Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-11-16

an extremely personal nature, all at til,
same moment. This bore with patience
if not with good humor, convinced that
OF the arrival of Sprucington 1 SHOULD
get clear Of my tormentors. Presently {
lane was made for the approach of the
owner of the stolen property. Judge o.
my horror on percciving that the painting
individual was n total stranger to me.
OF course all my protestations of limo
cence were of no avail, and was treated
IN the manner described in the commence
ment.
Chatter, clash, rumble, bang! The
cell-door closed upon me, aad / was q
prisoner.
The gloom was so great that. though il
was daylight, could Mt first distinguish
nothing. Gradually became aware tina,
| was in n narrow vaulted room, MS strong
as brick and iron could make it. Half.
way up the wall was wooden wainscot.
lug, and round two sides l could dimly sec
n low bench, barely two feet from floor
which was an inch deep in sawdust. The
iron door of this delightful apartment,
| was of great thickness, disclosing-about
| five feet from the ground-a small grating
of round holes. BY pressing my face
against this grating could see into the
corridor without. But the only view OBJ
tainable was round glass window oppo-
site, illuminated by the last lingering
rays of the setting sun. 1t was altogeth-
er most depressing place. The flavor
suggested to me was combined one.
made Up of the condemned cell in New
gate, the dungeons of the Bastile, and
the Spanish Inquisition. Occasional gruff
voices and heavy footsteps in the corri-
dor deepened the impression. A mouse
in trap was a king to me.
Then l began to think seriously of my
situation. That l had committed felony
there could not be the least doubt, though
with no felonious intention. Would the
magistrate believe my explanation Sure
ly manner and appearance were not those
of pick. But my heart sank with
in me as l remembered that the London
swcll-mob are known to be the cleverest
actors in the world-in fact, can initiate
to perfection any class of society. My
only hope was III Sprucington. He would
be Of material assistance in clearing up
the mystery. And yet that umbrella
could have sworn that it to belonged to
none other but him! However,, l hal
dispatched messengers to him, my en-
ployer andSmy friends !; therefore, the
only thing to be done was to wait patient
ly till the morning.
/ spare you description Of that night
OF horror, for such it was to enc who had
never before suffered an hours depriva-
ton of liberty how the monotony of the
long, long hours was only brokeA at in
tervals by the appearance at the grating
OF stern, helmeted yisage, demanding
whether all was right-how al O'Clock a.
m. two fellow prisoners, in the shape Of n
drunken scayengcr and desertcr from
the Royal Artillery, were thrust into the
cell or how in the morning all the cells
were empticd and we, the occupants, with
aching bones, unwashed and unkempt,
were paraded through the streets in
melancholy string to an adjacent police
court.
fortunately my case came on early, SO
that had not long to wait among the
crowd of dirty, disreputable detenus, each
guarded by constable, who filled an out
or room.
AT the cry OF CHARLES Blank! = q
shuddered to hear my name in such n
place. ! and my attendant policeman
marched into the court. The TAILOR, n
big, burly, bald-headed, gilt-buttoned
person, placed me i'll the dock. At the
same moment the prosecutor entered the
witness box to be sworn. He was prig-
gish-looking man of about As, and no
more like Ned Sprucington in front than
was like the monument.
In few calm, well-chosen words he de-
scribed the occurrence. When he had
finished, was told that I could put any
questions to him that | thought proper.
declined to do SO. Then, after his evil
dence had been confirmed by the consta-
Die who arrested me, the magistrate-au
amiable. looking old gtntleman-asked
me-. well, my friend, what haveyo to
say in this?"
In reply, gave the same simple and
unvarnished statement which l had al
ready given at the police station.
THAT is all very well, as far as it goes
put have you any witnesses rs to your
character ?"
yes, sir-Mr. Edward sprucington."
Call Edward Sprucington.
Then | could hear the crier shouting
the familiar name through the passages
of the court.
After few minutes suspense the Off
clai returned, accompanied, to my great
delight, by Ned. The good fellow look
Ell so distressed to see me in such pre-
dicament that / felt convinced he would
have given dozen umbrellas to have got
me out of the scrapc AS soon as he
made his appearance Il noticed that the
prosecutor changed color / also noticed
that while taking the oath Ned kept one
hand behind his back. / could not have
told you why, but somehow derived en-
couragement from both those triling cir
cumstances.
10 shorten matters, / may say that if I
mad been seraph l could not have re.
ceived better character than that given
Dy Ned. At last came the question
Then you think the prisoner incapable
OF stealing this umbrella ?"
well, sir, said Ned, who had recover
Ell his self-possession, "if, as / under
stand, stealing means taking property
from the owner, it is impossible the pris.
oner could have committed the theft"
What first-ratc advocate Nei was be.
coming
Impossible Why?"
because that umbrella was first stolen
from me I"
, ut is an Infamous falsehood I" cried
The prosecutor, starting up.
rs 1t p replied Ned. "That person
need not be 30 particular about words.
or this ia all he left me in exchappe-otl
he Cigar Divan." "
With that he produced, amid the
aughter of the court, what he had bitb-
'rto concealed behind his back, namely, n
yooden-handled umbrella much the worse
or wear, of silk certainly, but no more
o be compared with the glories of the
'nyx-handled than costermonger's wide
wake with the Archbishop Of Canter.
'urys best "shovel."