The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1884-01-31

gfunu piano. Ills dying wish was THAI
his compliments might be conveyed
to me.
/ now set up on my own account and
engaged his poor old clerk, who neariy
broke his heart at his late masters flu
neral. Stoneleigh left no family. His
money-about e12, 900, invested for the
most part in American railways-he
left to the Society for Providing More
Bishops, and his ledgers, daybooks,
memoranda, and papers generally he
bequeathed to me.
AS the chambers required furnishing
L lost no time in commencing my pro-
fessional duties. looked through the
books for a suitable house to begin up
on, and found the following attractive
entry:
Thurlow Square-No lee.
| House-Medium.
Occupant-Jol n ravis; bachelor.
| Occupaton-Designer of Dados.
| Age-SB.
Physical Peculiarities-v feeble; &C.
| centric; drinks; evangelical: shores.
| Servants-Two houscmaids, one cook.
Sex-All female.
| Particulars of Servants-Pretty houscmaid
| called Rachel; Jewess. Open 10 attentions
Goes out for beer at p. m; snores. Ugly
|
| 10 attentions: snores. Elderly cook; PRINT
| tive Methodist. Open to attentions: snores.
Fastenings -Chubb's lock on street door
| chain, and bolts. Bars 10 all basement win
dows. Practicable approach from third room,
| ground floor, which is suffered and barred,
but the bar has no catch and can be raised
| with tabie-knile.
| Valuable contents Of Observation-Disclosures
plate from grateful esthetes. Gold repeater.
| Mulready envelope. Two diamond rings
1 .lats n1ft Of Aaha Ik0
| to present time, 5S8 vols, bound limp calf.
| General-Mr. Davis sleeps second floor
| front; servants on third floor. Davis goes
| TO bed at 10. No one on basement. Swarms
with beetles; otherwise excellent house for
| purpose.
This seemed to me to be capital
house to try single-handed. At II
crowbars, bunch of skeleton keys, a
center-bit, dark lantern, a box of
silent matches, some putty. life-pre-
server and knife, and set off at once
for Thurlow Square. / remember that
it showed heavily. There was at least
a foot of snow on the ground, and there
was more to come. Poor Stoneleigh's
particulars were exact in every detail.
/ got into the third room on the ground
floor without the least difficulty and
made my way into the dining-room.
There was the presentation plate, sure
enough-about 500 ounces, as L reck
oned. L collected this and tied it up
so that 1 could carry it without attract
ing attention.
just as 1 finished l heard a slight
dear old silver-haired gentleman in
dressing-gown standing in the doorway.
The venerable gentleman covered me
with revolver.
My first impulse was to rush at and
brain him with my life-preserver.
Don't move" said he, cor you're
dead man"
A rather silly remark to the effect
that if did move it would rather prove
that / was live man occurred to me,
but l dismissed it at once as unsuited
to the business character of the inter-
view.
You're a burglar?" said he.
Il have that honor" said L, making
for my pistol-pocket.
Don't move" said he; II have often
wished to have the pleasure of encoun-
tering a burglar in order to be able to
test favorite theory of mine as to how
persons of that class should be dealt
with. But you mustn't move"
= / replied that should be happy to
assist him if / could do so consistently
with due regard to my own safety.
Promise me, said l, that you will
allow me to leave the house unmolested
when your experiment is at an end?"
IF you will obey me promptly you
shall be at perfect liberty to leave the
| house"
you will neither give me into GUS
tody nor take any steps to pursue me?"
"On my honor as Designer of Da-
dos, said he.
"Good, said /. "Go on"
"Stand up" said he, "and stretch out
your arms at right angles to your
BODY
Suppose / don't" said 1.
"I'll send a bullet through your left
ear" said he.
But permit me to observe"
said /.
Bang. A ball cut off the lobe of my
left ear.
The cor smarted, and 1 should have
liked to attend to it, but under the cir
cumstancts / thought it better TO COM
ply with the whimsical old gentleman's
wishes.
"Very good!" said he "Now do as 1
tell you, promptly and without mo-
ment's hesitation, or cut off the lobe
of your right ear. Throw me that life
preserver."
But"
"Ah, would you?" said he, cooking
the revolver.
The "click" decided me. Besides
the old gentleman's eccentricity amused
me, and was curious to sec how far it
would carry him. So tossed my life
preserver to him. He caught it neatly.
"Now take off your coat and throw it
to me-"
took off my coat and threw it to
him diagonally across the room.
Now the waistcoat."
threw the waistcoat to him.
Boots" said he.
"They are Shoes said /, in some
trepidation lest he should take offense
when no offense was really intended
"Shoes, them" said he.
threw my shoes to him.
Trousers, said he.
"Come, come, sayl" exclaimed L
N