Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1875-02-16
NUMBER ;.

"Yes. sir, replied The man iif1ly -
can. You have q good deal OF Influence
with the authorities. and IL you will ash.
shall be taken on regular duty, ard
detailed for special service; md | c'a
then catch him.
"Wcil. tel. me your pi5us,' aid Bas'
elton; "and, in return, will tci! you thlS.
you know .horo are Fly pounds offered
on tho quiet ior 10 apprehension c. ihs
;hicf. Find him, and I aii. @.ate L i
hundred
The constable smiled, aEd. .owelias
his voice, spoke TO ;he exhibitor IL whis-
pers. when lie had finished. RaseI,oH
slapped bis hand OF The counter with q
force that Jared every article around snd
exclaimed. You arc righ. Aic ycu
on duty ?"
NO, sir, sail no mAu.
Then. you shall be.
The application of .te constable.
change oil Guly We doubtless made, fog
he disappeared on MS accustomed patrol.
During the next day or two BlseIton
became loquacious on the subject, and a
conversation on ina subject, and in con.
versatior with Mr.. Glisser. who took
vory kindly iuteres, in the matter, owned
that he had changed his opinion abou. the
manner OF the robbcries. lie was con.
yinced, be said, tha. if the thief came
by night, he would have been caught
long before, but that everybody was on
the wrong scent. and that the thefts were
really committed in the hustle Of closing
for the evening. and then, not being
found out I'LL the morning, it was natural
ly supposed that the thief came in The
night. Mr.. Glisser was very much struck
by this view, which he commended high
ly, and urged increased vigilance about
the time spoken Of.
While this was going on, there had
been no fresh depredations from the
counters, and Constable Lowclife had
huen absent from duty, although no one
seemed TO have noticed It. When the
visitors departed at the close OF the day,
all the interior OF tho building became
depressing enough as the light faded
away, and there were 10 places mora
spectral in their aspect than those where
clustered mos, closely The white statues.
which were plentiiuly spTiuklcd about.
Nymphs, Venuses. Bacchuses, and Apoi-
los, Greciau huniors, scrip.uTal and
neurological figures all Looked equally
ghoslly in their dim white. when the
twilight or nigh. had fallen upon iher.
SO, in the gray of The morning, al !be
statuary looked mystic aud uneartLiy
enough as the stony figure looked down
from their pedes.als bat none looked
more oepulcbral than did n tall sheeied
figure which occupied pedestal slightly
from which direction the
visitor nightly two or three large
groups. This figure might have been
taken in the distance, and in the dim
light, Tor Jewish priest, o. Druid, o.
anything OF the kind; but had any ons
come near enough to inspect, il would
have been seen thai the long robe was Of
linen. not stone, and that the face was
less that OF an ancient hero than mod
ern one. And what was rather strange.
this particular pedestal was empty all
day, and on.y occupied at night.
Standing q, this particular spot. any
one could sec in every direction for 4
considerable distance, and there was
scarcely any hiding place near; The Druid
on his pedestal had no doub. reckoned on
these facts having great weight with tbs
marauder. Several nights had gone by,
and no discovery made, yet Ned Low.
cliffe crepl silently TO his selected station,
and assuming bis disguise as the shrouded
statue, patiently watched all through the
darkness; so patiently. that no one not
close enough TO touch him could have
asined that he differed from The eifigies
around.
It was yet comparatively early in his
watch on certain night. and Young
moon threw Just sufficient light here and
there 10 make everything more uncertain
than usual, when Lowciffe, finding him
self little cramped from standing 50
long in one position, prepared TO make
one OF the guarded shifts he was forced
to indulge in during the evening but
lust as be commenced carefully 10 draw
one leg behind the other, he stopped.
rolled his eyes eagerly round, and then
remained so nolionless he scarcely
breathed. With step almost noiSe!ess-
but nel quite so for such 4 listeners eaE'
"a man glidcd round the angle OF q
counter close by, and standing close by
Lowclife. paused, stopped, looked along
the floor in every direction, then sat upon
an adjacent pedestal and leaning against
the legs Of a Hercules, listened. II lEs
process OF perspiratior were not wholly
a silent one. Iowclifie would have been
betrayed, ior the cold bead camo upon
his forehead, a. he saw how near be was
to s discovery. The man was sitting %
the very next pedestal. 2 block which
almost touched his own. There he wait.
cd quietly FOR 4 while not very long, but
long enough 10 assure himself that Do