Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1872-04-20

second bill being settled, the waiter was
rather glad TO have an opportunity of
charging hln with fraudulent design.
In vain Mr.. Harvey demonstrated, saying
he had paid for everything. The waiter
| would not believe his statement, and de-
tanned him 'till he should hear better
about it,"
Let me go, fellow; insist upon it,"
said Mr. Harvey, burning with indigna-
tion, 81 am already too late.
''Not a step, till / ask master if ac-
counts are squared.
AT this moment, while the alteration
was at the hottest, a terrible ringing of
bells was heard. and above stairs was
loud noise of voices, and of feet running
to and fro. A chamber-maid came hur-
rledly running down stair, exclaiming
that some one had stolen watch from
No. IL, and that nobody ought TO leave
till it was found. The landlord also.
moved by the hurricane which had been
raised, made his appearance on the spot
where Harvey was interrupted III bis ex-
it.
"What on carth is all this noise about,
John 2" inquired the landlord OF the wal
ter
"Why, sir, I thought it rather strange
for any gentleman to leave the house by
the back way, carrying his own portman-
teau, and so was making little breeze
about il, fearing he had not paid his bill,
when all of sndden Sally rushes down
the stairs and says as how No II has
missed his gold watch, and that no one
should quit the hotel"
No. II, an old, dry-lookiDg military
gentleman, in particularly high passion,
now showed himself on the scene, utter
ing terrible TIN eats of legal proceedings
against the house for the loss he had sus-
tanned.
Harvey was stupifed and indignant,
yet he could hardly help smiling at the
poiher. What" said he, "have to do
with all this l have paid for every
thing | am surely entitled to 90 away
il like. Remember, that it lose my
passage to Boston, you shall answer for
it,"
81 very much regret OBTAINING you,
sir" replied the keeper of the hotel
"but you hear there has been a robbery
committed within the last few minutes,
and MS it will be proper to search every
one in the house, surely you, who are on
the point of departure, will have no OBJ
jections to be searched first, and .hen he
at liberty to go p
There was something so perfectly rea-
sonable in all this, that Harvey stepped
into all adjoining parlor, and threw open
his trunk for inspection, never doubling
that his innocence would be immediately
manifest. ....-..
The waiter, whose mean rapacity had
been the cause of the detention, acted as
examiner. lie pulled one article after
another out of the trunk, and at length
horror of horrors held up the mis-
sing watch with look of triumph and
scorn
"Who put that there ?" cried Harvey
in an agony of mind better imagined
than described. "Who has done me this
grievous wrong? l know nothing as to
how the watch came into my trunk"
No one answered this appeal. All
present stood for moment in gloomy
silence
"Sir, said the landlord to Harvey on
recovering from his surprise, 81 am sor-
ry for you. For the sake of miserable
trife, you have brought ruin and dis
grace upon yourself This is a matter
which concerns the honor of my house,
and cannot stop here. However much it
is against my feelings, you must go be-
fore a magistrate"
"By all MEANS" added No. II, with
the importance of an injured man. "a
pretty thing that ones watch is not safe
in house like this ~
"Jchn, send Boots for a constable" :"
said the landlord.
Harvey sat with his head leaning on
his hand. A deadly cold perspiration
, trickled down his brow. His heart
swelled and beat as if it would burst.
What should he do His whole pros
poets were in an instant bligh'ed. "Oh
God do you desert frail and unhappy
being, give me s,rengh to face this new
and terrible misfortune" was a prayer
he internally uttered. A little revived,
he started to his feet, and addressing
himself TO the landlord, he said, "Take
me to magistrate instantly, and let us
have this diabolical plot unraveled. /
tp"ib INV Ni-oioStSA anu SOh
duct"
at is no use saying any more about
it," answered the landlord {" here is
Boots with constable, and let us all GO
away together to the nearest magistrate.
Boots, carry that trunk. John and Sal
ly, you can follow u.s."
And so the party, trunk and all, under
the constable as conductor, adjoured to
the house of magistrate in an adjacent
street. There the matter was so clear a
case OF f4lony-robbery in a dwelling
house-that all proteStations to the con-
trary, was fully committed for trial at
the ensuing March assizes, then but a
few days distant.
AT the period at which these incidents
occurred, l was young man going on
my first circuits. had not as yet been
honored with perhaps more than three
or four briefs, aud these only in cases SO
mea gre OF fees, that was compelled to
study economy. Instead of taking mp
nv residence at an inn when visiting
49,. q considerable seaport, where the
court held its sittings, l dwelt in lodg.
ings kept by widow lady, whore, at a
small expense, l could enjoy perfect
oujetness. free from interruDtiOp.