Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-12-21


h. aTG a door slam, and foOtstep outside of
some one stealing cautiously away.
Away town-stairs I went like a IN Adman, ny
one thong INT 20 put my hand on that grestco4t.
IL was a brown greatco4t with long tails. AHi
two pockets behind. and little cash-pOck-t on
the lsft.hsRd eide in front, and thus brsaSt-
pocket I'm which had put the bag Of money.
This pocket wasn't, as Is u-usl, on tae lett hand
side, but on the right There was NJ other
coat hanging on those rails, only my wne's
waterproof. What! whoOp made 10 get hold
OF thst ceat. Great heavens! it was gone!
had carefully barred and chained the front
door before | went 10 bed-now II was unfast-
and down, hopeless and bewildered. 1t was a
DARK, damp night; the lamp at the corner threw
n long sickly ray down the streaming pave
meEt, but there wasn't soul to be seen.
Everything was still, AID cold and dark.
The money WAS clear gone-yes, it was gene.
j - u ated these wOrds, mechanically TO my
self, a 1 era si-d upstairs. All the results of
this less ictUT e. Themselves clearly before me
disICls~cd from she bank. ruin of all nv pros
Fect=, utteg IVjB, IN facti What could dO2 to
what turn? the blow that had fallen upon me
81 hsaTy hat e had benumbed my faculties.
Then the Il ought came to me- Should 90 20
bee and ray nothing at all about it? No one
knew ct Isy having received that money, not
sO1i but Black, the man who had deposited it,
had given no receipt for IL, no acknowledg-
ment. Black had gone to Americas humid
red things might happen-he might never re-
diate relief. could go TO the bank next morn
ing, hang up my hat a usual, everything would
60 On a. before. Ii Black returned, my word
was as good as his. The notes and cheqsles
could never be traced home. But don't thi nix
RETAINED this thought long. Do you ever con
sider how much resolution and force of Will it
takes to Initiate course OF crime and decep-
ton? I'd neither the one nor the other. i
should have broken down at once. I couldn't
have met that fellows eye and told him had
never had his money.
woke my wife-she'd slept through all the
trouble h MARY, Mary, said' we're ruined-there's
"a TObbery! cried she, claSpinC her hands;
Sand are the men gomez"
YES said.
ooh. thank Heaven she said, sthen ws're
safe! Never mind the rest, Jack, as long as
our lives are safe. But there's my Waterproof,
Jackl-oh, do run and see If they've taken
that"
=, Then l told her the story of the twenty two
thousand pounds. She wouldn't believe me at
first; but when she heard the whole story she
was frightened enough. Yetshe had wits about
her more than had.
she said, 'and set the police to work. They
must telegraph to all the stations, to London
and everywhere! oh, do go at once, Jack, this
very moment. Every second lost may be ruin
TO us."s
Away went to the town-hall. This was a
big, CLASSIC place, with an immense portico and
huge flight Of steps; but you ditn't 60 into the
portico TO get to the police Office, but to the
side, which wasn't classical at ali, but of the ru-
dimentary style of architecture, and you went
along number Of echoing stone passages be
When I'd told the superintendent the story
job
80 oh" said [, 'hoW thankful am. Then YOU
can put your hands upon him and get back the
money. / want the money back, MIR. Superin-
tendent-never mind him. wouldn't mini in
deed rewsrdng him for mis- trouble, If could
only get the money back"
Sir said the superintendent, severely, 'the
police amt seen into the world to get peoples
money back; nothing of the sort. We aren't
encOurQQn nj
a. for putting our hands on Flashy JOe-for he
did the job, mark you-weli, what do you think
the liberty OF the subject is for? Where's your
Twas obliged to confess hadn't any; whereat
the superintendent looked at me contempt
uously.
NOW, let's see into thism after said he. At
ter he'd made some notes on a bit of paper
How came they to know you got the money in
your coat?'
said I didn't know.
Z" All but know said the superintendent.
you went forget glass OF ale after sou left the
bank, young map?"
That's how property gets stolen said h c
locking at me severely, And what's more, YOU
had glass with afriend?-Ah! knew YOU had.
And perhaps you not talking to this friend of
yours"
Yes, indeed had"
Very well; and mentioned about the money
you'd just took
- Very likely
"Then this Joe depend upon it, was in the
crib at the time, and he heard on; and he fol-
loved YOU back to the bank; and YOU haven't
got blinds, but a wire-nettine over the window,
and anybody outside can see you Counting GU
the gold and silver
"That's true" said.
eyes; see il ALL said the superinten dent
tiust as Joe saw it. He follows you up, from
here TO yonder, and he sees you put your money
into your coat pocket and then he follows voa
Oh, it's all in a nutshell; and that's how prop-
erty goes: And then youicome to the police
But II you know it's Joe, why don't you
90 after him and catch him."
"Oh, we know our own business, sir; you
leave 1t all to US; We shall have Joe tight enough
II not fer this job, anyhow, for the next. Wen
give him q biz OF rope, like"
couldn't put any ire into the man, do what
4 could; lie was civil, that is for Yorkshirenlan;
impassivei he ID do what was right. I'd given
business.
So came home miserable, despairing. II
was Just daylight by this time, and as opened
yesled; the lees of the lobster salad, the picked
bones OF the chickens, the melted residum of
the jellies; whilst about everything hung the
faint smell OF sour wine. 1 sat down amid al
this wretched mess. and leaned my head on nv
arms in dull, miserable lethargy. Then II
spraDg up, and as 1 did so caught sight
was this wretched, hang dog fellow myself?
Did a few hours misery change q man like
this? Why, was very felon in appearance;
andso should be thought to be. Who would
believe this story of robbery? Why the po-
lice didn't believe In il, else they'd have taken
different tone. No; should be looked upon as
thief by all the world.
Then my wife came down stairs, and with a
few touches, restored little order and sanity.
both 10 outward matters and my mind She
brought me some coffee and an egg and soma
bread and butter, and after L had eaten AMI
drunk, n'tieel quite 80 bad.
Jack, she said, you must 20 to London at
once, and see the directors Have the ir.t
word, and tell them all about it-all the par
tculars. ltwas only little bit OF carelessness
after al, and perhaps they'll look over it,"
eS: that's all very WELL / said. But how
am TO get there? I've got no money. This
wTetched party has cleared Us right out
" Borrow some of Cousins"
L" He asked me TO lend him a several IN last
night, and / couldn't"
Now, you'll say; =" Here's man witheut re-
source. Why didn't he pawn his watch? TO
tell you the TRUTH that's what did the week
before, and the money was all gone. "Then
under these circumstances,' you'll add sit was
immoral to give party" But. you'll bear in
mind, the invitations had been ont for a fort
night, and hen We were in funds.
well, Jack said my wife, you must get the
mantle L. BIO give you some more money
ON the watch. Sell il him right out. Itmust be
worth at least ten pounds, for il cost thirty AMI
you've only had i've on 1t. Sell the ticket
lesi but where was the ticket? Why, in the
little cash-p pocket OF my brown greatcoat
hnN