The Princeton union., 1879-09-17

they had committed blunder. ..rhis
will be very bad affair to me-" prumr-
bled the mercer. ttI would have lost q
hundred yards Of lace sooner than appear
in court against lady like this.n
"Well, but she is thief. cried Mr..
Pottridge, rising himself and speaking
with spirit. "What harm can she OF her
friends do yous'
care you quite sure you saw her steal
tho thingsg" asked the merce gloomily
Besides, supposing she did put them
in herpocket, she says that she told nv
shopman to send her the bill.n
''l'm hanged If she did, CALCULATED the
shopman Indignantly.
'Silence, sir" answered the mercer
with stern irown. sIf this be really a
case of theft you are self-condemmed, fo1
you ought to have kept your eyes about
you. For some time past 1 have noticed
thar you have been very negligent in
business"
I. The shopman collapsed; as for Mr..
Pottridge he trudged back to his hotel,
feeling half inclined to go and ask Lord
Beaconsfield what he ought to do. The
case had been adjourned tor week, 50
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 stipendary, who
seemed to draw distinction between
well-dressed and addressed plunderers.
Meeting Mr.. Bungs, the brewer, near the
railway station. he gave him an account
of what had happened, and was hardened
to with sympathy until he mentioned
the name Of Pounceforth- -Keane; then
Mr.. Bungs pursea up his lips. 'Why,
bless me, that's the cousin of Lord Keyn-
sole; brother-in-law of our Lord lieuten-
ant!' ..r
"What difference does that make?''
stammercd Mr.. Pottridge, like man who
feels 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 street, Mr.. Pottridge
who was rubbing his pate in rather NO
lent perplexity, encountered Mr.. Dott,
the banker, whose daughter Lucy he
loved. "Pounceforth- -Keane!" 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, ''is that a reason
why Mrs. Pounceforth-Keane shouldn't t
be a dishonest jade?" :
mo, but think the whole thing i'm
probable" answered the banker, "and
confess l should he sorry if anything un-
pleasant happened to Lord Keynsole' 8
family" 49,.
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 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, od misericordsxnn, to acknowledge
that he had, perhaps been mistaken in
fancylng that he saw Mrs. PIX. pocket
some lace and handkerchiefs. But Mr..
Pottridge could not bear to be pooh.
phoed at or threatened with unp. .easant
consequences if he did his duty. He was
an alderman, grocer with blameless
conscience, and he feared no man. Feel
ing that his character for veracity and
common sense were at stake he resolved
to give his evidence against the wife of
Lord Keynsole's cousin with no moro hesi-
tation than if he were the commOnest
jail bird.
From that date, however, things be-
gan to go wrong somehow with Mr.. Pot
fridge. 1t seemed as though his long
luck had forsaken him. On the morrow
Of his adventure in London, Mr.. Chuck
leworth, who was Lord Keynsele's legal
adviser, passed him in the street with
out nodding, and later in the day Mrs.
G. sent stiff note begging that Mr..
Pottridge would send in his bill. and in
timating that she would henceforth
purchase her groceries at another house.
Now the Chuckleworths had always been
excellent customers of Mr.. Pottriige.
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 the scales. They
declared they should make report of
the fact. Scarcely had they gone, leav-
ing the grocer speechless with confusion,
then 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 eA-
anime the quality of these goods. They
examined them, in truth, so fast, that two
days later Mr.. Pottridge received sum
mons to answer charge Of putting birch.
twlgs in his tea, sand in his sugar, tur.
meric in his mustard, clay in his coaoa
etc. Mr.. Pottridge shrugged his should
ers, at first taking it for granted that the
charges would be dismissed 10y his broth.
er magistrates, Messers Do,t. Bungs and
company, but before the case came on 70,
hearing, it fortuitiously transpired that
Mr.. Pottridge had been up to London
interviewing Lord Beaconsfeld for the
purpose we know, and this made the 9th.
or alderman furious. Mr.. Bungs, the
brewer, was particularly angry, and de-
clared that Mr. Pottridgc vas traitoli
insomuch as the poor grocer, instead OF
having friendly bench to Judge him,
found very stern one.
''I am sorry for you, Mr.. Pottridge,' >
said Mr. Dott, who sat as chairman, "but
men in your position should set an ex.
ample. You are fined EGO on each count
with cost. Total G19O."