The National tribune., 1894-04-05

devoted himself enthusiastically for mani
| years, was vulgar, and announced his inten
| ton of retiring from business at the end o
! the year.
! Sir Thomas began to babble of trees anC
! igrees-things which Mr.. Wobbell haG
| always described, in his homely way, a:
tommy-rot," and Sir Thomas would moi
hear of his daughter marrying the young
man whom Mr. Wobbell had considered by
no means an undesirable son-in-law.
The young man in question was called
Fred Johnson, and was a rising solicitor to
whom Mr.. Wobbell had intrusted a good
deal of his legal business
Mr.. Wobbell did not object to their en-
gagement.
But Sir Thomas suddenly discovered that
Laura might do better" The worthy
knight thought of leaving Colbor0ugh and
settling down somewhere in the country
some place where there was plenty of tip
top society, to which his title would of
course be a passport" as poor Sir Thomas
said to himself
Why, the girl might marry baronet, or
an earl, or-who knew-even a duke" (He
called it dook J
And so Sir Thomas, who was terrible
domestic tyrant, put his foot down and in
sisted on breaking off the engagement.
But love laughs at locksmiths, and some
times even at bone crushers, and though the
lovers never wrote to each other, they met
grounds nearly every evening throughout
that Summer.
Sir Thomas's house-the Mayors Nest"
as 1t was called by certain of his friends,
was "a handsome villa residence, standing
III It's own grounds" and distant some four
miles by the highway from Colborough
There was shrubbery in a corner of the
grounds, with a wicket gate opening on to a
quiet side road, which was completely hid
den from the view of the house.
There they met as usual one night early
in October. Sir Thomas had had an off
day." and had been potterng about the
grounds till dusk; but at 6:30 he had taken
himself off TO dine with the Ancient Soci-
ETY. of Amalgamated Thingumbobs and
Laura had been able to steal out to meet
her lover
They had been talking for about half an
hour when they were suddenly Interrupted
by the ominous sound of carriage wheels
rolling up the gravel walk.
Gracious! it must be papa!n cried
Laura. =" He's ever so much earlier than
we expected. Heavens! Suppose he misses
me?n
That's just what I've been saying for
the last 10 minutes" said Fred, triumph
antly. This can't 90 on forever Some
day luck will fail us and he'll catch US, and
then we'll catch it."
Well, well, come tomorrow at o'clock.
Papa has got to attend public meeting. so
rrp'il hp ahla tn hava N
night; there, ones enough" and in another
minute she was fastening back to the house.
III.
Laura gained her room in safety and un-
observed; but dreadful clamor that arose
as she was taking off her wraps and smooth.
ing her hair caused her to fear that her alb
sence had been discovered and it's cause
guessed.
Summoning up all her courage, but with
her heart i'll her mouth nevertheless. she
opened her door, listened for a moment to
the storm raging below, and then hurried
down stairs. !"
After all, she need not have been so fright
ened. A terrible disaster had oyertaken the
house of Wobbell. The Mayors chain Of
ofhce-the pride of the ColbOrough Corpora
| tion-had been stolen.
Lie chdIn oi once, When not in actual
use, always reposed in a strong safe in a
corner OF Sir Thomas's dressing-room, and
there 1T had been carefully deposited that
evening, when Sir Thomas took his depart-
ure for the dinner of the Amalgamated
Thingumbobs
Itwas as thingumbob, and not as Mayor.
that he had been invited TO fill the Office of
Chairman, and therefore he had gone forth
IN ordinary evening dress.
But, not feeling well, he relinauished his
| post as soon as the toast of the evening had
been drunk, arriving at his home nearly two
| hours earlier than he had expected
He was just 10 minutes too late TO save
the chain, however; for, on going to his
room, lie had found one of the windows
wide open, the so-called burglar-proor safe
| forced, and the chain gone-not to mention
fair sum of money in gold and certain
| trinkets of value.
The thieves, it was true, might be caught.
but the Mayors chain was, in all likelihood a.
| gone forever.
OF course the scoundrels would not keen
1t intact a moment longer than they could
help; they would be certain TO remove the
jewels and melt the gold down as soon as
they were safely housed, and the stones they
would probably dispose of in installmenfs
to different dealers, SO that they would
| quickly be scattered all over Europe.
AND at this point Of his reflections Sir