The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1879-09-12

One would think that in case where
the offense was fragrant, and the testi-
mony so clear, the magistrate might
have sentenced the defendant straight
off to six months Imprisonment, and, in
deed, had the thief been person of the
lower orders, it would probably have
been her fate to be convicted summarily.
But il turned out that Pounceforth-
Keane was the real name of the elegant
shoplifter, whose husband was ''in the
best ranks of society,"" Mr.. Pounceforth-
Keane was sent for, and arrived breath
less in hanson from one of the best
clubs in Pail Mall At the sight of him
his wife, who had been locked up for an
hour in a police cell, wept profusely, and
Mr.. p K was himself much agitated.
He asked for a remand, and rendered
bail, saying he should produce medical
evidence to the effect that his wife had
lately suffered severely in health. The
magistrate-a timid man, who had
grown-up daughters to marry, and was
terribly afraid of society-stammered
out something like an apology, and
readily acceded to the application for
bail. So very soon Mrs. Puunceforth-
Keane tottered out of court, weeping
like a victim, on her husbands arm and
Mr.. Pottridge walked away with the
shopman and civil-spoken mercer. All
three were crestfallel, as if they had COM
mitted blum Ter. This will be a very
bad affair for me-" grumbled the mercer.
II would have lost hundred yards of
lace sooner than appear in court against
n lady like this"
"Well, but she's thief" cried Mr..
Pottridge, rousing himself and speak.
ing with spirit what harm can she
or her friends do you?''
4 70 Won nnifo cnra xror, Sau har cfaoI
the things?" asked the mercer, gloom
lily. Besides, supposing she did put
them in her pocket, she says that she
told my shOpman to send her the bill y
I'm hanged if she did," calculated
the shopman Indignantly
silence, sir" answered the mercer
with stern frown. "If this be really a
case of theft, you are self-condemmed,
for you ought to have kept your eyes
about you. For some time past have
noticed that you have been very negli-
gent in business"
The shOpman collapsed; as for Mr..
POttridge, he trudged back to his hotel
feeling half inclined to go and ask Loru
Beaconsfield what he ought to do. The
case had been adjourned for a week, so
he Travelled back to Scarborough in the
evening, and by the time he reached his
native town he had worked himself up
into state of contempt for the mercer
and the metropolitan stipendiary, who
seemed to draw a distinction between
well-dressed and addressed plunderers.
Meeting Mr.. Bungs, the brewer, near
the railway station, he gave him an &C
count of what had happened, and was
hardened to with sympathy until he
mentioned the name of Pounceforth-
Keane; then Mr.. Bungs pursed up his
lips. why, bless me, that's the cousin
of Lord Keynsole, brother-i n-law of our
Lord Lieutenant"
what difference does that make 81
stammered Mr.. Pottridge, like a man
who feels less sure of his ground.
"Oh, nothing, except that / don't see
why lady of that sort should commit
robberies," responded Mr.. Bungs.
Further down the steeet Mr.. Pottridge,
who was rubbing his pate in rather vfo-
lent perplexity, encountered Mr. Dott,
the banker, whose daughter Lucy he loved
"PouncefOrth- Keanep' exclaimed Mr..
DOtt, as soon as he had heard the gro
GERS story. why, Lord Keynsole, his
cousin, banks with u.s."
well, but come, Dott," retorted Mr..
Pottridge, impatIently, "is that a reason
why Mrs. Pounceforth-Kean shouldn't
be u dishonest jadey''
W. DOb
probable" answered the banker, land l
confess should be sorry if anything un-
pleasant should happen TO Lord Keyn-
sole's family"
MIR. POttridge was not in a very good
humOr when he went to bed that night.
A magistrate himself, he knew what
shifts are often made to withdraw we'll
connected offenders from justice, and so
far as he was concerned he would have
cared little had an appeal been made to
him, al miscrieOFdidna, to acknowledge
that he Lad, perhaps, been mistaken in
fancying that he saw Mrs. PIX. pocket
some lace and hdndkerchiefs. But Mr..
Pottridge could not bear to be pooh
poOhed at or threatened with unpleasant
consequences if he did his duty. He was
an alderman, a grocer with a blameless
conscience, and he feared no man. Feel
ing that his character for veracity and
common sense was at stake, he resolved
to give his evidence against the wife of
Lord keynsOle'S cousin with no
more hesitation than if she were the COM
mOnest jall.bird.
From that date, however, things be-
gan to go wrong somehow with Mr..
Pottridge. 1t seemed as though his long
luck had forsaken him. On the morrow
of his adventure in London, Mr. Chuckle-
worth, the principal solicitor in the
town, who was Lord Keynsole's legal
adviser, passed him in the street without
nodding, and later in the day Mrs. G.
sent stiff note begging that Mr.. Pot
fridge would send in his bill, and init
mating that she would thenceforth pur-
chase her groceries at another house.
Now the ChucklewOrths had always been
excellent customers of Mr.. Pottridge.
This was bad enough, but worse was
to follow. Next day some inspectors of
weights and measures arrived at the
alderman's shop and found a piece of
lard sticking under his scales. They
declared they should make report Of
the fact. Scarcely had they gone, leaving
the grocer speechleSs with confusion,
when two well-dressed strangers entered
and bought some tea, brown sugar, cocoa,
pepper and pot of mustard; after which
they stated that they were public an
alySts, who were going to examine the
quality of these goods. They examined
them, in truth, so fast that two DAYS later
Mr.. Pottridge received a summons to
answer charge of putting birch-twigs in
his tea, sand IN his sugar, turmeric in his
mustard, clay IN his cocoa, etc. Mr. Pot
fridge shrugged his shoulders at first, tax
| ing it for granted that the charge would
| be dismissed by his brother ma gistrates,
Messrs. Bungs s. Co.; but before the
case came on for hearing, it fortuitously
transpired that Mr.. Pottridge had been
up to London interviewing Lord Beacons-
| field for the purposes we know, and this
made the other aldermen furious Mr..
Bungs, the brewer, was particularly
angry, and declared that POttridge was
traitor, insOmuch as the poor grocer, in
stead of having friendly bench to judge
him, found a very stern one.
Il am sorry for you, Mr.. Pottridge,' -
said Mr.. Dot, who Sata chairman, "but
men in your position should set an ex.
ample. You are fined e20 on each count
with costs. Total, e120''
Ill-starrcd Pottridge! He left the
court politically and socially done for
for he could no longer hope to be re
elected Mayor nor to marry Miss Dott
He should have, moreover, to resign his
aldermanship, and his personal char
acter, as well as that of his tea, sugar
and mustard, was ruined.
So ruined was MIR. Pottridge that wheI
he went to London to give evidence
against Mrs. Pounceforth- Keane, the
/ first question asked him by the counse
for the defense-a clustering Old Bailey
barrister-was, II believe you have jus
been convicted of selling adulterateC
goods and at false weight.''
Let me explain" stammered poo
Pottridge.
mo explanation, sir. Give me
plain answer, yes or mo-"