The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1890-07-17
CAUGHT By ATHREAp

Some Of our fellows Who hs,e been re
ls,ins histories 10 your paper have 10
formed yoa hos they became detectives
All true. believe; bat there was no ro
msncs 10 ny case took TO the polic'
force from liking. That being the cas-,
aud bring sober and Industrious, ! soof
msnseed 10 become . fsson,s. and roe,
fspidly, aud 3, las, Was made sergeant
receiving besides my pay, shat We call
''inisliisebee money" which makes yer,
nice addition 10 our salary. So here an
Sergeant Fox. Of the detective force. aud
having introduced myself will ge, Al
once 10 my story.
0ae day ] happened 10 have sholiiay
aud took my wife sod children TO svil
lsge beyond Hcrnesy where friend o
mine kept an old fashioned public house
"a low. rambling. comfortable place. n.
sung IS you could wish.
Ny old friend gave me hearty wel
come. aud we had glorious day. The
children ran in the 6elds at the back ol
the house. aud my wife aud Mira B,lmer
my friends wiie--sat 10 the bar par
lor, while Baimer aud myself smoked our
pipes 10 the srbor at the bottom OF the
garden.
Balmer had given us = wsrm welcome.
but for all that | saw there wss something
the matter with both him aud his wife.
For instance. when We we're at diuner
and tea, noticed tha. now and then they
would pause 10 the conversation aud lis
ten AS II they expected to hear something.
ed up aud hurried out OF the room; but be
returned almost i'm uediately. s1d saying
quietly to his wife. "It's nothing. my
dear, resumed the conversation as, usual.
This, Of course, aroused my curiosity, aud
! determined toknow what the matter was
before left.
This is a iine old place. Harry. said.
as pulled at my pipe.
Yes. he said. slowly. like it very much
so does my wife. Still, not as much as |
thought | should,
What's up now. Harry? demanded.
Why, after you had seen this old place.
you did nothing but talk about it. Yet
you have only been here some six or eight
months and you seem tired Of it. Is the
trade not as good as you expected?
Oh. the trade is good enough. That's
not It, Look here, Charlie, You might
help me little in this matter
II can, sm at atyour service, repli
ed.
Well then, the one great fault in this
place is the want Of kitchen room. We
bave enly asmall kitchen proper, as | may
call ii, and small back one that over
there, where you see the window, be said,
as he pointed With bis pipe to kind OF
out house. The consequence is that we
have to stow away lot Of things in the
back kitchen that ought to be 10 the front
one--things OF value. too. Well, almost
every night something disappears, and
hang me II can make it out,
Who have you in the house that you sus.
pect?
Not soul. l brought all my old ser
wants with me. sud they have been 10 my
service for years. They are innocent.
Humpl As to that Il don't feel quite so
certain. said 1. Have any OF your female
servants sweethearts?
Not that l know. II they have they
pever come here.
Why do You not keep the door locked
you say that il always happens at
night?
We cant do that, and here Harry Bal
mer went into long statement as TO the
necessity that that door should be left on
the latch during the greater part OF the
evening All these reasons need not be
mentioned here. Suffice il il say that be
proved to me that for business purposes
IL had TO be left on the latch 1t certain
times.
| cant understand il, be continued. We
bsve done everything to discover how the
thieves come in--taken every precsution,
bnt oil 10 vain. do believe my old wo
man begins think the house is haunted,
and really il is very mysterious veryl
Ghosts don't steal. said |. just come
along with me and show me the place. and
will see what can make out OF it.
Well, be took me to the place, and ex.
amiued 1t carefully, aud queer one 1t
was. Oaly small back kitchen. with
copper sink. and the usual utensils OF that
sort. One door opened into the garden,
and smother door opened on to dark pas
cage. aud no, into the iron, ki'cben, ss IL
usually the case The door OF the front
kitchen opened Into the other near the
end OF the passage. which was very narrow
There was third Goor at the bottom Of
the passsge, which opened Into the bar.
There WAS nothing TO guide me there, so
walked Into The garden aud examined
IL.
IL wasa pleasant little place enough;
perfectly country. having no wall around
y. and only low psling. over which any
one could leap. Then looked at the
which consisted OF beautiful
fields, through shich ran the New river.
which. ipdesd. came righ, under Hsrrys
boase, Just at the back. lss~ at once that
II man came In the house to steal things
be would hsse 10 cross the liver by
bridge some quarter Of mile up. which led
into q BY Jane slsntins dosn TO The main
osi close to the corner Of the jolly Farm
trs, - sill call Hsfrys inn.
Well. .hs, do you make out Ct IN De. |
m.nded Harry, who bad been watching N.
clo-ely.