The Portland daily press., 1895-04-15

|
| them had no cards-how could man
of all work at bootshop sport cards?-
| but l gave the fellow an envelope, which
I happened to have in my pocket and up.
On which my address was written in full.
"'You shall have them first thing to-.
morrow morningp said the man, and with
sharp Good night he went into the
house.
got no sleep that night. felt uncom-
Portable about those keys-something
seemed to whisper to mo that they would
ret me into trouble. A heavy shadow set
tied over me. was heartily glad when
morning came and had to turn out of
bed to go to my work.
''When reached the shop, my master
remarked that looked pale, haggard and
| generally out of sorts.
Been out all night?' he asked, half
jokingly.
I" No, sir, replied, with feeble at
tempt at smile, but I don't feel alto
gether up to the mark, perhaps
AT that moment some one came into
the shop, and began taking down the
shutters.
( Robert, said my MASTER coming out
to me Just as 1 was about to carry the
1ttou onuuICI W ltc WILL yUu CU1u6
into the shop, please?'
II did as directed.
This is Inspector Roundway,' said
my master, indicating man I had seen
enter the shop
8 Now, young man. said the officer,
what explanation have you to offer con-
corning your movements last night?'
Last night?' I echoed family, the
hInoA LOCI TO i,,+o G.
'Yes-come-don pretend to be green
the games played out' exclaimed the
officer sharply. suppose you don't know
anything about these keys, do your and
he held bunch up for my inspection.
Yes, gaspcd, they are mine' I
held out my hand to take them, but he
drew them back with sudden jerk.
It's a rum go when a young fellow
In your position carries skeleton keys about
with him, he exclaimed dryly.
g Skeleton keys?' I echoed family.
Skeleton keyss'
of course, he said. Here they be,
a. large as life. You d forgotten they were
on the ring perhaps, but we have you
nailed to them in any case. Your land
lady identified them before came round
here, and then there's this ERE bit of pa
pOIy Will yOuI uduA6 anu dUur0SS Oh 10.
Maybe you'll own up to that as WELL.
II am afraid that my manner was
against me. I went red and white by
turns, stammered, hesitated and made
just about the worst impression I could.
But somehow I managed to struggle
through the history of my adventure of
the kyeceding night.
"'An extraordinary statementl ex-
o1oi,, nd I,,< al -
both tone and manner. Perhaps you
may succeed in making jury believe it,
but extraordinary-oh, yes-certainly
most extraordinary. Are you aware, young
man, that an extensive robbery was COM
mitted in Maldon road last night?'
s'That same evening the town rang
with the account of my capture. The po-
lice were congratulated on every side.
But the strangest and for me most I'M
lucky part of the whole business was that
the burglaries ceased from that night.
Subsequent events appear to me now
like hideous nightmare. First came the
preliminary investigation before the bor-
ough magistrates, then followed my COM
INITIAL to the assizes next there was the
anxious, weary waiting for my trial, and
by the time the day appointed for it arrived
condition, both of mind and body.
s'The case against me was a strong one
/ had come stranger to Redgarth; soon
after my arrival the burglaries had COM
menced; with my departure they had
ceased. The evidence of the keys seemed
irresistible. and l had no one to plead for
me. The result you have already foreseen.
The verdict Of the jury was Guilty, and
nota soul in all that crowded court pitie6
me-. The judge delivered short address,
bearing on the necessity of protecting So
ciety from such daring, debased and hard
ened criminals, and passed upon me sem
tence Of ten years penal servitude.
''Then suddenly new feeling took pos
session of me. The living active conscious
ness of innocence rushed upon me. You
are condemning an innocent man. ex-
claimed loudly. and but at this mo-
ment turned hastily round and caught a
glimpse of face in the front row of the
gallery behind me. 1 had seen that face
before. I recognized i'll knew it. I
gave fierce, wild cry of triumph
He is yonder! He is yonder!' shout
ed, pointing with my finger at the fellow,
who turned CHASTITY white and covered be-
meath my gaze. There is the scoundrel
who borrowed my latohkeyl
1.-The terrible earnestness of my words
and manner-no less than the fearful as
pect of the man denounoed-madea great
impression upon the court The judge or.
dered my removal from the dock, and I
was taken to the cells below but his lord
ship, evidently greatly affected, ordered
the inquiry to be renewed. The result,
gentlemen, was that eventually I received
her most gracious majesty's free pardon.
'The real thief, it turned out, was the
son of we'll known and highly respected
resident of Redgarth. That he had been
in desperate circumstances, but had sub
sequently been known to spend money
freely, was soon proved. A good deal of
the spoil was traced and some of it recov-
cred. The keys had never really been lost.
The two skeletons he himself had placed
upon the ring. He had left them, together
with the envelope had given him, upon
the half floor, as though they had been
dropped and forgotten in the hurry of
clearing off with the booty. Had l not
seen his face know not what the issue
might have been.
1.-The young fellow subsequently made
full confession and to save himself from