The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1888-12-21
IN TWO HALVES.
Solution Of the Mystery OF the
Divided Bank-Note.

THE FIRST HALF.
Wet and dreary. II is midwinter;
the scene Is Kirklington. on the Lon
don 4 Northwestern; the time one
quarter to eleven; just after the night
mail had flashed through without
stopping bound for Liverpool and the
north. The railway officials are col
lecting preparatory TO so on duty for
the night.
where's DAMP" asked one Of the
crowd upon the platform
~ saw him in the hut just after the
one-quarter to eleven went through.
Can't have come 70 any harm. surely?"
mo; he said he'd seen something
drop from the train. and he went down
the line TO pick it up"
And Dan had picked up something.
1t was q basket, q common white
wicker basket, with lid fastened
down by string. What did 1t con-
tain? Dirty clothes? What?
A baby--a child half a dozen weeks
old. no more.
..where did you come across it?'
asked one.
Lying on the line. just where 1t
fell. Perhaps it didn't fall, perhaps IL
was chucked out What matter? I've
got 1t. and got to look after 1t, that's
enough for me.'
The little mites linen was white and
OF fine material. but he lay upon an
old shawl and few bits Of dirty fan
mel All they found was a dilapidated
purse, common snaplock bag-purse
OF faded brown leather. Inside was a
brass thimble. pawn-ticket and the
half Of Bank Of England note for
ElOo.
A new parson- Harold Trefry had
come lately to Kirklington-
He Is now paying a round Of paro-
chial visits, accompanied By an old col
lege chum. who Is spending Christmas
with him.
''Yonder," said Treffry. pointing to
= thin thread OF smoke which rose
from some gaunt trees into the sullen
wintry air, ''yonder Is the house-if,
indeed. IL deserves 50 grand name
the howell. rather. Of one whose case Is
the hardest OF all the hard ones in my
parish. This man IL mere hedger
and ditcher. one who works for any
master. most often for the railway. but
who Il never certain Of . job all the
year around. He has q swarm OF young
children, and he has just lost his wife.
He IL absolutely prostrated; aghast
probably At his utter incapacity 70 do
his duty BY his motherIess little ones.
! wonder whether you could rouse
him? II you could only get him to
make . sign. or cry. or laugh. or to
take the smallest interest In common
affairs Jack. l believe you're the
very man. You might get ut him
through the children-that marvellous
hanhy-panky Of yours. those surpris-
ing tricks; q child takes 70 you natu-
rally ut once Try and make friends
with these. Perhaps when the father
secs them interested and amused he
may warm little, speak. perhaps ap-
prove. perhaps smile. and in the end
give In. Jack. will you try?"
Jack Newbiggin was BY profession a
conveyancer, but nature had intended
him for new Houdin, or a wizard Of
the North. He was moro than half 4
professional by the time he was full
grown. In addition 70 the quick eve
and the facile wrist he had the rarer
gifts Of the suavc manner and the face
Of brass. He had even studied mes
merism and clairvoyance. and could
upon occasion surprise his audience
considerably by his power.
They entered the miserable dwelling
together. The children wv eight 81
them-wero all skirmishing over the
floor, except one. child OF six or
seven, . bright-cyed. exceedingly
beautiful boy. the least not nat
ure's vagaries well known-likely 70
be born among and belong 20 such
surroundings. who stood between the
legs OF the man himself, who had his
back 70 the visitors and was crouching
j10w ter the scanty fire.
The nsn turned his head for q mo-
ment, gavca blank stare, then an i'm
perceptiblc md. and once more he
glcwercd downipon the dre
"Herc. lite ones; do you zee this
gentleman? He's = conjuror. Know