Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-11-03

Dc more proucleut IN the art thar
their English sisters. probably from
the solitude Of their country lift
having obliged them to ~concentrat,
their energies on that particular form
OF amusement.
"One day that l had been spending
in the above manner, and on which
had accepted a kind invitation to din.
mr. en- familie, l noticed hat Mr.. N
--seemed more absent than usual
md a trihc quick tempered, as though
he had been annoyed by something OF
somebody. When the ladies had left
us, and We were sitting over the usua.
post-prandial bottle of wine, he took
a letter from his pocket and showed il
to me.
"'That's the kind of thing we hav,
to put up with here, Mr.. Ellers-
lie, said he. You mustn't go away
with your ideas of the country toe
much couleur de rose
THAT was in truth a strange pro.
ddction. 1t was written, or rather
laboriously printed, on a sheet Of
coarse paper, headed by a rough but
spirited drawing of collins and bell
mouthed blunderbusses. Below was
the following composition, Of which |
made a copy out of curiosity
IN. N. Don't. 60. to. Mote. or. I.
wi. b. yoor. end. Let. it. b. rit. or,
wrong. let. Pat. Higgins. stay. at.
ONE.
II looked at my host for an expla-
nation.
at is a threatening letter. said he,
and not the first either that | have
received. The printing is easy
enough to read on the photographic
principle, with the caution that most
of AS and LIS are upside down. The
meaning is, hat one of my tenants
having, against my express orders,
ploughed up a grass field, | have given
him notice to quit, and went into
Moate yesterday to consult my attor-
ney as to what compensation | was
obliged to pay under the Irish Land
act. | got this the day before. | am
not personally much afraid of the tel
lows, but it is very annoying and !
always on thorns lest one of those
letters should reach my wife it
would almost frighten her to death, /
fancy
You met with no interruption
going into Moate, | suppose?
No but | took my precautions.
l got a policeman on my car and drove
in by a roundabout route. 1t isn't a
pleasant way of doing things, is it 2
II quite agreed with Mr.. NJ. that it
was not, and expressed my surprise
that the author Of the letter could not
be brought to Justice.
You don't know the Irish, Mr..
Ellerslie there is not a soul about
here who would not swear black was
white rather than be the means of con-
victing a neighbor. You know your
self how completely the police system
over so daring an offense as the
murder of the late Lord Letrim.
With such people as witnesses and
jury, what is to be done? For my
own part | have no doubt that Mr..
Pat Higgins himself wrote that letter,
but hunting up any evidence would be
hopeless.
"A sudden thought struck me. [
had seen that the last few words of the
document were lighter in color, as if
they had been blotted. If 50, would
not remain an impression on the
blotting paper?
Il don't know what evil spirit took
possession of me at this juncture, I'M
less-I own it with contrition-it were
that Of inordinate self conceit. Should
| be able to get enough evidence to
convict Pat Higgins myself, | should
certainly derive much credit for my
sagacity, and have an excellent story
for my friends in England on my re-
turn. With this end in view | said
nothing Of my happy thought, deter
mined to work it out myself.
Next morning, having found out
the locality Of Higgins cottage from
Cormack, | went to make a call there.
The sole occupant Of the tenement
when | arrived there was a wrinkled
old woman sitting on a three legged
stool and smoking a black clay pipe.
She looked at me suspiciously but her
native hospitality forbade her to re-
fuse me a seat. For the first time |
felt some Qualms of conscience at the
character Of my errand, but these
we're speedily dissipated by the sight,
in a corner Of the large open hearth,
Of the very thing | was seeking, a piece
Of dirty blotting paper crumpIed into
a ball. To be sure the floor had not
been swept for years, judging from its
appearance, and there was no telling
how long the paper might have lain
there still / felt a conviction that It
vas the object Of my search,
"Tbe devices to which l resorted to
get possession of that mute piece Of
evidence were worthy of a detective
policeman. | maneuvered my chair
closer to it under pretense Of feeling a
draught, though with the unpleasant
consciousness that the old woman did
not believe me. Fortune, however.
favored me at last in the shape of a
fierce contest between an old sow and
a dog just outside the door. which
made the crone hobble out briskly to
separate the comhataptg. She vas
not goue long, but | had plenty Of
time during her absence to seorete the
paper. As soon as decently could
afterward | took my leave,
The %.;;m61... was out Of sight Of
the door | opened my prize and found
u to be what hoped, q fairly good
inverted copy Of the threatening letter.
lf nnmrsn lhn lnaL mnrla ,nnrn d. No..