Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1888-07-27

breakfast that morning, and Immediately
afterward set off for the police station.
Clarchen complained that morning of
being i'll, and said she would go home
and lie down for an hour The loss of
the flowers had given her a nervous
headache.
On the way to the station, passed
through the L market, and stopped
aimlessly before some of the flower stalls.
Suddenly l came to table, and an
electric shock passed through me, when
l saw it piled with fresh, beautiful
bouquets of the William Allen Richard
son. Now knew positively there was
not another rose of that kind in the
State, but the one owned. Those were
nv flowers. | could swear to them.
''Where did you get those roses" L
Numbered, bringing my fist so violently
down on the table, that the big, black
/ bearded GascOn standing behind 1t
started.
''Vot for you askee me data" he cried,
angrily. "You drunk, man? [ get my
roses we're I gets 'em. Go away or l call
de Pleeceman,
"a miserable, contemplate thief Those
roses are mine. / can swear to them.
You stole them from me last night"
The big GascOn sprang to his feet.
''You say | t'ief he yelled. ''Sacre
tonnerre ~ and the next moment a thun-
derbolt indeed struck me, and | was
doubled up against the stall of an Irish
woman, who punched me in the back,
| and yelled for police at the top of her
stentOrian lungs But the Gasc0n wasn't
done with me by any means. As strug-
gled up he struck me another blow in
the right eye.
had never fought since I was boy,
and have always looked upon brawls as
disreputable, bnt was too furious to re-
member anything. l struck out wildly,
but the man, who was a professional
boxer, just played upon me with his
fists until he had me down again, and
being very stout 1 stoyed down. until a
condescending policeman marched US
both off for fighting and disturbing the
peace. AS was limping along we met
Henderson, an old friend and a deacon
in the church as we'll as myself.
"Why, good gracious, Elliot, can that
be y0u?" he exclaimed. HWhat on earth
is the matter?"
"Well, my roses were stolen last night
by that fellow" pointing to the Gascon,
who ground his teeth and shook his fist
at me. "And when 1 accused him, he
pitched into me"-
"And left you a wreck" Henderson
laughed, shamefully. $50 after all,
your harmless, innocent flowers have
brought you to grief. Told you it
wouldn't do to set your heart on them.
Well I'll go along. Those folks all
know me-police officers, magistrates
and the whole lot of 'em. They'll have
to take my word that you are respecta-
BILE citizen, for upon my word, Elliot,
choH hot
battered visage, you're about as dis
reputable looking vagabond as 1 ever
came across" And then he laughed
again in very undigniied manner.
When we came before the magistrate,
my Gascon was willing enough to tell all
he knew. He bought the flowers from
German named Heinrich, a man who
kept small flower garden in the suburbs
of the city. He had dealt with him for
a year, and had no reason to suppose he
had stolen any of them. Yes, the man
was married. His wife often brought
the flowers. In fact, she had brought
him the William Allen Richardson that
very morning, and hnggled over the
price. She wanted dollar apiece for
them.
My heart sank into my boots at this
revelation. My sympathetic Clarchen,
my HOwer-lOver, my refined domestic was
the serpent in my garden of Eden. A
few questions brought a escription of
the woman, and there was no longer
room for doubt.
A warrant was issued for the arrest of
the rascally couple, and sadly hobbled
hOmewards.
My wife and Jeanne met me in the
greatest excitement. 60 dear, o dear"
screamed my wife. 1.-THE man has been
fighting! John! John are you crazy?
What is the matter? Who has been
treating you 500" And then without wait
ing for a word she went off into strong
Mysteries. That's always the way with
women. When you need them most,
they're sure to cut up in some way or
other. When she gave me a chance, I
told my story, and then l thought she
was going Oft in another fit.
The creature has run off, papa"
Jeanne explained. ''She's taken lots of
things from the kitchen, and mamma has
missed six of her tablespoons And then
we don't know where she lives"
"The warrant will unearth her."
said, confidently.
But it did not. Heinrich and his wife
had absconded, and from that day to
this no sign of them has come to US. Not /
only my wife's spoons were missing, but /
Jeannes valuable watch and twenty !
dollars in cash. Clarchen's affinity was /
not flowers alone but every species of /