Litchfield enquirer., 1873-01-09
..But if you know it's Joe, why don't

.'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 1t all to us; we shall have Joe tight enough, if not for this job, anyhow for the next. We'll give him bit of rope, like"
 l couldn't put any fire into the man. do what could; he was civil, that is for Yorkshireman; impressive; he'd do what was right. I'd given the information; very well, all the rest was his business. So came home miserable, despairing. It was just daylight by this time, and as l opened the shutters, the debris of our feast was revealed: the lees of the lobster salad, the picked bones of the chickens, the melted residuum of the jellies; whilst about every thing hung faint smell of sour wine. sat down amid all this wretched mess, and leaned my head on my arms in dull, miserable lethargy. Then I sprang up, as did so caught sight of myself in the looking glass. Good heavens! was this wretched, hang-dog fellow myself? Did few hours misery change a man like this? Why, I was a veyy felon in appearance; and so should be thought to be. Who would believe this story off robbery? Why, the police didn't believe in it, else they'd have talk en different tone. No, Ishould be look sed upon as thief by all the world ''Then my wife came down stairs, and with few touches, restored little order and sanity, both to outward matters and my mind. She brought me some coffee sand an egg and some bread and butter, and after had eaten and drunk, didn't fell quite 80 bad --.'.-s- .
 ''Jack," she said, 'syou must go toLon- don at once, and see the directors Have the first word, and tell them all about 1t '--aH the particulars. It was only little bit of carelessness, after all, and perhaps they'll look over it. .''
 ''Yes; that's all very well, ;" said. ''But how am I to get there? I've got no mon- .ey. This wretched party has cleared us right out"
 Borrow some of Cousins" ''He asked me to lend him sovereign last night, and I couldn't"
 Now, you'll say: Here's man without resource. Why didn't he pawn his watch?' To tell you the truth, that's what I had done the week before, and the money was all gone ''Then under these circumstances," you'll add, ''it was i'm moral to give party" But, you'll bear in mind, the invitations had been out for a fortnight, and then we were in funds. ] Well, Jack, said my wife, 'you must get the man-the P. B.-to give you some more money on the watch. Sell 1t him right out It must be worth at least ten pounds, for it cost thirty, and you've only had five upon it. Sell the ticket. ''Yes; but where aUds the ticket? Why, in the little cash-pocket of my brown great-coat. Still, had heard, that if you'd lost a ticket, you could make the man give you another; and Brooks, the pawn-broker, was a respectable fellow, who, perhaps, would help me out of my difficulty. I went to him anyhow, on my way to the station. felt like ticket:of- Eleaye man as went into his shop, but I put good face upon 1t.
 ssRrooks," I said, ssthat watch-you xnow the tickef-it's stolen. P
 He was siow-speec6sd aastsnt9as @ass wink Tas. face, and 2 tremendous corporation
 "Nay." he says, ''my lad; thou Tt wrong there
 What do you mean?" said, coloriug up furiously: Every one suspected me-. it seemed.
 "Whoi, it might ha' been stolen once, but it aren't now; 'ave got it here. This is how it were. A eadging sort Q. ehag you give me for this ticketY Now you know the hact don't allow us to give nought in that kind of way, but I says to the chap: Let's have a look at it, and then saw it was yours, and said to the man: My lad, you aren't come honest by this"
 "And you gave him into custody. he's in prison2 Old Brooks, what a capital fellow you are!'' s.o- that. Do you think I'd hexpose custo- mer? know you gents don't care about these little matters getting abroad; and so siaps my list on the counter, and I says: Hook it.! just like that. And away he went like lamp-ighter.
 sank down on the counter overpow- cred with emotion. ~z
 ''And what's more," went on Brooks, Che never took up the money I'd lent him for the coat"
 "What coat?" cried.
 ''A very nice brown coat he put up with me. About fit you should think. See, here it is."
 It was my identical brown great-coat, wrapped up in bundle, and tied round with my own handkerchief I made & dart at it, opened it, plunged my hand into the breast pocket-there was the roll of money, there were thet,oenty-tpo thou- sand pounds.
 How did go to the bank that morning, on legs or wings? And how did I get home, as soon as I had put the money safe away? Mary knew by my face it was all right: and didn't we have dance of joy all round the house! .s.... z..-
 My burglar had only been a sort of sneak, after all, who got in an open win dow, and bolted with the spells of the hall; but if he had taken the pains to look into the pockets of the great-coat, he'd have been rich-though perhaps g miserable and insecure -m man, and I should have been utterly and deseryedly ruined.