The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1874-12-01
Our Strange LOdger.
CONCLUDED.
q DETECTIVE sToRY.

low races took place, the great festival OF
the year at our little town.
On the third and last day, Mr.. Dick Der
ham, growing tired of the monotony of rod
and line, betook himself for little variety
to the race-course. The last race was over,
and Dick had just turned his face home
ward, and lighted cigar to beguile the
dusty way, when he was accosted by a
fashionably dressed individual, who polite
ly requested the favor Of light. Having
obtained what he wanted, it was only nat
ural, as they both happened to be going the
same way, that the stranger should enter
into conversation with Dick respecting the
events of the day. Dick was charmed at
once with his new acquaintance, who seem
ed to be thoroughly at home on all matters
connected with the turf, and proved by n
simple sporting equation how, instead of
losing his little bet Of eight half-crowns,
Dick might just as easily have won as
many pounds. In ten minutes they were
on the footing of old friends; mutually
pleased with each other, and each doing his
best to impress the other with the extent
and variety of his information and the
briliance of his remarks--a friendly ri
valry in which Dick, self-conceited as he
was, could not help feeling himself consid-
erably distanced by his affable friend.
When they reached the town, nothing
would suit Captain JNlius-for by that
name the stranger had introduced himself
but that they must call in at the first ho-
tel and have bottle of champagne togeth-
er. One bottle necessitated another; and
by the time the second was half empty,
Dick had grown very talkative indeed and
ranging with loose and glowing tongue
from one topic to another, found himself
at last, almost to his own surprise, for he
could not remember by what pleasant but
devious path he had reached that point
dilating to his fashionable friends ON the
whims, eccentricities, and unaccountable
vagaries of that mysterious Mr. Twoshoes.
Captain julius seemed nightly interested
in the subject, ard cross-questioned Dick
upon it in smiling affable way, and re-
verted to it again and again whenever Dick
felt inclined to wander off into some other
may streamlet Of talk, till there was really
nothing more to be learnt. Having finished
their wine, they left the hotel, and strolled
arm in arm through the streets, now light
ed up and thronged with busy crowd, till
they reached the house of Dicks brother
in-law; and then, after a hearty. shake of
the hand, and an arrangement that Dick
should call on the captain at his hotel at
eleven the next morning, they separated.
Dick, who was still in somewhat elevated
mood, fingered at the door for few min
utes to finish his cigar. While thus stand
ing he heard the Minister clock strike ten,
and putt his hand to his pocket to draw out
his watch. But there was no watch left
for him to find,- his pocket had been neat
ly and dextrously picked of his gold repeat
er, value twenty-five guineas. Quite sober
by this time, and in very queer humor,
Master Dick walked down to the police
station to give notice of his loss. How
Captain Julius would laugh at him in the
morning for being such a greenhorn as to
allow his pocket to be picked If he could
only induce the captain to go fishing with
him, he would let him see that with rod
and line he knew thing Or two-that in
matters piscatorial he was not altogether
novice But when he reached the hotel on
the following morning, the captain had
flown, leaving message that he had been
telegraphed for, and obliged to depart by
the six a. m. train but that he hoped to
revisit Markhallow in the course of few
weeks, and would not then fail to hunt up
his friend Mr.. Dereham. Dick returned
home in pensive mood, and spent
melancholy day in the manufacture of ar
tifcial flies.
A certain evening, about a week later
found Dick enjoying his cigar as usual on
the step outside the door. Mr.. Twoshoes
was from home on some mysterious errand;
my wife and her aunt we're drinking tea at
a neighbours in the next street; the ser
want was supposed to be gone to see her
mother, but was in reality taking a plea
SAINT ramble among the lanes with her
"young man, so that Dick had the whole
establishment to himself. The shadows
were creeping up the streets, and Dick was
thinking about turning in, when his at
tention was drawn to the peculiar move
ments Of stranger on the other side Of the
way. Dick had noticed him minute or
two before, staring very earnestly at tie
house; had then seen him move slowly
down the street then slowly return in