Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1895-02-01

convince you OF twill be to let you rum
mage to your hearts content among my
belongings You are welcome to any an
archistic literature or correspondence
you may discover, and handed him
over my keys with q confident smile.
every good, sir, and, if you don't
mind, will commence with your bed
room. ,"
Accordingly he followed me up
stairs, and while he ferreted about sat
down.
After time the inspector went down
stairs again, and made for the door,
only to find it locked from the outside.
"The suspicious old scoundrel!' I
wrathfully calculated. Thought I
might slip down stairs and away, sup
pose, while he was overhauling the sit
ting room. I'll let him have piece of
my mind when he returns, muttered
and finally concluded to wait his good
pleasure in dignified silence.
I gave the inspector a quarter of an
hour and began to wonder what he was,
up to. I tried the door once more and
found it still locked. Horror! He had
the keys of my writing desk. Then there
were my old china and collection of an
cient gold coins, and hoped to good
ness he would not topple over any of
Georges valuable cups, conspicuously
displayed OH the sideboard. I began to
wish had gone down stairs with him.
got SO uneasy that I knocked at the
door and called to the inspector to let
me out. ''Strange, said, chow these
old sleuthhounds never lose a chance.
Fancy him locking me in, after all his
fair words!" Not sound from the room
beneath "Surely George has not been
such an idiot as to leave any imitation
bombs about by way of a practical joke,
and the old boy has gone quietly off for
assistance to arrest this dangerous nj
hilist?'' poohpoohed the idea and re-
sumed my knocking and yelling. This
method of attracting attention, COM
bined with a few resembling kicks, pres
emily brought my landlady putting up
stairs.
GO 'Ere's fine to do, Mr.. limbs,
a-knockin the paint-not to say the
Dt1nC1S-Oll Ii OOSU UOu1OOu uOOl
She unlocked the door as she finished
her remarks, and I flew down stairs
like mailman.
"Where's the Inspector" I yelled up
to Mrs. Plaggs on finding the sitting
room vacant.
ST amt seen no inspector, - replied
Mrs. P, with severe dignity. II did
think, hows'eve that for a ole clos
man e seemed extry respectable.
cold clothesman! Mrs. Plaggs, what
do you mean?" I shouted.
"Wot I says retorted the worthy
creature, evidently highly incensed.
"We'n that party, witch it was lis card
I landed to you Il ain t no reader), left
about 20 minutes agone, e remarks con-
fidentiallike. as I opens the door for
i'm, Prices amt wot they was, ma'am ,
seq, NO indeed, no more they amt, ;
seq I, thinkin to myself as looks at lis
get up, But they seems to pay some
folks all the same. Then e jumps into
a four wheeler AN drives hoff -
By this time had sunk, perfect
wreck, Into chair. One glance round
the sitting room had told me ALL Where
were Georges silver trophies? Where
was my real old Dresden? What had be-
come Ct my precious coins? Where was
all our portable property? Gone! And
with it that deep designing villain and
altogether outrageous fraud, the inspect
or. Done again! All put up job!
My landlady began to sympathize, and
just then George came in, with Gyp
barking at his heels.
Hello, old chap, you look oheapl
Another surprise from Scotland Yard?''
George never lost an opportunity of
raking up old sores.)
'tYou've hit it, +" I said grimly.
Then he missed his cups, and broke
1t gently to him.
''You awful idiot!' he began.
George" l said, "spare me! Take
me home to mother. I am not fit to live
alone in London. But first hear me
swear, Never again do I put pen to pa
per to play into the hands Of the London
professional annexer. -
Then George swore, too, but it didn' t
take that form. London Tit Bits.