The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1879-11-01

the things?" asked the mercer gloomily
Besides, supposing she did put them in
her pocket, she says that she told nv
shopman to send her the bill.''
I'm hanged if she did, calculated
the shopman indignantly.
Silence, SIR. answered the merce,
with stern frown. sIf this be really a
case OF theft you are self-condemned, foi
you G. - to have kept your eyes about
you. For some time past have noticed
that you have been very negligent in
business
The shopman collapsed; as for Mr..
Pottridge, he trudged back to his hotel,
feeling half inclined to go and ask Lord
beaeonstield what he ought to do. The
case had been adjourned for week, 50
he travelled back to Smallbopugh 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 distinction between
well-dressed and addressed plnnderers.
Meeting MIR. Bungs, the brewer, near
the railway station, he gave him an ac-
count of what had happened, and was
hearkened 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-in-law of our
Lord Lieutenant!n aksgSsff3u
"What difference does that make ?''
stammered Mr.. Pottridge, like man
who feels less sure of his ground.
"Oh, nothing, except that l don't
see why lady of that sort should COM
init robberies,'' responded Mr.. Bungs.
Further down the street Mr.. Pottridge,
who was rubbing his pate in rather vio-
lent perplexity, encountered MIR. Dott,
the banker, whose daughter Lucy he
loved. ounceforth-Keane! ex-
claimed Mr.. Dot, rs soon as he had
heard the grocer's story. "Why, Lord
KeynsOle, his cousin, banks with u.s.
"Well, but come, Dott," retorted
Mr.. Pottridge impatiently, % is that
reason why Mrs. Pounceforth-Keane
shouldn't be dishonest jade?r
mo, but | think the whole thing i'm
probable, > answered the. banker, !" and
/ confess should be sorry if any thing
unpleasant happened to Lord Keyn-
sOle's family
Mr.. Pottridge was not in very good
humor when he. went to bed that night.
A magistrate himself, he knew what
shifts are often made to withdraw well
connected offenders from Justice, and so
far as he was concerned he would have
cared little had an appeal been made to
him, nd naisericordiam, to acknowledge
that he had, perhaps, been. mistaken in
fancying that he saw Mrs. PIX. pocket
some lace and handkerchiefs. But Mr..
Pottridge could not bear to be pooh
poohed at or threatened with unpleasant
if he did his duty. He
was an Alderman, a grocer with a
blameless conscience, and he feared no
man. Feeling 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
commonest jaf-bird.
From that date, however, things be-
gan to 90 wrong somehow with Mr.. Pot
fridge 1t seemed as though his 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 nod
ding, and later in the day Mrs. C. sent
a stiff note begging that Mr.. Pottridge
would send in his bill, and intimating
that she would thenceforth purchase her
groceries at another house. Now the
Chuckleworths had always been excel
lent customers of Mr.. Pottridge.
This was bad enough, but worse was
to follow. Next day some inspectors of
weights and measures arrived at the Al
derman's shop and found-a piece of lard
sticking under his scales. They declar-
ed they should make report of the fact.
Scarcely had they gone, leaving the
grocer speeches. with confusion, than
two well dressed strangers entered and
bought some tea, brown sugar, cocoa,
and a pot of mustard; after
which they stated that they were public
analysts, 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, tur-
meric in his mustard, clay in his cocoa,
etc. Mr.. Pottridge shrugged his Shout
1ers at first, taking it for granted that the
charge would be dismissed by his brother
Messrs. Dott, Bungs and
company, but before the case came on
for hearing, it fortuitously transpired
hat Mr.. Pottridge had been up to Lon
Ion interviewing Lord Beaconsfield for
he purposes we know, and this made
made the other Aldermen furious. Mr..
Bungs, the brewer, was particularly an
yry, and declared that Pottridge was a
'raitor, insomuch as the poor grocer,
instead of having friendly Bench to
Judge him, found very stern one.
81 am sorry for you, Mr.. Pottridge, y
laid Mr.. Dot, who sat as chairman,
but men in your position should set an
,xanule You arc fined zoo On each