Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1883-07-26

there; SO I walked into the garden
and examined it.
1t was pleasant little place enough
perfectly country, having no wall round
it, and only low paling, over which
any one could leap. Then 1 looked al
the country, which consisted of beau
tiful fields, through which ran the New
river, which, indeed, came right under
Harry's house, just at the back. ]
saw at once that if man came in the
house to steal things, he would have
to cross the river by bridge some
quarter of mile up, which led into O
by-lane slanting down to the main
read close to the corner of the Jolly
Farmers, as / will call Harry's inn.
swell, what do you make out OF
its' demanded Harry, who had been
watching me closely.
II can't make it OUT I said. "Just
make written statement of the facts
and give it to me. I'll lay it down be-
fore my chief and ask him to send a
man down to watch the case. But
mind you, do not let any one know
that you have told me-not even Mrs.
Balmer. Women cannot keep secrets;
it's not their nature to do so. Perhaps
l may come down myself +; if 80, l will
write and let you know when I am
coming, and in what disguise, so that
you may help me and not betray me by
a sudden recognition.
Well, to make long matter short,
be did as I directed him, and l re
turned with my wife and youngsters
to town, and the next morning ]
placed the account before my chief,
asking to go down on the case for a
few days. But I was disappointed,
for l was wanted somewhere else, and
a young fellow was sent.
The case I was on caused me to be
detained in Liverpool for month, and
when I had carried it out successfully
l returned to town, and the first thing
1 inquired about was whether Harry
Balmer's thief had been taken.
"No," said the inspector :" that is a
queer case. 1 sent Saunders down
about it, but he did no good. He
watched the place car fully f9r week,
but could not discover anything, for
while he was there nothing went ; but
the night of the day he left basket
full Of washing was stolen something
the next night, and something the next,
and SO on. I sent him down again,
and the thieves stopped directly. l
can't make it out.
"The thief knew Saunders" replied
/, "and while he was there would not
run the risk. 1 have nothing to do
now. I think 1 will have turn at
it."
"You can, if you like, Fox" said the
inspector "but 1 do not think you
will make much of it. Saunders took
all sorts of disguises and failed, al
though he is not half SO well known
by the thieves of London, or of Eng
land, might say, as you are"
"Well, I'll have try, and if l do
not catch the fellow in four days I'll
give the matter up"
This being agreed upon, 1 wrote off
at once to Harry to tell him to prepare
for me, and then set about for dis
guise.
For that purpose l selected a navvy's
costume-namely, a sealskin cap, with
the ear flaps pulled well down, coarse
cotton shirt with no collar, red wool
comforter, fustian coat of the New
market cut, with large bone buttons, a
long waistcost with tapped pockets
of the same material as the coat-but
left unbuttoned ; trousers Of corduroy
fastened round the waist with strap,
and two little straps fastening them
up below the knee, high enough up to
show about two inches of blue worsted
stockings and a large, heavy pair of
thick, high-low boots.
Of course my hair was dyed, and my
hands and face made up to suit the
character. Thus equipped 1 was
ready, and, mounting the top of an
omnibus, Lit up my dirty stump of a
black clay pipe and drove quietly down
TO Tottenham.
There l entered one or two public
houses where "navvies most do con-
gregate," and l asked the landlord, or
any nayvies who happened to be pres
ent, if they knew place round about
where poor fellow could get work.
Everywhere but at one place I had
the same answers" Hard times
"Place too crowded already" etc.
But the single exception was nearly
poser for me. He was stout, jolly
fellow-seemed to take pity on me,
and having asked if I could dig well,
was about to engage me to dig up his
garden. Luckily for me his wife hap
pened to come into the bar, and bullied
him for fool who encouraged all the
idle, lazy fellows in the world, and de-
clared that / should not have a penny
of her money, and complimented me
by saying, loud enough for me to hear,
that / looked more like thief than a