News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-05-27
"Yes, confound it', replied Punter.

HOW luck WITH yOut
"Mighty bad Nearly broke. Met a
chap in Buttershaw's rooms who cleaned
the whole lot of us out"
Mr.. Punter grasped alta lamp post for
support. "What was his name?" he
teebly gasped
"Barabbas, or something like it.
Ought to be Judas Iscasiot An old sin
ner! Says he's been PERUVIAN Consul at
Odessa; don't believe there is any Peru
Wan Consul at Odessa, but I'm going to
a chap in the Foreign Office who can
find out. Ta-ta; you look mighty bad
take care of yourself"
Mr.. Punter, in fact, felt very bad in
deed. Was it possiblethat, after all his
vast and varied experience, he had been
sharped and swindled like a guileless
schoolboy2 The very idea was torture,
and he rushed on towtrds the Greville
but before he arrived there he remem-
bered that ButtershaV had invited him
to dinner that very eyet.;ng, and he de-
termined to do nothing rash. He would
consult the Duke, Sir Hector, and the
rest, and warn Buttershaw that he had
been cherishing viper. But perhaps
Buttershaw was in the plot himself, and
Mr.. Punter's very brain began to reel
with perplexity. There was no one par
ticular in the club, so he spent the after
noon in fever of impatience. and ap-
peared at Mr.. Buttershaw's chambers
punctual to the minute. He was the first
to arrive, and lost no time in question
ing his host about their mutual friend
| the General.
'It's very odd thing that old Bar
| nabas should always win, " he began.
eyes; isn't it?" said Buttershaw in
nocently, 81 can't understand it at
all" 9
81 met two men to-day who have lost
money to him here" continued Mr..
Punter.
"Indeed2" replied the other, with a
puzzled air. Mr.. Pulter began to feel
uncomfortable.
&c Yes; one said he had lost to an Ad-
miral, and the other to Consul, and
both these seemed to be exactly the
same persons as our fnend Barnabas."
Mr.. Battershaw burst into loud laugh
ter-unnecessarily loud, Mr.. Punter
tn ,ught.
Fact is, my dear fellow, old Barna-
bas is bit touched in the upper story.
He's knocked about 50 much and been
wounded so often that he fancies him
self all sorts of things, and humor
him. He really was in the Confederate
Army-got an awful crack on the head
from sabre, and has been a bit fun
ny ever since, though perfectly harm
less"
''By Jove, I don't know so much
Il IL -. f,,1l
"Well, he's had lot out of me, too, !"
sighed Mr.. Buttershaw; paid him
five hundred pounds to square our ac-
counts only thus morning. But l Won
der where he has got to? Excuse me,
and I'll just go and see if he has sent
any message"
The other guests came in one by one,
and Punter relapsed into uneasy silence,
but as the General did not appear he be-
gan to glance impatiently at the door.
Presently Buttershaw returned, and af
ter apoligizing to the newcomers for his
absence, he said, turning to Punter, 81
wonder what the deuce can have become
of Barnabas"
All had now arrived except the Gen
era1 and Sir Hector fl.,sL. The clock
licked onward, and Buttershaw swore
audibly.
"This is absurd, y he said. 'We won't
wait any longer. It's half past eight,
and he rung for dinner.
Soon after they had sat dow. Sir Hec-
tor rushed painting up stairs
every sorry, old man; had to see
some people off by the tidal train to
Paris Where's the General, by the
way2 He hasn't double in London,
has he?"
Buttershaw looked nervous.
''Not that am aware Of" he said.
''Well, as was on the platform l met
him, I'll swear; but when / went up to
speak to him he shook his heed, jab-
bered at me in German or some lingo,
and jumped into the train"
"Whatm screamed Mr.. Buttershaw,
turning perfectly livid; "do you mean
to say he has bolted?"
Sir Hector started in amazement, and
mystifed silence fell upon the com
pany.
q didn't say so, but he's certainly
gone to Paris"
Mr.. Buttershaw gave vent to sort of
yell.
'The internal, swindling old thief"
he raved. "Hes robbed me! He's
robbed all the lot of US! He owes
me fifteen thousand pounds I'm ru-
ined man!n
And he seized heavy decanter from
the table, and smashed 1t to pieces in
his impotent fury.
But Mr.. Punter was equal to the occa-
sion.
Gentlemen" he said, "this is bare
faced swindle. These two scoundrels
are confederates. Possibly the one has
robbed the other of his share of the
plunder; but believe that they will di-
vide it abroad. Meanwhile we had
better leave our worthy host to his own
reflections. Personally, | shall have
much pleasure in horsewhipping him on
the first occasion that find him outside
his own rooms. .'-Lond0A Truths.