National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1871-11-24

gotten to draw down the blinds. lie had
however, | discovered, taken my purs'
with him, and had forgotten 10 leave hi'
own behind. Between yawnirg and ana
thematising, n few more moments passct
away. Suddenly ! heard the sharp, shril
whistles. and then the deep groaning o
the brake. Into my friends trousers
tried 10 jump; but, alas either in my
confusion put the wrong leg in, or pokec
it between the lining and the cloth, or The
wretch had played me q schoolboy's trick
and had fastened up the lining OF his neither
garments.
The train was stopping-O, horror ot
horrors extricatcd my leg from the
confounded trap and rushed TO the win
dow The train had stopped ! verify
believe that from that moment my first
gray hrirs began to appear. With desper-
ate tenacity, in state of almost perfect
nudity, hung on TO the door and win
dow. Good gracious a scurrying OF steps
outside. Who is coming into my carr age
An old lady, who will scream and give me
into custody? A young lady, who will
FAINT A father of family, who will kick
me down the platform A ticket-collec
tor. who will All! ab! ah-h-h there
is a hand on the outside moving the handle
of the door Oh, the agony OF those sec
onds | would rather be hanged. | would
rather be torn aSundcr by wild horses, |
would rather live for SIX times my natural
term Of existence with six scolding, fault
/ finding wives, than 20 through the agony
of those moments again Pen cannot de
scribe what suffered. Beads OF perspira-
tion raced down my poor, cold, 81 yering
ieatureS-my hair stood on end. my teeth
chattered; but to the door and window
my hands clung. with a strength OF grasp
that Policeman A-plus Policeman b could
hardly have overcome without bearing my
finger, from their sockets
\ bell, guards whistle, and an engine
shrek IIurah we start again ! am
>ayed-Saved saved! feel desperately
faint, but in time ! recover
S1ced, indeed Poor wretch ! little
knew what was in store for me. Slowly
and deliberately | dressed myself in my
ex-friend's clothes Unaccustomed to be
dccked in gorgeous array, | began. with
hali-colected senses. to think what figure
| looked.
"Hallo what's tuat What is the
train stopping again for so soon =
was well acquainted with the line, and
knew that the express ought not to stop
at the next station. Some accident, |
thought.
Tickets. tickets all ready here
What on earth Is the meaning Of all
this draw out my friends ticket His
is only to F. am going to London.
Never mind, it is of no consequence; ! can
pay the difference. Ah but then have
no purse. Nimp0lte, ! can draw check
at Paddington, and wait till it is cashed.
The door was opened, and beheld the
guard, station-master, and two policemen.
"All right said one of the latter to the
station master, "this Is our man directly
he is out Of the carriage IL train may 60"
An 5ryoRq,n said L. You have made
a mstake-l have no intention Of getting
out here. | am going on to town"
| never saw policeman on duty laugh
before: but over the stern, hirsute face OF
W. C.-whGh stands for Willie Constabu |
lary-No. ll12, there paseed something
like grim smile, as he replied-"lt is OF
no use, my man-you must come out at
once; you are fairly caught. If you obey |
us, and accompany us quietly, we will give
YOU no necessary pain but il you hesitate |
or resist for one moment, we snail at once |
put these on"
As he spoke, he got on the step of the
carriage, and held up before my bewil- |
dered gaze pair of handouts, which ratified .
mt st omnouslv Good gracious what .
could be the joke in all this ? Mechani-
cally, did what | suppose Others would
have done. got out of the carriage. The
train moved ON. assumed stern fndigna-
ton, though Ill at ease.
'Now then said l. "what the dickens
do you mean by all this ~
Come. come, my man, your swagger
won't do with us. You must come along
was the answer of my guardians.
But what am charged with7 What
10 YOU want me for p
We'll, that is good Joke, and you are
a cool hand, . replied W. c. ll72. But
now, business is business, my man. We
bound to come with US. quietly if you will,
f not" Here he again held up the
handouts. " You are charged with forging
/ check for 500 on the Sandstone Bank
md with half killing, il not actually mur
lering. p c. Smith, of the Somcrsetshire
orce. We are going to take you to the
ock-up: and tomorrow YOU will have to
appear before the magistrates. am obliged
o caution you that you need not say any
hing; and that if you do say ANYTHING to
ommit yourself, it will be brought up as
'videncc against YOU"
Good Heavens And so | was forger
md a murderer
" Well-but," said |, these are not my
,wn clothes. 4 gentleman in the carriage
hanged clothes with me; or, rather, be
eft me aone-ahem naked ; and | put
m his clothes, and then you came, and
md Confound it, you don't think |
m he p
"Oh no." said W. G. ll72, "you amt
iim-not bit of it; you are yourself
Vel, You must think us green, to try and |
,alm that otf on as" .
And Immediately there arose a subdued
fiicial chuckle.
Ere long it came to pass that | was ,
bliged quietly to accompany my captors
o the police station. Mr.. Inspector booked {
he charge, whereby it seemed that really I
vas a lorger and all but murderer. 1t was ,
uite in vain that protested and vowed =,
hat was not the forging murderer in I
ne ton, but Edward Fitzgerald, of Sunny (
lila. near Sandstone. ! was cut short in !
nv protestatIons with: G
'"You must prove that before the magis
rates tomorrow. if you can" .
And so ! was consigned to a cell, to q
wait tomorrow. But first was searched; a
nd on me, to my disgust, were found a
icket to r, not to London, where ! |
ad said was going, and a clasp knife !
lightly stained with blood. I