The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-01-27

I mo
| the hall.
Though he looked exceedingly wicked,
felt grateful to him for going so peace
ably, and was moved to compassion.
Were you really in want that YOU
came here?" l said. Are YOU hun
cry e
Not now," he answered with a leer.
OF course he was intimating that he
had supped at my expense, and at the
time l thought it frank OF him to ac-
knowledge 1t. If | had known then. as
l learned afterward, that he had eaten
grouse and half. and the W
tents Of ior
can eS1m1s& 4
froaf fRoaent wne3 he " as, 1.s ~. IL :
ar;t IGnt door which, = had ol-stoo 4t6r 4st6r his %
EXT :
sir - .3'7,3 mt you give mo half crown
ness ?" But tt 5z3E,... az .h..opIeseyay OF ousit
better to part good frient3s, [qnve him
what he asked for. He spit Ss,n the |
coin " for luck, as he was GOOD Enough |
to explain, and also perhaps as ., .lsia-
stltute for thanks, since he omitted to
give me any, and slouched down the
gravel sweep and out of the gate.
II was o'clock; the mist had begun
to clear, and the moon and stars were
shining. A sort of holy calm began to
pervade me. I felt that L had done
good action and also got rid of a very
dangerous individual, and that 1t was
high time that | should go to bed in
peace with all men. Ny wife, however,
who had been reused by the servants,
was on the tiptoe of expectation to hear
al that had taken place, and Of course
had to tell her. I described each thrill
ing incident with such dramatic force
that she averred that nothing would ever
induce her in my absence TO sleep III the
house again. This was perhaps but the
Just punishment for a trIie of exaggera-
ton IN the narrative with which l had
here and there INDUCED myself, but it
was very unfortunate. Now and then l
find myself detained IN town, after dining
at the club, by circumstances over which
L have no control (such as a rubber at
Whist, which viii sometimes stretch like
indiG-rubber), and hitherto l had only
had 10 telegraph in the afternoon to ex-
press my regret that there was a possi-
bility of my non-return. Here was an
end TO all this, unless L could reassUre
her. / therefore began TO dwell upon
the unhkelihood Of a second burglar
ever visiting the house, which / com
pared with that famous hole made by n
cannon ball said to be place of secu-
rity from cannon balls for cvermore.
.Oh, don't tell me" cried my wife,
with Just a trace of inpatient irritation
in her voice. Hark : goodness gra-
clous, what Is that coming along the
road %
She thought it was burglar on horse
back, whereas, if / may SO express it, 1t
was the very contrary-namely, the
horse patrol.
Knock at the window: call him in
insi an9n 4, g9qI g II ss19eing e4 o4,, 44n Sis o So
said "insist " (as any married man viii
but to accede to her wishes;
so l went out and told the patrol what
had happened.
"How long ago was the fellow here.
sir 81 he inquired
More than an hour. 1t Is quite ont
of the question you can overtake him.
And besides, really think he is repen-
tant, and means for the future to lead an
honest life"
" You do, do you ?" said the patrol, in
that sort of compassionate tone of voice
In which the visitor of lunatic asylum
addresses an inmate warranted harmless.
90 Well, as 1 am here. I'll lust go over
the house and make sure there Is no
more of them. 1t is not imoOsslble,
you see, he may have left pa. behind
him.. -
"Therc was only one pair of boots"
said confidently &" of that 1 am GER
tain"
Nevertheless, as L felt it would be
satisfaction to my wife, 1 acceded TO his
request. He tied his horse TO the scrap
er, and came in with his lantern, and
looked about him. There was nobody
in the front hall, OF course, for / had just
come through it; in the drawing room
nobody, in the vestibule nobody-but
on the table where they had stood before
stood pair of gigantic navvy's boots.
"What dye think ofthat % whispered
the patrol, pointing to one Of them.
"They're the same" 1 answered in
hashed amazement, they're the very
same. could swear to them among
Thousand. What can it mean ,"
fWell, it means that the gentleman
who was going to lead a new life, he
answered dryly, "has Thought better of
it and has come back again.
And so he had. We found him lying
in the very same place under the dresser
awaiting, I suppose, events.
80 Lor is thatyou, Mr.. Policeman?" ?"
he said, complainingly. "Then, it's all
up"
If he had had to deal with me alone,
Unexpected, perhaps, to have got another
half-crown out of me. But the great
probability was, he had doubtless argued
that all suspicion of burglars, for that
night at least, would have died out, and
that he would have had the undisputed
range of the house. 1t was bold game,
sbut one IN which all the chances seemed
to be on his side.
helped to fasten a strong strap to his
wrist, which was already attached to
that of the horse patrols. And now"
said the latter coolly, "we viii go and
put on our boots"
For the second time that night l saw
that operation accomplished by my bur
glar, for the second time saw him walk
off, though on this occasion a captive
to his mounted companion. 1 did
not wish, as the Judges say when
they put on the black cap, to add poign-
ancy to the feelings of the unhappy man
Che was on ticket-of-leave, and presently
got five years penal servitude), but
could not help saying
81 think you ought to have been con-
tent with your supper and half-a-crown,
and not come here again, at all events
in search of plumber"
This argument, it seemed, had no sort
of weight with him gratitude was un-
known to that savage breast. Like
many more civilized individuals, he at
tributed his misfortunes to his own
virtue.
"No, sir, it amt that" he answered
scornfully. "Tm the victim of perse-
verance."