American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-01-18
VOL. XXIII.
olatile, was there ever such an untoward

volatile, was there ever such an untowar,
| affair."
The music struck up for the dances as
| hoped back into nv room. | hid my
head among the holsters and muffs. anC
almost cried; for I'm such delicat,
minded man. Yes. it hurt me 600,
deal more than it did Mrs. Markbv. for
would you believe it ?-she told the story
down below to the whole company, will
pantomimic action-and when | showed
l myself at the door of the drawing-room
| was received with shouts of ineNtin.
guishable laughter.
| think I called the Yorkshire people
dense just now. didn't 1? Well. I'll add
another epithet I coarse dense and
coarse. ! told 'em so; but they only
| laughed the more.
The guests We're 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 noise, a sort of
dull BURSTING noise. wasn't really GER
tain at first whether had heard noise
or only dreamed of it. sat up in bed
| and listened intently. Was it only my
pulse thumping into my ears, or We're
those regular beats, the tramp of some
body's untitled feet? Then heard an I'M
mistakable sound-creak, creak, creak-
a door being opened slowly and cautious
ly. All in a moment the idea flashed into
my head-TDenty-t1co thousand pounds.
You see, all this dancing and junketing,
and laughing and chatting, had complete
ly driven out of my mind all thought OF
the large sum had in my possession. I
had lefti 1t i'm my great-cOat pocket, which
was haIging up in the hall, downstairs.
Puffia gust of wind came through the
house, rattling the doors and windows :;
and then I heard a door slam, and foot
step outside of some one stealing eau
tiously sway,
AWAY downstairs I went like mad
man, mr one thought to put my hand on
that grsat-coat with long tails, and two
pockets behind, and a little cash-pocket
on the left-hand side in front, and this
breast-ptcket in which had put the bag
of money. This pocket wasn't, as is usu-
al, on tie left-hand side, but on the right.
There vas no other coat hanging on those
rails, OILY my wife's waterproof. What
a swoop made to get hold of that coat
Great Ieavens it was gone!
had carefully barred and chained the
front door before l went to bed-now it
was umastened. l ran out into the street,
and looked up and down, hopeless and be-
wildersd. 1t was dark, damp night;
the lamp at the corner threw a long sickly
ray down the streaming pavement, but
there wasn't soul to be seen. Every
thing was still and cold and dark.
The moon was clean gOne-yeS, it was
gone. l repeated these words mechanic
ally tdmyself, as 1 crawled upstairs. All
the results of this loss pictured themselves
clearly before dismissal from the
bank, fuin of all my prospects, utter ruin,
in fach What could do? to what turn?
The bbw that had fallen upon me was so
heavyRnd sudden, that it had benumbed
my Equities. My chief desire was to
crawl into bed, and fall asleep. hoping
never to wake. But morning would come,
surely enough morning and its atten-
dant niseries.
Then the thought came to me: Should
[ go II bed and say nothing at all about
it? No one knew of my having received
that money, not soul but Black, the man
who lad deposited it. had given no
receipt for it, no Acknowledgements. Black
at all events, here was respite, immediate
relief L could go to the bank next NOR
ming, hang up my hat as usual, every
thing would go on as before. If Black re-
turn9d, my word was as good as his. The
motel and checks could never be traced
home. But don't think L retained this
thought long. Do you ever consider how
to i9tiate course of crime and deception?
I'd EITHER the one nor the other: shOald
havl broken down at once. L couldn't
havJ met that fellows eye and told him l
hadhever had his money.
IFoke my wife-she'd slept through
all Pc trouble. MARY, said, were
IA robbery! !" cried she, clasping her
ha1s s. and are the men gomez"
sHes,'' said.
sDh, thank Heaven" she said, 60 then
wete safe! Never mind the rest, Jack,
as bng as our lives are safe. But there's
lmywater-prOof, Jack-oh! do run and
seaf they've taken that"
hen told her the story of the twenty
twt Thousand pounds. She wouldn't be-
liee me at first /; but when she heard the
While story, she was frightened enough.
Ydshe had her wits about her more than
lYou must run off to the town hall,
Jak," she said, "and set the police to
wdk. They must telegraph to all the
st3ions, to London, and every
this v ON, mo mo go Hvep at se onse
lot may be ruin to us.''
AWAY l went to the tOwn-hall. This
we big, classic place, with an immense
pftico and huge flight of steps; but
| yp didn't 90 into the portico to get to
| u police-office, but to the side, which
wsn't classical at all. but of the rudi-
| Hntary style of architecture, and you
Wnt along number of echoing stone
! tadent's office.
| When I'd told the superintendent the
| stry-' Ah," he said, 81 think 1 know
vAo did that job
tOh,'' said 1, '' how thankful am!
Hen you can put your hands upon him
I'D get back the money. 1 want the mo-
ny back, Mr.. Superintendent, never
1nd him. wouldn't mind, indeed, re-
| 4rding him for his trouble, if could
DIV get the money back
| r. Sir.'' said the Superintendent severe
:. the police amt sent into the world
get peoples money back, nothing of
ee sort; we aren't going to encourage
imposition of felony: and as for putting
Ar hands on Flashy Joe, for he did the
Sb. mark you-weli, what do you think
he liberty of the subject is for? Where's
bur evidence?"
1 was obliged to confess hadn't any :;
khereat the superintendent looked at me
bntemptuously.
. Now, let's see into this matter" said
laper. How came they to know you'd
lot the money in your cOat?'
\! said didn't know.
:. All, but know" said the superin-
lendent. You went to get glass of
be after you left the bank, young man -
l was obliged to confess l had done so.
"That's how property gets stolen"
what's more, you had glass with a
Itiend?-Ah! | knew you had And per-
laps you got talking to this friend OF
Tours -
g Yes, indeed, had"
.sVery well: and mentioned about the
honey you'd just took? -
livery likely"
"Then this Joe, depend upon it, was
l the crib at the time, and heard you !:
I'D he followed you back to the bank :;
I n blinds hIIt