Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1879-09-19

"Never mind that, we'll soon rouse
her," said the policeman, facetiously,
for he did not yet know that he had to
deal with lady who kept brougham.
The magistrate is sitting now at Marl-
borough street; we'll just go there at
once and have her charged"
This arrangement was acceded to,
and in few minutes the lady and po-
liceman (who had got abashed by this
time from finding himself seated on the
silk cushions of carriage) were riding
to the police court in Mrs. Pounceforth-
Keane's own vehicle, while Mr.. Pott-
ridge, the shopman, and the mercer
followed on foot to give evidence.
One would think that in a case where
the offensc was Aagrant and the testi-
monY SO clear, the magistrate might
have sentenced the defendant straight
off to six months Imprisonment, and,
indeed, had the thief been q person of
the lower orders, II would probably
have been hor late to be convicted sum-
mRrily. But it turned out that Pounce-
forth-Keane was the real name of the
elegant shoplifter, whose husband was
a person moving, as reporters say, "in
the best ranks of society,"" Mr.. Pounce-
forth-Keane was sent for, and arrived
breathless in hanson from one of the
best clubs in Pail Mall. AT the sight of
him his wife, who had been locked up
for nm hour in u police cell, wept pro-
fusely, and Mr.. PIX. was himself much
agitated. He asked for remand, and
rendered bail, saying he should pro-
duce 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 apol-
ogy, and readily acceded to the applica-
tion for bail. SO very soon Mrs. Pounce-
forth-Keane tottered out of court weep
ing like victim, on her husbands arm;
and Mr.. Pottridge walked away with
the shopman and the civil-spoken mer-
Ger. All three were crestfallen, as if
they had committed blunder. "This
will be a very bad affair for me-"
grumbled the mercer IL would have
lost hundred yards of lace sooner
than appear in court against 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 youP'
Are you quite sure you saw her
steal the thingsP" asked the mercer,
gloomily. 4" Besides, supposing she
did put them In her pocket, she says
that she told my shopman to send her
the BILL"
"pm hanged if she did," calculated
the shopman, Indignantly.
"Silence, sir" answered the mercer,
with a stern frown. {" If this be really
a case of theft, you are self-condemned
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 Lord
Beaconsfeld what he ought to do. The
case had been adjourned for 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 tor
the mercer and the metropolitan sti-
pendiary, who seemed to draw dis
tinction between well-dressed and ill
dressed plunderers. Meeting Mr..
Bungs, the brewer, near the railway
station, he gave him an account of
what happened, and was hearkened to
with sympathy until he mentioned the
name of Pounceforth-K -Keane; then Mr..
Bungs pursed up his lips. "Why,
bless me, that's the cousin of Lord
Keynsole, brother-in-law of our Lord
Lieutenantw
"What difference does that make?"
stammered MIR. Pottridge, like a man
who feels less sure of his ground.
80, nothing, except that | don't see
why a lady of that sort should commit
robberies," res ponded Mr.. Bungs.
Further down the street Mr.. Pott-
ridge, who was rubbing his pate in
rather violent perplexity, encountered
Mr.. Dott, the banker, whose daughter
Lucy he loved. Pounceforth- -Keanew
exclaimed Mr.. Dott, as 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, sis that a
reason why Mrs. Pounceforth-Keane
shouldn't be dishonest iadeP"
"No, but think the whole thing i'm
probable" answered the banker, "and
l confess l should be sorry if anything
unpleasant happened to Lord Keyn-
sole's family"
Mr.. Pottridge was not in o 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, Gd ntSertcordtdnl, 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 un-
pleasant consequences if he did his
duty. He was an alderman, a grocer
with a blameless conscience, and he
feared no man. Feeling that his char
acter for veracity and common sense
was at stake, he resolved TO give his
evidence against the wife of Lord Keyn-
sole's cousin with no more hesitation
than if she were the commonest jail
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.. Chuckleworth, the principal soli-
citor in the town, who was Lord Keyn-
Qnln1a lnual ahvigor tNauunA him -, tf,o
street without nodding, and later in the
day Mrs. G. sent stiff note, begging
that Mr.. Pottridge should send in his
bill, and intimating that she would
thenceforth purchase her groceries al
another house. Now the Chuckleworths
had always been excellent customers o.
Mr. Pottridge.
This was bad enough, but worse wa
to follow. Next day some inspectors o
weights and measures arrived at tn,