The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-01-17

selves clearly before me-dismissal from
the bank, ruin of all my prospects, utter
ruin, in fact! What could / do? To
what turn? The blow that had fallen
upon me was SO heavy and sudden that
it had benumbed my faculties. My
chief desire was to crawl into bed and
fall asleep, hoping never to wake. But
morning would come surely enough
morning and it's attendant miseries.
Then the thought came to me: Should
| go to bed and say nothing at all about
it? No one knew of my having received
that money, not soul but Black, the
man who had deposited it. | had given
no receipt for 1t, no acknowledgement.
Black had gone to America hundred
things might happen-he might never
return; at all events, here was a respite,
immediate relief | could go TO the bank
next morning, hang up my hat as usual,
everything would go on az before. If
Black returned, my word was as good as
! his. The notes and checks could never
be traced home. But | don't think l
retained this thought long. Do you
ever consider how much resolution and
force of will it takes to initiate n course
of crime and deception? I'd neither the
one nor the other; should have broken
down Mt once. couldn't have met that
fellows eye and told MIN | had never
had his money.
woke my wife-she'd slept through
all the trouble. MARY" | said, ''were
ruined-there's been robbery.
"A robbery cried she, clasping her
hands; land are the men gomez"
eyes, l said.
"Oh, thank Heaven, she said, ''then
we're safel Never mind the rest, Jack,
as long as our lives are safe. But there's
my water proof, Jack-oh! do run and
see if they've taken that.
Then | told her the story of the TWEEN
ty-two thousand pounds. She wouldn't
believe me at first; but when she heard
the whole story, she was frightened
more than | had.
"You must run off to the town-hall,
Jack, she said, land set the police to
work. They must telegraph to all the
stations, to London, and everywhere!
Oh, do go at once, Jack, this very mo-
ment. Every second lost may be ruin
to us.
Away I went to the town hall. This
was IA big, classic place, with an i'm
mense portico and huge flight of steps;
but you didn't go into the portico to get
TO the police Office, but to the side
which wasn't classical Mt all, but of the
rudimentary style of architecture, and
you went along number of echoing
stone passages before you reached the
superintendent Office.
When | told the Superintendent the
story-"Ah," he said, II think l know
who did that job.
ooh, said |, chow thankful l am!
Then you can put your hands upon him
and get back the money. | want the
money back, Mr. Superintendent, never
mind him. | wouldn't mind, indeed re-
warding him for his trouble, if L could
only get the money back. y
Sir" said the Superintendent severe
", "the police amt sent into the world
to get peoples money back, nothing of
the sort; we aren't going to encourage
composition of felony; and for putting
our 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?"
was obliged TO confess / hadn't any;
whereat the Superintendent looked at
me contemptuously.
Now let's see into the matter" said
he, after he'd made some notes on n bit
of paper. How came they to know
you'd got the money in your coat q
/ said / didn't know.
"Ah, but / know" said the Superin-
tendent "You went to get a glass Of
ale after you left the bank, young
man?'
was obliged to confess I had done
50.
"That's how property gets stolen,
said he, looking mt me severely. And
what's more, you had glass with a
friend? All! l knew you had. And per-
haps pou got to talking to this friend of
yours?'
Eyes, indeed, | did.
every we'll; and mentioned about the
money you'd just took?"
Every likely"
"Then this Joe, depend upon it, was
in the crib at this time, and he heard
you, and he followed you back to the
bank: and You haven't got blinds, but
wire netting, over the window, and any
body outside can see you counting out
the gold and silver.
That's true" | said.
eyes; | see it all, said the superin-
tendent, lust as Joe saw it. He fol-
lows YOU from here to yonder, and he
sees you put your money i'll your coat
pocket, and then he follows you home,
and when all's quiet he cracks the crib.
Oh, it's all in nutshell; that's how
property goes. And then you come to
the police"
But if you know it's Joe why don't
You send after him and catch him.
"Oh we know our own business, sir;
You leave it all to us; we shall have Joe
tight enough, if not for this job, anyhow
for the next. Well give him a bit of
rope, like.
couldn't put any fire into the man,
do what | could; he was civil, that is for
Yorkshireman; impassive; he'd do
what was right. I'd given the informa-
ton; very well, all the rest was in bust
ness.
So came home miserable, despairing
opened the shutters, the debris of our
feast was revealed; whilst about every
thing hung the faint smell of sour wine.
/ n IL. l. i.