The National tribune., 1893-07-27

ship had changed, they unanimously appointed
him Chairman. 1t WAS psssingly suggested
that his Lordship's growing evil reputation
might prejudice the concern In the eyes of tho
public; but the promoter, who knew the public
well, reassuringly explained that investors
were so hopelessiy idiotie that a board com
posed entirely OF burglars would not prevent
their investing so long as the prospectus con-
tanned sufficiently impossible promises OF
profit; so tho ghost of Lord Pimblekin Ofici-
ated as Chairman and assisted in causing sew
eral suicides.
own crib, and he continued to give vent to q
succession of boisterous chuckles every one of
which nearly killed him; only q ghost is a
difficult thing to kill. Arrived at his palatisI
suburban residence he directed the burglars to
the outhouse where the ladders were kept; and
the three first assembled to her Lady p's dress
ing-room where the jewels were. The door
between the dressing-room and her Ladyship's
bedroom being open, the ghost undertook to
stand over her with q phantom bludgeon to pre-
vent any noise in the event of her waking. She
woke stared at his Lordship looked at the
burglars at work at her bureau, gazsd once
more at tho ghost with look which froze him.
murmured Peter" and sank back with closed
eyes.
Half mad with misery, the ghost directed
the burglars to the plate and other valuables
and then looked on chuckling while they tore
the silk curtains, jumped on her Ladyship's
favorite violin, ripped the carpet with a clasp
knife, cut the throat of the pug. and twisted
the necks of the csnaries and linnets and doves
Then they left quietly aud, as the ghost fol
lowed them out, he was conscious of an i'm
material form similar to his own standing q
his side. Come with me," said the form
aud they whiIled through space until thel
arrived in the same court in which senteDc,
had been passed upon him. The three Mahat-
mas were still sitting on the bench, and tht
chief Mahatma said:
prisoner, your case is one of the worst
which it has ever been our painful task to pass
sentence upon. Your reckless disregard o.
what you recognized as your duty and Of the
consequences of your misdemeanors on the
bench render mercy in your case entirely out
of place. 1t is our duty to give you the benefit
of the full 1000 years to which you have been
sentenced; we will, however, release you on
your own recognisances and allow you TO
turn to earthly existence and again fill your
former judicial sphere, with view to observ-
ing how you 60 on for the future. You will
be bound over to come up for judgment if called
upon"
Instantly our Judge found himself in the
flesh once more aud robing for bis accustomed
seat on the bench. His temperance caused
great surprise, as his evil reputation was now
public property and the authorities had
moved his cenotaph from Westminster Abbey
and sold it to a rag-shop.
However as it is i'm possible to remove Judge
from the bench even if he murders the Queen,
the Royal Family. and the Bench of Bishops,
steals the watches Of the whole House of Lords
and Commons and even defrauds the Inland
Revenue, Lord Justice Pimblekin was allowed
to remain on the bench and, as he was So
cially influential person, bygones were allowed
to be bygones.
But he was a reformed Judge. He did his
duty, and gave irredeemsble criminals what
they deserved; fraudulent company directors
got the cat, and diseased-meat purveyors lifer,
until there was hardly any crime left. Lord
Justice Pimblekin's twin brother aud wife re-
covered, and forgave him; and his Lordship
has not been called up for Judgment yet
Strand Magazine, By courtesy Of the International
Nelrs Company.