Litchfield enquirer., 1879-10-30

' 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 negligent in your business.
 The shopnan collapsed; as for Mir Pot fridge, he trudged back to his hotel, feeling half inclined to go and ask Lord Beacensfeld what he ought to do. The case had been ad- journed for week, so he travelled back to Smallborough 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 we'll dressed and Addressed plunderers Meeting MT. Bungs, the brewer, near the railroad sta tion, he gave hlm an account of what had hap pened. and was hearkened to with sympathy until he mentioned the name of Pounceforth Keane then Mir. Bungs pursed up his lips. Why, bless me, that's the cousin of Lord Keynsole, brother-in law to our Lord Lieuten- anti" .. % -.4
 ''What difference does that make?" stam- mered MT. Pottridge, like man who feels less sure of his ground. .-.
 ''Oh, nothing, except that don't see why responded MT. Bnngs. .s....
 Further down the street Mir. Pottridge, who was rubbing his pate in rather violent perplex- ity, encountered MT. Dott, the banker, whose daughter Lucy he loved "Pounceforth Keane!" exclaimed Mr. Dott, SO soon as he heard the grocers story.
 "Why, Lord Keynsole, his cousin, banks with us"
 iWell, but come, Dott," retorted Mr. Pot fridge, impatiently, lis that a reason why Mrs Pounceforth Keane shouldn't be dis honest jade ?" ....
 s.No; but I think the whole thing improba- I, ,l, kko hov,1 ovA | should be sorry if anything unpleasant hap pened to Lord Keynsole's family.
 Mir. Pottridge was not in very good humor when he went to bed that night. A magis- trate himself, he knew what shifts are often made to withdraw we'll connected offenders from iustice as so far as he was concerned he would have cared little had an appeal been made to him, Gd maise1tcOrt5iJna, to acknowledge that perhaps he had been mistaken in fancying that he saw Mrs. P. K. pocket some lace and handkerchiefs. But Mir. Pottridge could not bear to be h-poohed at or threatened with unpleasant consequences if he did his duty. He was an alderman,a grocer with blameless conscience, and he feared no man. Feeling that his character for veracity and common sense was at stake, he resolved to give his evi- dence against the wife of Lord Keynsole's cousin with no more hesitation than if she were the commonest jail-bird.
 From that date, however, things began to go wrong with MT. Pottridge. It seemed as though his long luck had forsaken him. On the morrow of his adventure in London, MT. Chuckleworth, the principal solicitor in the town, who was Lord Keynsole's legal adviser, passed him on the street without holding, and later in the day, Mrs. c. sent a stiff note beg ging that Mr. Pottridge would send in his bill, and intimating that she should thenceforth purchase her groceries at another house. Now the Chuckeworths had always been excellent customers of Mr. Pottridge.
 This was bad enough but worse was to fol low. Next day some inspectors of weights and measures arrived at the alderman's shop and found piece of lard sticking under the scales. They declared they should makea report of the fact Scarcely had they gone, leaving the grocer speechless with confusion. than 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 analysts, who were going to examine the quality of these goods. They examined them, in truth, so fast that two days later MT. 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. Pottridge shrug- that the charge would be dismissed by his brother magistrates, Messrs. Dott, Bungs & Co.,, but before the case came on for hearing, it fortuitously transpired that Mr. Pottridge had been up to London interviewing Lord BeacOnstield for the purposes we know, and this made the other aldermen furious. MT. Bungs, the brewer, was particularly angry and declared that Pottridge was traitor, and thus the poor grocer, instead of having friendly bench to judge him, found very stern one.
 II am sorry for you, Mr. Pottridge," said Mir. Dott, who sat as chairman, ''but men in your position should set an example. You are fined e20 on each count with costs. Total e12O"
 Ill-starred Pottridge. He left the court po ltically and socially done for, for he could no longer hope to be elected mayor or marry Miss Dott. He should have, moreover to resign his aldermansl,p, and his personal character as well as that of his tca sugar and mustard was ruined.
 So ruined was Mr. Pottri,lge that when he went to London to give evidence against Mrs. Pounceforth kcaue, the first question asked him by the counsel for the ticfence-a buster ing Old Bailey barrister-was, II believe you have been convicted of selling adulterated goods and at false weight ?' ..
 ''Let me explain" stammered poor Pot fridge.
 ''No explanations sir. Give me plain an- swer, yes or not"
 "Yes, then"
 'Well, then, if you are liable to make mis- takes about your weights, you may err in oth- CT things" ..0 0.-..
 Perhaps" cried the grocer, desperately, "I may have been mistaken in nsupposing this lady was thief have had enough bother about that business" .. ...
 ''You ought to be ashamed of your dippant conduct, sir" cried the counsel harshly, and the wretched grocer hobbled out of the witness box feeling very mean, indeed. After this confession of possible error on the part of the chief witness, the case aeainss Mrs Pounce. forth Keane ~.sas, of course, dismiss ed and Pottrtdge slunk out of court with magisterial reprimand ringing in his ears. To conclude this little story one has only to add that when H. R. H., the Prince of Wales, graciously went to open the baths at Smallborough, it was Mir. Bungs who was mayor and eventually got knighted, while MT. Pottridge was not even invited to the dinner at the town hall, whereof he paid his share like the other rate payers. 's '" ' E1' ''
 He is no longer regarded as a lucky man. l.