Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1895-09-28

ne WhS NSl y hhiubio w iIhulpSWOTUnY
that evening, pressing him to try his
tobacco after supper, and shaking
hands with him warmly when they said
Good night" He, however, did not
want to go to bed after the others de-
parture; he said he should sit up and
smoke, and begged me to do likewise.
cts quite early" he said, mot IL.
Sit up with me, and we'll turn in, If
you want to, US soon as I've finished
this pipe"
consented. As n matter of fact,
he had never been better company,
and was just laughing heartily at q
story he was telling me when
"Good heavens !" exclaimed, turn
ing pale, "that can't be Lambsworthy
come back again tonight? Who is
it?"
Better open the door and seo," re.
piled Seymour, phiosophicallv.
1t was being beaten wildly rs |
bolted into the passage. Another in.
slant and my worst fears we're verified.
Lambsworthy stood before me with
chattering teeth, the portmanteau-
the accursed parliamentary his side.
"Not"-
"Burglars?" he gasped. "Yesl"
He followed me into the sitting.
room and fell into chair.
at is the same thing" he muttered,
just the same thing. The house had
been broken into when l got there,
and no clue-no clue. The man
showed me the room; everything scat.
tered and upside down. Seymour,
shall go mad !"
He seemed in measurable distance
of it-even Seymour was concerned.
1t certainly seemed like fatality.
Wherever the poor fellow went there
was burglary; his name would be on
the tongues of all Wicketsfield di-
rectly. There was never anything
known like it.
Whether he slept when we left him
at last on the couch | do not know,
but his face was rs white as sheet in
the morning, and when Mr.. and Mrs.
Cardonnel called with their daughter
they were aghast at his appearance.
"It is perfectly extraordinary" ex-
claimed Norah, "aud as to the police,
who can allow such things Words
failed her to express her contempt for
the stupidity of the police.
81 tell you what, said Mr.. Carbon
mel, 81 should go to the station myself
If were you will go with you.
Confound it all, we will go at once.
Something must be done, and without
delay"
l noticed that in a moment Sey-
mour was almost as pale as Lambs
worthy; l was even prepared to hear
him offer an objection.
81 should not do that, sir, Tiff I
may presume to ADVICE" he said. 81
should wait day OF two"
"And why, sir?" demanded Mr..
Cardonnel, persmptorily; "why should
we wait an hour?"
eyes" echoed Norah, haughtily;
"why should We wait five minutes, Mr..
SEYMOUR"
ave will go now," cried Stephen;
81 thank you for the suggestion. We
will go at once, and will see the in.
spector myself"
Seymour sat playing nervously with
an ashtray on the table. He seemed
to be trying to speak, and to have lost
his voice. At last he said jerkily, and
with an attempt to laugh:
"To tell you the truth, everybody,
you are spelling practical joke OF
mine. Lambsworthy Was SO very con
cerned at the first burglary that ]
thought how extremely funny it would
be if the same thing occurred in the
next house he tried. The landlord Is
my tobacconist, and-well, there
wasn't burglary last night at all; it
was just arranged between us for
lark !-er-that's ALL"
If I live to be hundred I shall
never forget Miss Csrdonnel's look of
contempt as he finished speaking; and
l don't think Seymour will forget 1t
either. Her papa's violent opinion of
practical jokes aud iokers paled into
insigniticanco beside it, and Lambs
worthy's good natured assurance that
emo harm was done" fell perfectly I'M
needed in the room.
Yes; Norah became Mrs. Stephen
Lambsworthy, and refused to invite
Seymour to the wedding. Whether
affairs would have ended like that ID
the ordinary course, don't know; but
that is how they did end. and Seymour,
at least, has always been convinced
that he has only himself to thank for
it.-St. Paups.