The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-04-16

SONS that the other knew not of fo
thinking but modestly of this same vigi
lance.
One morning, little while after til,
fruitless watch, Mr.. Baselton was in
very bad temper, for he had sustained (
fresh loss. He was leaning against
pillar, some short distance from hi
counter, thoughtfully biting the end O.
his pencil-case, when man spoke K
him. He looked round at the sound
and saw Police Constable, whom he
very much disliked for his apathy ano
unbusiness-hke way, standing close By
him. He growled out some hardly civI
words, and turned from the man, but the
latter was not to be daunted.
stI am afraid you have had loss,
sur, said the man, "and hope it is not
very serious but, at any rate, I should
Like word or two with YOU
"What for z" retorted Baselton. 81
have lost gold watch, and as have not
breathed syllable about it to soul,
don't see how you could know anything
of it, unless some of your lively force
have-'
said the other, finding he stopped "you
are, indeed, sir. Now, sir, have my
opinion about these robberies, and I
think I have found out the order the
thief works in, and can pretty well guess
| in what quarter he will next try. I be-
heve can catch him.
! "You!'' exclaimed Baselton, with an
emphasis which was anything but COM
| plimentary to the officer.
's Yes, SIR replied the man, firmly );
" / can. You have good deal of infu-
ence with the authorities. and, if you
viii ask, shall he taken off regular duty
and detailed for special service, and can
| then catch him."
"Wel, tell me your plans, " said Basel
ton "and, In return, ] will tell you
! this you know there are ESQ offered on
| the quiet for the apprehension of the
thief. Find him. and I will make it
910O."
The Constable smiled, and, lowering
his voice, spoke to the exhibitor in
whispers. When he had finished, Basel
ton slapped his hand ON the counter with
force that Jared every article around,
and exclaimed ''You are right. Are
you on duty?"
'sNo, sir" said the man.
Then you shall be.
The application for the Constable's
change of duty was doubtless made, for
he disappeared from hiss accustomed pa
troll.
During the next day or two Baselton
became loquacious ON the subject, and,
in conversation with Mr.. Glisser, who
took a very kindly interest in the matter,
owned that he had changed his opinion
about the manner 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 h,1a wrong scent, and that the |
thefts were really committed In the |
tsaEstle of closing for the evening, and
then, NOT being found out till the morning,
1t was naturally supposed that the thief
came IN the night. Mr.. Glisser was very
msRein struck by this view, which he
commended highly, and urged in-
creased vigilance about the time
spoken Of.
While this was going on there had
been no fresh depredadons from the
counters, and Constable Lowclife had
been absent from duty, although no one
seemed to have noticed it. When the
visitors departed ut the close of the day,
all the interior of the building became
depressing enough as the light faded
away, and there were no places more
spectral in their aspect than those where
clustered most closely the white statues,
which were plenhfully sprinkled about
Nymphs, Venuses, Baechusee, and
'Apcllos, Grecian hunters, Scriptural
and psychological figures, all looked
equally ghostly in their dim white, when
the twilight or night had fallen upon
them. So, in the gray of the morning,
all the statuary looked mystic 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 pc
destal slightly screened-come from
which direction the visitors might-by
two or three groups. This figure might
have been taken IN the distance, and Ia
the dim light, for Jewish priest, or a
Druid, or anything of the kind but,
had any one come near enough to ofnspect,
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 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 for a |
considerable distance, and there was |
scarcely any hiding place near the /
Druid on his pedestal had no doubt reck- |
oned on these facts having great weight /
with the marauder. Several nights had I
gone by, and no discovery made, yet Ned |
Lowcliffe crept silently TO his selected /
station, and, assuming his disguise IS |
the shrouded statue, patiently watched /
all through the darknesss SO patiently |
that no one not near enough to touch |
him could have imagined that he differed I
from the effigies around
It was yet comparatively early in his t
watch, on o certain night, and young {
moon just threw sufficient light here and /
there to make everything more uncertain
than usual, when L1owchffe, finding him
self little cramped from standing 80
long in one position, prepared to make
one of the guarded shifts he was forced
to indulge In during the evening; bsE,
lust 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 listeners
ears-a man glided round the angie OF
counter close by, and, standing close by
Lowcliffe, paused, stopped, looked along |
the floor in every direction, then sat upon
an adjacent pedestal. and, leaning against /