Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-01-03
FAIRLY CAUGHT.

Il
work. The village near to which the manson
was builtrSas on the shore OF an estuary OF tne
bay OF Morecambe, not far from market-toWn
whose name / need not give. AS my WORK
would keep me from home several weeks,
good lodging was most desirable thing; but
although i tried to get accommodation In a
in the village inn, the Lord Admiral
Amongst those who were In the habit OF fire.
Quenting the aforesaid hosiery was man OF
singular habits and odd temper. His home was
about a mile from the village, on the side OF a
lane leading to couple OF farms HIS hPuSe;
had been built for the storage OF corn the pro-
duce OF fields at distance from the farmstead..
Somehow it had ceased to be needed ior nnae
purpose; so its owner turned IL into dweiilnts-
house, and as such ii was now occ1PleSd ny me
aforesaid strange man. 1t was 9vldeu mo
three apartments on the gToun one ,s.o VI
a. Sni,D kind e Of mnse nm fa6ccupant being
suffer OF birds and small quadrupedS. When
he had no work OF tins sort lof other persons,
he worked for stock, and this large room was
lis warehouse. ,,.,
and for some time had borne dubious charac-
ter. When pie were asked why he was sus-
pectcd, they could not give satisfactory reply.
he nse-, they would say, without doing
work equal TO his expenditure, which looks
bad ks Got 10 know him, found that he
hid an uBamiable temper; was morose, sour,
and at times passionate. He was also fond of
display. giving o " ting, and, like all Such led
loose. uney Ell life. oftener lettering about than
NJ NOIh. So did not wonder that well-mean-
i - pe Ople id not ike him.
lie mostly came on wet nights to the Lord Ad-
miral. As we became acquainted, he invited me
10 look oEer his collection OF birds and qladrl-
ntdS. was pleased with what saw He had,
j deed, a good collection. and as well as could
Judge. had done his work well. He had also
good assortment of butterflies and moths; and
IN corner, close to the ceiling, had what he
called a butterfly breeding-bOX which he said
belonged to his son, young man of my own
age, also given to brd-stufting amuSementS.
But was most taken up with two animals
WHICH differed from the rest. One was beauu
Jul dog, and the other iHsHs nntArP-a lamb
with the rudimentS of fifth leg, and some other
abnormal characteristic which have forgotten.
The old man said he had stuffed both for their
original owners, who had somehow failed to
take Them away They were placed at one end
of the room, one in each other, away from the
in strong daylight, they could not be easily
seen. The connection of these particulars with
my story will be seen in the sequel.
! had been in the village about six weeks,
when the neighborhoOd was aroused and
alan med one morning by the report OF the rob-
berry OF jewellers shop in the market-toWn
already referred to, that had been effected
during. the preceding night: Much valuable
property had been taken. This robbery had
been effected in such way as led to the belief
I mat gang OF praetlced thieves had done it.
among us. or have they come from diStance?'
This query was still going from mouth to mouth
when we were startled, astounded indeed, by
the report of second robbery of the same prem
ises, and on the night following by the breaking
into and purloining of provision warehouse in
our own village. Were writing fiction, would
not have made the robbers pay so soon a sec
end visit to the jewellers, as such an act would
have been deemysdfs reposterous; but l am re-
lating what really occurred, and so am forced to
say what have said.
The jeweller had been so taken up by efforts
10 find out the thieves and regain his first loss
that he had not placed additional guard over
what was left; besides, he was sure. he said
that thieves would not think of revisiting him
Afor a long time. AS for the provision dealer, he
said in my hearing shat he had no fear of his
place being entered as he believed robb,rS
would not care TO touch property so bulky and
of such inferior value as his. But he had reck-
oned without his host; for he had lost fine ham.
large lot OF tea, a deal OF Spices few boxes OF
cigars, and indeed portion of most of what he
dealt ia. The excitement and alarm occasoned
by these robberieS were great and widespread.
Two patches OF detectives. one from Lancas-
ter and the other from Kendall, came to our vii
lage to see what they could find out. They were
not short OF questions, ] mind; but they took
care what sort OF questions they answered. 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
opposite OF this.
No event, however serious, can keep hold OF
peoples minds beyond certain time; and these
other subject, when the next act in the drama
began to be played. 1t was on Friday after
noon about month after the robberies. The
day was wet and wild: ana as my work was the
jt-door carving of stones which had been placed
in position in the rough, was unable to go on
with it, and SO had TO return to my quarters. l
had got my dinner. and had just called for pint
OF ale with my pipe when an elderly ill-dreSsad
man came in. and sitting down on bench b.
slce me. SAID. in a broad Lancashire accent III
sup Wi tina lad, II tina doesn't care;' On which he
Il ted my mug TO his lips and drank freely.
mad not got over my surprise when he wiping
his mouth with his hand. gave me a history OF
The PAST day or two. The account was this: he
had been gentleman'S gardener near LanoaS-
Ter, over twenty years; had capital place but
had ROT had sense enough TO keep it, for he had
gone on the loose for fortnight which was
G.ore than his master would Pit up with so he
was discharged. .'This wUr day afore yester-
day, he said; IAN I've drank for vary vexatton
wi dry math an wiout a 'openny i'rny pocket
Doesta think" lie concluded. saw con raise a
penny or tfppenec amang tn company"
gave him trifle: Others did the same; so
having thus raised the wind" he called for
bread. cheese and ale. and made a good meal
During the time the gardener had been talk
ing. SO accOStlng the old man while he was
eating his dinner he said, You are gardener
l understand"
Well" said the landlord, 1--WE a garden
which needs fettiing. have not time to at
tend TO IL myself: and as il is time the seed was
in, IN employ you II you are willing. I'll find
YOU plenty TO eat and drink: you can have a
bed as well; and il you please Ine I'll not see
you leave without few shiIlngs in your
pocket. What say you?"
u say agreed, replied the gardener rising to
his feet and grasping the landlords hand ..I'il
not be5ln to-morn, howiveT; but I'll look rand.
an get riddy for Monday morn"
IBIS proposal was satisfactory, wherefore the
gardener Was maze happy.
Shortly afterward we had an addition to Our
company by the incoming OF The Old bird-stuTeT.
WHOM shall henceforth call the naturalist (aS
thlS designation was the one when pleased
Elm, his son the butterfly breeder, and two
CtEer men whom had not yet seen. These
the SIT angeTS-iiTSt looked harui at the company:
but the naturalist, giving them q significant
nod, which seemed 10 say, .All right" they
settled down and called Tor a glass OF rum
apiece.
BY this time the gardener had finished his
dinner, when, putting his arms on the table and
his head On his arms, he fell, OF seemed to fall
asleep The rain, which continued to come
down, compelled NE Still 20 abide under cover
80, placing my chair in a corner ana putting
Fly head against the wall tried TO get a naD
also The naturalist and his companions were
now the only persons in the rooa besides the
gardener ana me-
can not tell half nor quarter OF what was
said 10y first one and thin another OF the four
persons; nor did / und rStand some or the
phrases which they used. .'BrIlce"' and 'sWon-
Ger flax" and ''stuifing, were words often
employed by them. / recoiie ted that Bruce
Was the name Of the dog. and Wonder" that of
The lailb. in the museum before spoken OF: and
NE other terms, judged, referred to the ma
tefials with which they were stuffed. but
could hot see Why they should speak in 50 los n
tone as they did when they smoke OF them
once or twice they reierrel to a bird by some