Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1873-01-16

t1lC OftIIh, lulI VI dill LILY PIOoDcCOS, uGU6I
ruin, in fact! What could I 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 its attendant miseries.
Then the thought came to me: Should
l 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. I had given
no receipt for it, no acknowledgement.
Black had gone to America hundred
things might happen-he might never
return; at all events, here was respite,
immediate relief. could go to the bank
next morning, hang up my hat as usual,
everything 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 I don't think |
retained this thought long. Do you
ever consider how much resolution and
force of will it takes to initiate course
of crime and deception? I'd neither the
one nor the other; I should have broken
fellows eye and told MIN had never
had his money.
woke my wife-she'd slept through
all the trouble. ''Mary," said, "we're
ruined-there's been robbery"
GA robbery cried she, clasping her
hands; fand are the men gomez
eyes" I said.
ooh, thank Heaven" she said, 'then
we're safe! Never mind the rest, Jack,
as long as our lives are safe. But there's
my waterproof, Jack-ohi do run and
see if they've taken that.
Then 1 told her the story of the twen-
tytwo thousand pounds. She wouldn' t
believe me at first; but when she heard
the whole story, she was frightened
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
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 1 went to the town hall. This
was big, classic place, with an i'm
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 architecture, and
you went along number of echoing
stone passages before you reached the
Superintendent Office
When I told the Superintendent the
story-"Ah," he said, 81 think I know
who did that job"
"Oh," said I, chow thankful [ am!
Then you can put your hands upon him
and get back the money. 1 want the
money back, Mr.. Superintendent, never
mind him. I wouldn't mind, indeed, re-
warding him for his trouble, if could
only get the money back"
''Sir," said the Superintendent severe
ly, '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?"
I was obliged to confess I 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 bit
OF paper. =" How came they to know
you'd got the money in your coat? ?"
I said I didn't know.
"Ah, but I know said the Superin-
tendent. ''You went TO get glass of
ale after you left the bank, young
man ?"
I was obliged to confess I had done
so.
''That's how property gets stolen"
said he, looking at me severely. "And
what's more, you had a glass with
friend? All! knew you had. And per-
haps pou got to talking to this friend of
yours?"
eyes, indeed, did"
Every well; 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 a
wire netting, over the window, and any,
body outside can see you counting out
the gold and silver"
''That's true, )" I said.
eyes; see it ALL, said the superin-
tendent, ''just as Joe saw it. He fol-
lows you from here to yonder, and he
sees you put your money in 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?"
sob, 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 bit of
rope, like"
I couldn't put any fire into the man,
do what I 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.