The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1893-09-21

The opera for the evening following,
n my ARREST manner
And I can be very airy when ]
'h~ose
To my Infinite delight Miss Pritch'
ard accepted the invitation, and with
an avidity that made my hopes go III
to the lottiest pitch. Assurance, l
felt, was doubly sure.
Hut alas. Who-who can read tho
future?
What Sagacity in that reflection!
retired to my humble abode, and
slept the Sleep Of happy and hope.
full man.
The next morning, refreshed and
Joyful, I sought the counting-housc
of Podger, Strother s. Co., where |
earn my daily bread. I overdrew my
salary, In order to pay for th4 private
box, and the supper which l intended
should follow the performance. !
applied myself to nv labors, and was
cheerful; nay, yivacious to an un'
wonted degree.
At 5 O'Clock, leaving the Office, /
sauntered up Broad street, on my
homeward way
felt SO good, / hardly knew what
to do with myself
mo more adding up Of wearisomo
columns. old boy" said to myself;
mo more plodding to and fro afoot
in an old ink-stained sack coat, No
more hard times and short commons;
but coupe to ride down town In, and
kid gloves every day. Hoorah!"
AS mentally uttered this joyous
exclamation, saw Cogsmith loiter-
ing thoughtfuily along, 10 his pc.
culiar manner, just ahead Of me. l
decided to inform him Of the fact that
I was to have proscenlum box, and
a stunning. splendid girl at the
Academy Of Music that night, to
oYerwheim him and impress him with
belief that l was ''in society,"" a
reg ular heavy swell, and all that sort
Of thing.
As overlook him I noticed that
his handkerchier-a more balefu!ly
odious one than eTer--Was hanging
about six inches out of mis- pocket
Remembering the ancient lark Of
our schooldays, and feeling, as have
said, uncommonly youthful and
frisky, I dexterously twitched the
wretched rag from his pocket, and
passed by him with loud "ahem"
He did not look up and recognize
me, as I thought he would; and as l
had got a step or two by I turned to
confront him.
Horror of horrors, it wasn't Cog
smith at all!
At the same moment a horrible
little boy shouted: Say! Here!
Mister! He's got yer handkerchief"
The person whom I had mistaken
| for Co3sm1th, but who was quite
respecUaple-iooK1ng old buffer, i'm
mediately clapped his hand TO his
pocket, missed his handkerchief, and,
collaring me Indignantly, began to
call for the police.
stop, s:r!" I yociferated, trying to
pull away from him, 'sto! Pm not
the mani thought you were Peter
upon my soul I did. You're mis-
taken, sir-I didn't steal it,"
l. .'You scoundrel!" cried the old gen
tleman; 'Ill teach you to steal in
the streets. You villain! Police!
Police"
A curious crowd gathered immedi-
ately, and two officers stepped for
ward.
In endeavoring to free myself from
my assailant's grasp l had lost my
hat; my collar and cravat had been
disordered. and my face had become
extremely red.
I felt that circumstances were de-
cidedly against me.
"Well, Gully" said fiashy looking
youth near me, in q sympathetic tone,
''you're not fly at clay-faking, eh?
Why didn't you sherrY?"
II think know that cove" said
one Of the officers; II Dlieve he's the
same feller that grabbed some money
from a boy as was comm from bank
last Monday"
He looks like a hardened "a cal. "
said the respectoble old buffer whom
I had mistaken for Cogsmith; take
him to the station-house at once"
IN vain I expostulated, entreated
and threatened. In vain I demanded
permission to send for reference as To
my character and position. It was no
go I was ANONYMOUSLY dragged of
to the station, with a ragged and
dirty crowd jeering me.
Just as the rabble had reached its
pitch OF noise and numbers, l met
Miss Pricilla's COUSIN, the young man
with the weak eyes ard the yellow
mustache, who always hated me,
He raised his eye-glass. smeild
scornfully, and passed by without a
wo:d.
Then knew that my doom was
sealed.
To be brief, I was locked up fos
examination. I gave the name OF
John Smith to the magistrate, but
boy in the crowd-an errand boy in
the store next to ours-kneW me and
informed the dignitarF that l was
travelling under an alias
was registered, then, under NJ;
own name, with alias John Smith,
tackled to it, for all the world like
veritable thief, and taken down to
the f1lth.est, foulest cell imaginable.
The next day was allowed to send
ror anybody I wanted to see, and sue
ceeded in proving my respectabi!ity
sufficiently to be let of with severe
reprimand.
But the arrest, aud my name, were
chronicied In all the daily papers.
wrote note Of apology to Miss
D,;.o;1to fo- boripr hrokon nv on.