Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-10-09

! distant sort OF way, commended nv alter
tlon at Wyddham castle. He told me
that Her Majesty had insisted on his a.
ceptlng the onerous but dignified position
OF high Sheriff of the county, and that he
W. W. w., had graciously determined to
appoint me his under sheriff. He was
also pleased to invite me to luncheon and
among the distinguished party at the cas-.
tie L found an acquaintance. Cant Potto
who, with Lady Laura Potts, his wife
was on visit there. Potts was not one
OF those fellows who are devilishly friend,
| " by iver-side, deuced cold in society
| tie came forward at once to claim nv az.
qualntance and to introduce me to lady
Laura, delightful little woman. She
made slave of me at once (of course
SUBJECT to my allegiance to nv MarvJanel
went home much pleased at nv reception
ana at the appointment | had received :
not that 1t was worth very much in itself
out IL gave me sort of standing, and was
| an opening.
My relative didn't, however, forget to
can upon me to find two sureties in
900 each, to indemnify him in any ac.
Ilon that might be brought against him
IL was lhe usual thing. One Of my sure
ties was my poor ola father, who was then
H..
other surety was an old gentleman who
had always been very kind to me. and
who had accumulated little money in a
long life of thrift and industry. | never
dreamed of such thing as their being
called upon to pay anything for me.
never. 1t was mere form, told them
I'd not much to do as undersheritf for
some time. There were only few levies.
which were paid out, and which put few
pounds INTO my pocket; but | was in great
force at the assiZes | was in much re-
quest among the ladies, to get them places
In court, and when the Judge, whom I
recollected as leading O. c. when | fin
lshed in London, and whom had met at
consultations sometimes, cOndescended to
have a chat with me, and asked to be pre-
scented to Mary Jane, felt as if / had at
tanned to considerable elevation. After
the spring assizes | had a little leisure. 1t
was one of the best fishing seasons | ever
remember, and l used to be on the river
every day, and every day l would meet
Potts. We became great friends, and
Potts would often come to my house and
have smoke and a glass of grog.
L was much annoyed then, when one
Tuesday mornings post brought down
ca. so. from my agents, indorsed by the
firm of Moses s. Mosheim, commanding
me to take the body of one Bellingham
Billingsgate Potts and bring him before
Her Majesty's court of exchequer. And |
was to have met Potts that very
afternoon! Duty is duty, and /
couldn't think of giving poor Potts
any warning of the danger which
threatened him. [ sent for the two bum
ballltts who did the few jobs that occurred
III our part Of the country. [ explained
to them what they had to do, and they
seemed pleased with the work. Had it
been one OF their own countrymen who
was IN the mess, they would have under
taken the business with reluctance. To
my horror, five minutes after | had dis
missed the men, Potts himself put his
head through my office doorway
"Hullo, Roberts." he cried: "busv as
usual, old fellow? May l come in %
My presence of mind torsook me; [
could only gasp for breath and point to
the door. Potts came in alarmed-'What
on earth is the matter?''
Just then the two buns, who had traced
Potts to my office, bounded in and seiz-
ed Potts roughly on each side, almost
tearing the coat off his back But Potts
was as nimble as an eel. He drove his
elbow into the long mans stomach, and
doubled him up in an instant, and let fly
his right into the face of little Jones, send
ing him spinning across the room There
were two doors opening into my office;
one led to the outer or clerk Office, the
other, opposite, opened directly into a lit
tie back street. This latter was usually
locked and the KEY hung on a nail close
to my desk. By this door Potts and | had
often made our way to the Prince Level
Ign for our morning beer. Potts conse-
quently knew well where the key was to
be found, and saw in moment the way
OF escape. The very same idea flashed
into my mind the same instant.
Ought to have remained passive and let
him escape? Shouldn't have acted neg
ligently and dishonesty in my office
had | done so? | don't know
which | ought to have done; and though
all these things darted through my brain
while Potts took a single step across the
room, yet | don't think it was from any
just sense of right or wrong, but from a
sort of professional instinct, kind of
spiderish feeling, that | seized the key
and put it in my pocket. Potts gave me
look Of scorn and reprOach, and then,
putting his hands in his pocket, he leaned
back against the mantle-piece and
laughed
Are you all going mad? What's the
meaning of this?"
:" 1t means, Capt Potts." said I, feeling
smaller than | had done in my life before,
THAT these men have warrant for your
apprehension for a debt of-how much?
e120 and costs?"
"Why didn't you say so before?" said
the captain, "instead of letting your ban
dogs upon me? 1t would have saved
your ed-headed friend pain in his in
side. Well, of course, it's your business
to do all such dirty work. I'm sorry,
though, / hurt these men of yours. Here,
take half crown apiece, you fellows"
"Well, indeed,' said Jones, Il like you
very much! DiOlch yawrr'
Williams ceased to rub his damaged
bread basket, looked suspiciously at the
coin, and then pocketed it with a grunt
$50, it's Moses and Mosheim who've
put me in this hole? Well, | havn't the
money, and don't know how to get it;
how long can you give me?"
"Well, you san stop at the Prince
Llewellyn tonight; you'd better go on
there now with the men, and I'll come up
and talk matters over by-and-b by"
Potts went out, attended by his keepers,
and he'd hardly left the Office before | re-
ceived card-"Mr. Braham, Moses and
Mosheim." A sallow young man, much
beieweled and with very dirty hands, was
shown in to me. He had come up by the
mail to Chester, and posted on. | fancy
he came tO see that the ca Sa was prop