ne any money with him, aunt?"
! / had grown so intimate with the family
that Mrs Chubb had ado1ted me as her
nephew. sff
40, dear, yes; and great deal Ipaid
him his half-year's allowance, fifty pounds,
this very morning. in Bank of England
notes; and he stuffed them into his breast
coat-pocket in his careless way, and y
Have you got the numbers?"
40, yes; 1 put them down; they're in
my desk. See here"
"Nothing but the numbers no date no
distinguishing lettersi Dear me, aunt,
how unbusiness-like you arep
90, is it necessary, Edward? 1 didn't
know"
"This list will do well enough for stop
ping the notes; but if they were lost you'd
never get anything out of the bank for
them But now the point is to find Chubb.
Goodbye, aunt; I'll send the young chap
home to you fast enough, never fear"
"Please God, trust you will.
Lefty was in the hall as went out.
She came to me pale and trembling.
90 Edward, do you think there is any
thing wrong with Chubb?"
mo, nothing wrong, l trust, Lefty.
Don't worry about him; he's sure to be
all right"
took her hand as I spoke. Her sweet
gray eyes sought nine in unsuspecting
sisterly confidence.
You will come back with him. We
sha'n't go to bed till you come back.
Goodbye, Edward" lr. .r.
1t was hot, dull, sodden night; night
on which one felt the oppressive weight
of undefinable wretchedness. AS made
my way to the cab-stand, felt that ] was
upon bootless errand. 81.
Chubb hadn't been at Lincoln's Inn
the housekeeper, whom l reused out of
her first sleep, was sure of that, must go
on to Enfield street, to the shop of the
eminent wood engravers where Ohubb was
employed The premises were locked up !;
an iron bar across the door, with great
paddock securing it, showed that no one
slept in the house. What should l do
next? In my perplexity, l found my way
to the police station. The inspector smiled
at nv grave air when he heard my tale.
"Theres a good many young gents as
don't get home as soon astheir mas would
like, sir. But i'll send sergeant with
you, sir. The man on the beat will know
where the foreman of the shop lives, no
doubt, sir"
The police sergeant, a grizzled, care
worn man, started with me to the beat.
The officer on duty knew where the fore
man of English 81 Jardine lived; it was
in street off the Tottenham Court road.
Another short cab drive, and we were
knocking at Mr.. Whites door. Mr.. White
was bachelor and lodger. He 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 was the
very sort of thing in which he delighted /;
for which he'd give up any kind of civil
lied society. Wouldn't he be wild at be-
ing fetched home by police sergeant and
a friend s.1l--l-@f.t 'riA
White came to the door in his shirt
sleeves !; he had a long clay pipe in 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 a song, a sigh of the weary
hard times but if you're friend of his,
come in and join us' Again he was led
away by the chorus, Around my cabin
door-come again no more. I"
The police sergeant sighed; he'd soft
heart, fancy, under his blue coat, and
few who have had hard times themselves
can hear unmoved the plaintive refrain
Gan you give US few minutes con-
NSISdlIOu On d uidlVCI Vi lu1pOItdQCe.
Certainly; only don't interrupt the
song. Come in there. Hard times, hard
times, come again no more now, chorus,
allI'
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. -.a $50 -'... t--r.5
Bravo; thank ye, gentlemen. Now,
then, what have you got to say to mel"
l told him briefly of Chubb being
missing, and asked him what clue he had
to give me. t Up
"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, 1 don't know, Yes, 1
do, though. 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
lately, and Brown said it was. But where
he went after that, I know no more than
the dead. But, bless, you, he'll turn up all
right" sf s .t... 20
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