The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1875-01-21

force have"
"lou are too severe, Mr.. Baselton,"
said the other, finding he stopped; "you
are indeed, sir. Now, sir, l have my
opinion about these robbcries, and I
think [ have found out the order the
thief works in, and can pretty well guess
in what quarter he will next try. l be-
lievc can catch him."
| "YOu" exclaimed Basclton, with an
emphasis which was anything but COM
plimcnsary to the officer.
"Ycs, SIR" replied the man firmly.
81 can. You have a good deal of intiu-
ence with the authorities, and if you will
ask shall be taken off regular duty and
detailed for special service; and can
then catch him."
"Well, tell me your plans" said Basel
ton, land in return will tell you this:
You know there are $50 offered on the
quiet for the apprehension of the thief.
Find him, and will make it e1O0."
The constable smiled, and, lowering
| his voice, spoke to the exhibitor in wills
pers. When he had finished Baselton
| slapped his hand on the counter with Il
force that Jared every article around,
| and eXclaimed: You are right. Are
you on duty?"
"No, sir" said the man.
"Then you shall be-"
The application for the constable's
change of duty was doubtless made, for
he disappeared from his accustomed
patrol
During the next day or two Baselton
| became loquacious on the subject, and in
conversation with Mr.. Glisscr, who took
a very kindly interest in the matter,
owned that he had changed his opinion
about the matter of the rObberies. He
was convinced he said, that 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 till the morn
ing, it was naturally supposed that the
thief came in the night. Mr.. Glsscr
was much struck by this view, which lie
commended highly, 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 Lowclitfe had been absent
from duty, although no one seemed to
have noticed it. When the visitors de-
parted at the close of the day all the in
tCl1Ol VI CuC oCCdLlEC
| enough, as the light faded away, and
their aspect than those where clustered
most closely the white statues, which were
sprinkled about. Nymphs, Venuses,
Bacchuses and Apollos, Grecian hunters,
scriptural and NEUROLOGICAL figures, all
looked equally ghostly in their dim white,
when the twilight or night had fallen
upon them. So, in the gray of the even
ing, all the statuary looked dim and un-
earthly enough, as the stony figures
looked down from their pedestals; but
none looked more sepulchral than did
tall, sheeted figure which occupied a
pedestal slightly screened--cOme 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, for Jewish priest, or a
Druid, or anything of the kind; but had
| anyone come near enough to inspect it
! would have been seen that the long robe
| was of linen, not stone, and that the face
| was less that of an ancient hero than a
modern one. And what was rather
strange, this particular pedestal was
empty all day, and only occupied at
night.
Standing at this particular spot, any
one could see in every direction consid-
cradle distance, and there was scarcely
any hiding-place near; the Druid ON his
pedestal had no doubt reckoned on these
facts having great weight with the ma
rauder. Several nights had gone by, and
no discovery made, and yet Ned Low
clitfe crept silently to- his selected sta
ton, and, assuming his disguise as the
shrouded statue, patiently watched all
| ,,sr1, thp 1,rE I,,f
no one not close enough to touch him
could have imagined that he differed
from the etfigies around.
1t was yet comparatively early in his
watch, on certain night, and a young
moon threw just sufficient light here and
there to make everything more uncer
himself little cramped from standing
one of the guarded shifts he was forced
to indulge in during the evening; but
just as he commenced carefully to draw
one leg behind the other he stopped,
rolled his eyes eagerly round, and then
remained SO mOtionless he scarcely
breathed. With step almost noiseless-
but not quite so for such a listeners ears
"a man glided round the angle of a
counter close by, and, standing close by
Lowclitfe, paused, stopped, looked round
the floor in every direction, then sat
upon an adjacent pedestal, and, leaning
against the legs of Hercules, listened.
If the process of perspiration were not
wholly silent one Lowc]iffe would have
been betrayed, for the cold beads came
upon his forehead as he saw how near
he was to a discovery. The man was
sitting on the very next pedestal, block
which almost touched his own. There
he waited quietly for a while, not very
long, but long enough to assure himself
that no patrol was coming that way
then he rose, and in few steps was at
the nearest counter, and had tried a key
IN the lock; one or two attempts failed,
but at last a door opened, and his head
and shoulders were lost to sight; he re-
appeared with small box, which he
placed on the ground before him, and
then tried one or two keys. Again the
lock yielded, the lid was thrown back
and few articles were rapidly trans
ferred to the mans pocket.
Some object, however, seemed un-
known to him, and he held it up against
the dim light, endeavoring to make out
what it was. To his horror, one of the
statues sprang from its pedestal toward
| AAAAs ~ " Do luoV0AI1uCOuSs UuG tuC HASH
was enough; the figure all in white
moved and leaped upon him; then, with a
fearful yell, which rang from end to end
of the building, the thief fell in fit upon
the floor. Alarmed by the scream, Two
or three officers were speedily at the
spot, and, turning ON their lanterns, were
nearly as much astonished in their turn
to see white-sheeted figure standing by
the side of man in commissions
i When their momentary surprise ceased
upon their discovering who the sheeted
figure was, they proceeded to unfasten
the PROSTATE mans scarf and collar.
; sprinkled him with water and lifted him
from the ground; his struggles ceased
and few long breaths announced thai
he was " coming to-"
81 don't know him." said one of the
constables. ga
y lido, thought" exclaimed Lowcliffe