The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1874-11-24

another long inquisitive glance at the sea-
faring man sitting SO silent and grim but |
he never looked up again, and left him
still intent over his newspaper When
reached home found that Mr.. Twoshoes
was out, and had been for several hours.
At whatever hour he might return, de-
termined to be on the watch for him, and
judge from his dress whether it was really
he whom had seen in the roadside inn.
sat up patiently till twelve o'clock, but as
he had not then returned, put out all the
lights, and stationed myself in bedroom
upstairs and after waiting there three
more hours, my patience was rewarded by
seeing MIR. Twoshoes come down the street.
Thanks to a friendly lamp opposite, had
no difficulty in seeing how he was dressed
1t was still raining little; and the first
thing l perceived was that he carried an
umbrella but when he put it down on
nearing the door, all could make out was
that he wore his ordinary black hat, and
waterproof cape that reached nearly to his
heels. He let himself in with his latchkey,
and stole upstairs to bed in his usual
stealthy manner.
These mysterious and suspicious pro-
ceedings on the part of our lodger naturally
became a source of much disquiet both to
Annie and myself; indeed my wife began
to get quite nervous on the point, and to
imagine all kinds of terrible and unlikely
things as the results of our harboring
such an unaccountable parsonage in our
house. Mr.. Twoshoes was, however, as /
have said before, such a model lodger in
every other respect, SO kind and consider
ate in every way, such punctual and lib
eral paymaster, that, debate the question
as we would, we could by no means make
up our minds to part with him. So we de-
cided at last to keep our apprehensions and
suspicious to ourselves, and mention them
neither to Mr.. Twoshoes nor to any prying
neigbbor, and to put down everything in
our lodger's ways of life for which we
could not find natural solution to the
score Of eccentrcity-a term of very wide
application indeed.
"Mr. Twoshoes had been with us about
five weeks, when Annie's brother, Mr.
Dick Dereham, came down from London
to spend his holidays with us, for the sake
of the fishing for which the neighborhood
of Markhallow is celebrated. He was in
those days tall raw-boned young fellow,
with fair complexion, large blue eyes, cold
and sceptical in expression, and nose as
sharp and inquisitive as that of ferret
with, to crown all, most excellent opinion
of his own acuteness and general abilities,
dashed with that slight superciliousness of
tone and manner which, especially towards
homely country-folks, in such common
characteristic of the middle-class Cockney.
He had not been three hours in the house
before he had wormed out of Annie every
thing that we knew, surmised, and imag-
ined concerning Mr.. Twoshoes. Here was
promising pie ready for an acute young
Cockney to poke his finger into No fish
ing to be done till it was disposed of to his
satisfaction. Really the country was not
such dull place after all ! He met me
that afternoon at the bank door, and, link
ing his arm in mine, unburdened his mind
as we walked home together.
"Nan has been opening her mind to me
this afternoon about your lodger, Mr.. Two
Shoes" he began.
"Indeed," said I, dryly; "you were i'm
! mensely interested, no doubt"
: "0h you may jest about it if you like,
but the question is serious one. There's
! something bad about that fellow, you may
; depend upon it; and If I were you I'd
t either report him privately to the police oi
: else give him weeks notice, aud SO get
rid Of him altogether"
{ "Thank you" replied "but as l have
7 no particular fault to find with Mr.. Two
4 shoes, don't feel quite inclined to adopt
t either Of your suggestions"
"But consider, my dear fellow it's really
5 not safe TO have a man like that in your
housewife frequently stays out all night
who dresses one day as groom, another
D day as a merchant seaman, and the next
t as curate or private gentleman. 1t arises
. from no mere eccentricity, you may depend
: on it. There's some villainy afloat, and il
Q will be well il you are not implicated in Il
! when the erpose comes--as come It must
Q some Of these fine days"
Q "Now, sec you here, my pert young
, Cockney," l replied "Mr. Twoshoes il
my lodger, and a man whom respect, sc
Q don't attempt to pull him to pieces in my
2 presence. You always were a tolerablC
: hand at discovering mares-nests, but
n | nleasa don't trv to find anv IN NV houoa