Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1880-01-15


dealt in. The excitement and alarm
occasioned by these robberies were
great and widespread.
Two patches OF detectives, one from
Lancaster and the other from Kendall,
came to our village to see what they
could find out. They were not short
of questions, I mind; but they took
care what sort of questions they an
swered. 1t was easy to see that one
of their aims was to make it appear
that they believed the robbers came
from distance, in order to put the |
thieves eff their guard for their own
opinion was the opposite of this.
No event, however serious, can
keep hold of peoples minds, beyond
certain time; and these robberies
were beginning to give place to some
other subject, when the next act in !
the drama began to be played. 1t
was on a Friday afternoon, about a |
month after the robberies. The day
was wet and wild; and as my work
was the outdoor carving Of stones,
which had been placed in position in
the rough, | was unable to go on with
1t, and so had to return to my quar-
ters. l had got my dinner, and had
just called for pint of ale with my
pipe, when an elderly addressed man
came in, and sitting down on bench
beside me, said IN a broad Lancashire
accent, "I'll sup wi tha lad, if tha
doesn't care - on which he lifted my
mug to his lips, and drank freely. l
had not got over my surprise when
he, wiping k,s mouth with his hand,
gave me a history of the past day or
two. The account was this: he had
been a gentIeman's gardener, near
Lancaster, over twenty years had a
capital place, but had not had sense
elough to keep it, for he had gone
on the loose for fortnight, which
was more than his master could put
up with; SO he was discharged.
''This wor day after yesterday he
said; "an' Eve drank for vary vexa-
ton ever sin, trampin' as | drank
an 50 here l am, with dry math an
wit'out 'openny i my pocket.
Doesta think" he concluded, law
con rise penny or tippence amang
tn company!'
l gave him a tritie; others did the
same; SO having thus ''raised the
wind,' he called for bread. cheese,
and ale, and made good meal.
During the time the gardener had
been talking to me, the landlord had
been within hearing. So accosting
. the old man while be was eating his
, dinner, he said, "You are gardener,
| understand -
, Il am,' was the reply.
"Well," said the landlord, 'Tye
Il garden that needs tettllng. | have
, not time to attend to it myself and
! as it is time the seed was in, I'll
, employ you il you are willing. I'll
! find you plenty To cat and drink You
, can have bed as we'll; and If YOU
please me. I'll not see you leave with
> ; out few shillings in your pocket.
What say you"'
f II say agreed replied the gar
, dener, rising to his feet and eraspine
>. the landlord hand. "I'll not begin
!, tomorrow morn, howiver: but II
look rand, an get iiddy for Monday
4 morn
! This proposal WAS satisfactory
:, wherefore the gardener WIS mad.
happy.
:. Shortly aitcrward We had an addi.
a II,- u,
; of the old bir,l-sluflcr whom | shaI
T henceforth call the naturalist, rs TIL.
:, designation was the one which please,
him, his son, the butterfly breeder
. and two other men whom L had no
. vet seen. Thesc--thc stran9crs-iirs
looked hard at the company but th,
, naturalist, giving them Il signiiican
- nod, which seemed to say, "All'!
:. right they settled down aud ralle,
for glass of rum apiece.
al BY this time the gardener had fin
~ - ished his dinner, when, putting hi
|, arms on the table and his head on hi
/, arms, he fell, or seemed to fall
7 asleep. The rain, which continued t,
/, come down, compelled me still t.
,,. abide under cover; so. placing m
Il chair in Il corner, and putting IN
head against the wall, tried to ge
= nap also. The naturalist and hi
/ companions were now the only per
sons in the room besides the gardene
q and me.
., can not tell half nor quarter G
what was said by first one and the
~ another of the four persons: nor dl
E | understand some of the phrase
Va which they used. ''Bruce" an
n "Wonder," ''fax' and "stulling,
20 were words often employed by then
I Once or twice they referred To a bir
,c by some slang phrase. But after
al events made this clear enough.
to By-and-by the weather took ul
ed when the men, draining their glasse:
n got up and went away. The momel
I'd they were gone the gardener rouse
in up, took memorandum book out {
be his pocket, and began to write there
sc in. He then asked me if | knew VIII
en- the men were, and what was the
occupation, and if understood an
ix of the words they had uttered in til
as lower tone of voice. gave him VIII;
Dy information l could. But" | sal
IS "both they and | believed you wei
e. asleep"
IT. 'It is well to go into dream-land
u times," he said; and then added
lis ''nid you say thaG the old man keel
as a museum? Have you seen it? L
&C. you think l could get look at it?
e. The questions were put one att
RS another in quick succession, as thous
ne he were eager and anxious abo'
as something. said Eyes" to eacl
en- but was surprised at the good EN-
ID, lish in which he now spoke, and
of the refinement which marked h
Int manners. Still, could make not
nd ing of it.
Ise l pass over the next few days,
ic- they brought forth no remarkable il
ID cident. The gardener had stuck to h
he contract with the landlord, and l hs
we been enabled to get on with my wor
am The four men did not again visit III