New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-01-05

not. Did tell you our landlord had al
tered the house for us, making our bedroom
larger by adding slip that had formed q
separate ro0ml l think not. And yet L
! ought to have told you all these circum-
stances, to enable you to understand the
catastrophe that followed In word, the
door opened outward. I'd forgotten that
| popularity, never having had a room so
constituted before, and never will again:
The door went open with a crash ana
| bounded backward into Mrs. Markby 8
arms. Smelling salts and sal volatile, Was
there ever such an untowaTd affair
The music struck up for the dances as l
| hoped back into my room. L hid my head
among the holsters and muffs, and almost
| cried; for I'm such delicate-mlnd man.
Yes, it hurt me great deal more imam II
did Mrs. Markby for, would you belleve
it2-she told the story down below TO the
| whole company, with pantOmimic action,
and when | showed myself at the door OF
| the drawing room, was received with
| shouts OF inextinguishable laughter.
1 think | called the Yorkshire people
Sense Just now, didn't T. Well, I'll add
| another epithet-coatss-de and coarse.
| told EN- 50; but they only laughed the
| more.
The guests were gone, the lights were
| out, slumber had just visited my eyes, when
| right into my brain, starting me up as If I'd
| been shot, came q noise. sort OF dull
| bursting noise | wasn't really certain at
| first whether | had heard a noise or only
dreamed of it. l sat up in bed and listened
| intently. Was it only my pulse humping
| into my ears, or were those regular beats
| the tramp OF somebody's mufiied feet! Then
| heard an unmistakable s0und-creak,
! cIeak, creak-a door being opened slowly
/ and cautiously. All in a moment the idea
flashed into my head-twenty-tT thousand
| pounds. You see, all this dancing and jun
keting, and laughing and chatting, had com
pletely driven out of my mind all thought
oS she large sum | had in my possession. |
had left 1t in great-cOat pocket, which
was hanging up in the hall down stairs
Puff gust of wind came through the
house, rafting the doors and windows, and
then | heard a door clam, and a fOotstep
outside OF some one stealing cautiously
away.
Away down stairs | went like mailman,
my one thought to put my hand on that
great coat. 1t was brown great coat,
with long tails, and two pockets behind and
a little cash pocket on the left hand side in
front, and this breast pocket in which l had
put she bag of money. This pocket wasn't,
as is usual on the left hand side, but on
the right. There was no other coat hang
ing on those rails, only my wittss waterproof.
What swoop made to get hold OF that
coat! Great heavens! it was gone
| had carefully barred and chained the
front door before | went to bed-now it was
unfastened. ran out into the street, and
looked up and down, hopeless and bewild-
cred. 1t was a dark, damp night; the lamp
at the corner threw long, slckly ray down
the streaming pavement, but there wasn't
soul to be seen. Everything was still and
cold and dark
The money was clean gone-yes, it was
gone. | repeated theseswords mechanically
to myself az | crawled up stairs All the
results of this loss pictured themselves
clearly before me-dismi5sal from the bank,
ruin Of all my prospects. utter ruin. in facti
What could / do! To what turn The
blow that had fallen upon me was so heavy
and sudden that it had beIiumbed my facul-
ties. Ny chief desire was to crawl into bed
and fall asleep, hoping never to wake. But
morning would come surely enough-morn-
ing and its attendant miSeries.
Then the thought came to me: Should
go to bed and say nothing at al about it?
No one knew of my having received that
money, not a soul but Black, the man who
had deposited it. had given him no re-
ceipt for it, no acknowledgment Black
had gone to America hundred things
might happen-he might never return; at
all events there was respite, immediate re-
lief. l could go the bank next morning,
hang up nay hat as usual, everythiI would
go on as before. If Black returned, my
word was as good as his. The notes and
checks could never be traced home. But
don't think | retained this thought long.
Do you ever consider how much resolution
andsfOrce Of will it takes TO initiate course
of crime and deception! I'd neither the one
nor the other; | should have broken down
at once. couldn't have that fellows eye
and told him | had never had his money.
l woke my wife; she'd slept through all
the trouble. MARY" | said, "we're SiseaS
there's been a robbery
"A robbery" cried she, claspihs Ser
hands; ''and are the men gomez
Yes l said.
"Oh, thank Heaven she sai3, ''then
were safe. Never mind the rest; Jack, as
long as our lives are safe. But there's my
waterproof, Jacb-oh do run and see if
they've taken that2'
Then | told her the story Of the G22, 900.
She wouldn't believe NE at first; but when
she heard the whole story. she was fright
enc enough, Yet she had wits about her
more than had.
You must run off to the town hall,
Jack" she said, "and set the police to
tons, to London, and everywhere! On, do
90 at once, Jack, this very moment Every
second lost may be ruin to US
Away went to the town hall. This was
a big, classice, with an immense portic0 and
a huge fight of steps; but you didn't go
into the pOrtico to get to the police Office,
but to the side which wasn't classical at
all, but of the rudimentary style of archi-
lecture, and you went along a number of
echoing stone passages before you reached
the superintendent Office.
When | told the superintendent the
story-"Ah,' he said, 81 think l know who
did that job"
49," said l. how thankful l am Then
you can put your hands upon him and get
back the money. l want the money back,
Mr. Superintendent, never mind him. |
wouldn't mind, indeed. rewaTding him for
his trouble, Il l could only get the money.
back"
Sir" said the superintendent, severely,
" the police amt sent into che world to get
peoples money back-nothing Of the sort:
we aren't going to encourage composition
of felony; aud for putting ora hands on
Flashy Joe, for he did the job, mark you
well, what do you think the liberty Of the
subject is for! Where's your evidence ?"
l was obliged to confess l hadn't any;
whereat the superintendent sooked at me
contemptuou5ly.
Now. let's see into the slatter,' said he,
after he'd made some notes on bit Of pa
per. How came they to know you'd got
the money in your cOat!"
said | didn't know.
All; but | know" said che superin.elsG-
sh'. efou Went to get glass. 81 ass %.tes
You left the bank, young man
was obliged to confess | had done sos
81 That's how property gets stolen. said
70, l,Nlli2S at me severely. "And Hhat's
more, soc had a glass with a friend Aho
knew you had And perhaps you zoe
talking to this friend of yours -
Yes. indeed, L had"
Very well: and mentioned about the
money you'd just took ?"
VERY likely