Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-12-24

ssWhere are YOU, anywayf"
bows house: didn't YOU Sesse me.a '' VI ''e 0''-
Another dispute. Then.
Snss sssnsi nus, : ne game Sg snsy asked
hurry
ssNo other way under heaven"
There was more wrangling, one or two being
still incredulous and all averse 10 restoring their
booty; Blu, could oyernear a. Must Dc Kashe.
"Turn II OF as Joke" Then loud call:
"where shah we md your"
'sI1l be- AT the house waiting Tor you III rnako
It all right" said. ..Now hurry
Then amid confused voices could hear more OF
the grating and grinding sounds which had nrst
must be produced by the friction OF their move
ments on hard gravel
"Are YOU comingT' asked impatiently.
They've gone, was the reply.
"Marce and Clem.r
Are they bringing the plunderf-
Yes; they'll have tt back there I'm no time
Crawling up from the mouth OF the pipe pue
my hand on something hard and smooth IN the
had cropped when ] tumbledi In pocketed IL
and climbed out, still stin from my recent hurts
or the oenumoing effects OF lying 50 long insens.
bic and half-clo;hed in a chilly hole.
4 was by no means convinced that the booty
TO wiring some sort OF confession from Horatio I
nmped back In my thin socks over the ground
, where l had run before; but wasn't long Ia
which on my return found shut fast against
marauders. Az the sound OF my voice old Phebe
unlocked the door, and stood before her a fright
rul object, as Inferred IRON the amazed look and
exclamations she greeted me with, while she
stood staring at me by the light OF lamp she had
When came 70 examine myself Afterwards I
could hardly wonder that, having firmly believed
was killed, she took me at first Tor the corpse OF
myself come 10 life again. Ny face hands and
shirt, and the light trousers ! had on were
streaSed and stained with blood from a cut In my
forehead and with dirt from the pit: my hair WAS
tumbled, and was pale and ghastly; but quick.
ly convinced her that, however dead might have
been, was fully alive atthat moment; and Gus
short her questions and lamentations with:
"Where's Horatio Bland."
was Immediately gratified by the sight OF that
gentleman advancing In the light OF Phebe's lamp.
lie showed good deal OF excitement which there
was reason enough for whatever the degree OF his
guilt: lie met me with sickly and anxious smile
Jim, where on earth have you beenf I.wens
out and looked everywhere for you"
"You didn't look In the right place /, I replied
grimly. "You should have looked into the earth"
Have you been In fight?r he asked.
II have. have come on victor, said, cycling
you came up with them.- he demanded in
great concern, which wasn't all occasioned by his
AT the same time old Phebe bewailed the loss OF
the valuabless catalogue OF which she had at her
tongues end; and begged TO know IL there WAS
any hope OF their ever being recovered
"In tell you something about that by and by
replied, without deigning any answer 20 Hora-
was ascending the stairs.
He had lighted the lamp there, he said as he fol-
lowed me up. We entered, and stood looking &C
each other. was considering how / could best
frame my charges In order TO force admissions
from HIM when he helped me out by saving:
"Horrors! how you do look. though Jim You've
got on my pants; did you know ITO
had hardly realized the fact before. glanced
down at them, and remarked sardoneally that &c
was pity ! had ruined them; at the same time
1nstinctiyely thrusting my hands into The pockets
In one j found my revolver; in the other. some
small, hard, heavy, foreground objects which I
scooped up into ny PALM along with a Few small
coins. 1 glanced at them, and then again at
him.
''They are your pants!" I said. "And here fn
your pocket are the cartridges you drew from
my pistol when You put your blank cartridges In
The fellow was so Disconnected that he could
only grlmace and utter feeble remonstrance while
laid them on the table and proceeded TO examine
those remaining I'm the undischarged chambers.
OF course there was no lead In them.
You see l know all about IT," said Nov,
He softly closed the door behind him. and then
approached me with the most cringing abJect
grin ever saw on human countenance: and
said In low voice, with an aguish quaver In it:
Don't talk loud. had no idea the house would
be broken into. But was afraid you might Shoes
me or Phebe, or yourself. SO 4 drew the car
"And put in blank ones, so as to deceive me III
nred at anyone, i answered
.i-e,yes!n he gasped
"And that's all you did?"
"Al! so help mel"
He was adding string OF profane protestations,
"Your friends, ] said, "tel different story
"He stamInered: "Who-what? Who have
"They have told me- Where do Won suppose
nave been the last three-quarters or an hours
AS he was too bewildered even TO guess pro-
eeeded TO inform him. have been talking with
Glenn Woodbury., Marco Hubbard and the resi- Of
your precious gang I'm their den, the city end OF
Ine new gas-pipe, which you showed me the other
morning. Didn't know that was TO be their rem
devious after the robbery, did you! Never mind
how stumbled on them. told you you ought 70
have looked for me underground
The scamp tried TO articulate some sort OF gen.
erai DENIAL but stood pale and shrinking, his eyes
wide open, bis jaws moving Intellectually, and his
throat clicking like a Hottentots.
"You furnished them with keys and DESCRIPTIONS
OF the house, exchanged the cartridges and en-
gagged 10 keep me quiet while they did the rob-
berry. You expected TO share the plumber
went on But you won't. They are bringing fl
back And what do you suppose they expect OF
me? That will let them pass it OF as q practical
joke. They N b. al the door IN ten minutes
AT least hoped they would be; and, what was
almost as good as the realization, made Rashe
believe they would. Then he took the cue am
ucipated; H. was all joke, as he would have told
me before, IL IL hadn't been for my alarming
absence and my still more alarming plight on mJ
80, ',Il you clair that."I said, "we must prepare
-, He was too broken up to raise any strong Objec-
tons, and called her In.
"what do you think, Phebe?D said aYou and
have had big fright for nothing. It's all joke,
the robbery,-planned by this Innocent here, and
some playful chums OF his. So he SAYS
The incredulous old girl turned from me to her
fayorfte, and at sight OF his sicky asserting face
burst into tears as she said:
80, Mr.. Horatio! is IL true?-
ave just meant TO have little fun; had no
Idea OF its going so far" the wretch admitted
mile and half was certainly too fart But we
assured her that the silver would all be back I'm
the house In a short time: whereupon the good
creature dropped upon chair and went on in a
perfect earthquake or Mysteries which made the
room shake and the globe rattle; 1 mean the globe
on the lamp.
Twas glad enough to get Horatio to commit him.
self In her presence TO all important points In the
sure you, when Glen Woodbury. and Marco Hub
bard actually appeared with their bag OF booty
j had by that time washed OFF INV stains and pue
on some clean clothes, but IL was not until Phebe
had got silver Salyer and pitcher, sugar-bowl and
cake-baSket, forks and spoons and what not back
into the drawers In the closet and satisfied her
self that nothing was missing or seriously in
mystifed and chapfallen trio who IL was that had
discovered and put 10 pretty good use the extra
ordinary speaking-tube.
sent Horatio on with HIS accomplices, in his
spoiled pants, that very night; and was iron and
adamant TO him and the like OF him ever AFTER
wards
Yes, made frank confession TO Squire OLD
later. IL cost me a tremendous EFFORT for more
than half expected that should lose his conf
dence and my position I'm his ONCE, as I certainly
deserved 10 TO- But after recovering from his sur.
prise he looked at me kindly and said he had no.
tced decided change for the better In my deport-
ment, since his return from Saratoga, and he had
no doubt that my experience with the r0gues was
the best thing that could have happened co me.
For my sake, he would not even prosecute them.
ss1hpyrl ppo honN