Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1880-10-21
How Got Promoted.


trouble, SO 1 wish you to so
down as soon as possible"
This order | received one hot
day in August, on the day after
the robbery had taken place.
OF course l did not let much
time pass before / was at the
station and fairly started. Once
there, Barrowtown is quaint,
picturesque little town, like
many another in goodly En-
gland. 1t seemed almost too
dull to boast the doubtful honor
Of having a full-grown robbery.
Still, I like the quaint little
town, for it was there that l
gained my first promotion. |
met at the station the Local In
spector, a stout, pompous, ex-
citable little man, who looked
doubtful as 10 the prudence of
the Scotland Yard authorities
in sending down such an ordi-
nary-looking mortal as myself.
Con" he remarked at last, $50
it's you, young man, is it? /
don't think we are likely to
trouble you much this time.
The fact is, ahem We have
caught the cuiprit ourselves"
l merely bowed, and express
ed a wish to see the prisoner;
and we both set off for the
county Jail, perhaps a mile away,
Well, it certainly seemed as
plain as day to me that the un-
happy wretch on whom lnspcc-
tor Muggridge had laid his fell
grasp could easily have proved
an alibi had not that worthy Of
ficer continually interrupted him
with: "Better keep all that TO-
your examination, my good Eel
low, or it'll all be brought III
against you,my man,you know.
| told him seriously, as sooI
as L could, in private, that thu
man he arrested was no more
guilty than | was, but he simply
smiled increduously, and asked
who else could be the culprit
as this was the only really alb
andoned character Of the town
and it plainly was the work OF
some one who knew the place
I'Besides,p he added, sit ism
very likely that any one couI.
beat me on my own ground
where | know every body, 20
know; and If he didn't do it,wh
: did?' With this really unan
) sWerable argument he accom-
panied me TO the scene OF tn
robbery, where we were show
over the premises of the house
When | saw the ground-tioo
window by which access ha
been gained to the house, quit
| agreed with the worthy '1ocal
that it was the work of a''neN
hand" and that from the fac
that his footprints, wherever W
could trace them, showed IL
hesitation, but rather a thOroug
acquaintance with the grounds
the culprit, whoever he was
must have had some opportunity
Of visiting the scene of opera
tions, and probably lived some
where in the neighborhood.
1t seemed that the thief hat
entered the house by a window
in the rear, andcarried off small
box Of yaluables from the room
Of the master of the house, whC
had been staying at q friend
on that night. Both these factI
showed an intimate knowledge
Of the house OH the part OF thu
culprit, and strengthened Oul
former belief. We were inform
ed that the lost casket-an or
binary tin cash-box-had beer
almost filed with various arti.
cIes of jeweiry, and therefore
the loss was rather heavy. Of
course the knowledge that there
would be good reward for the
recovery of the missing proper,
ty did not abate my zeal. Still
in spite of my eagerness to dis
cover the culprit, could make
but little OF the case, and might
even have come over to the o.
pinion OF the "local," but for
one very important fact, namely,
the footprints in the garden-bed
were smaller than those of the
prisoner Now, although man
can wear boots several sizes too
large for him on occasion, yet
he can hardly walk with COM
fort in shoes an inch or SO too
short.
Very much annoyed at my
want Of success, and dreading
the chaf | would be sure to get
when, compelled to give it up,if
| should return to town, l was
not particularly delighted next
morning to see Mr.. Muggridge
coming up theroad to the house
accompanied by the editor of the
Barrowtown Weekly Banner,
who had determined, he said, to
write mp the account Of the rob-
berry himself. But there was