The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1898-07-12
THE PUBLIC HOUSE.

THE PUBLIC HOUSE.
ga fine public house." said Blancc
Watson, the humorist.
Eyes" l replied, looking at the
building we were approaching, "but q
strange position-away from the high.
road, and surrounded by villas.
A very strange position We will
rest in the public house, and 1 will tell
you how it came to be built in such a
very strange position.
l smiled and followed him into the
saloon bar. We sat at one of the tables
and were silent for time, he thinking
and l watching him.
1.-THE story begins, he said present
| ly, with a burglary committed by a
certain Bill Jones one night long ago.
''Bill was young member of his
profession. Hitherto he had not at
tempted anything very big, but contin-
ued success in small things had made
him bold. On this night he broke into
the country house of we'll known &C
tress, in the hope Of carrying off her
jewels.
He succeeded in getting the jewels
and was leaving with them when he
found that the slight noise he had made
had attracted attention. A servant girl
met him at turn of the stairway and
began to shrek. He rushed by her and
to the window through which he had
entered. As he passed through it again
he heard doors being opened and knew
that the house was fully aroused"
81 understand, l said "Bill escap-
ed The actress employed detective.
The detective built this public house in
an out of the way place, hoping that
Bill, as an out of the way young man,
would call in one day for drink. Curl
ously enough, Bill did. %
Blanco Watson frowned.
This is an intellectual story" he
said. sit does not depend on coinci-
dences
81 will continue Bill avoided the
first pursuit by a long run across coun-
try, and then walked toward his home,
not daring to use the railway. He kept
to the byroads as much as possible, and
at the close of the next day had reached
the neighborhood of London.
ga spade lying inside a field gate
suggested to him the ACCESSIBILITY of
hiding the jewels until he had arranged
for their sale. After making sure that
he was not observed he entered the field
and picked up the spade. A tree of Pc
culiar growth stood just beyond him.
In the manner of fiction, he counted 20
steps due north from the tree and then
dug deep hole, placed the jewels in it
and filed it up again.
"He arrived home safely that night
but was arrested in the morning. The
servant girl had given an accurate de-
scription of him to the police, and they
had recognized it.
''In due course he was tried. The evil
dence against him was very strong. The
servant girl swore that he was the man
she met ON the stairs. Some of the vii
layers swore that they had seen him
near the house previous to the bur-
glary. He was found guilty and sem
fenced to seven years penal servitude.
"Bill behaved very well in prison
and at the end of five years was released
on ticket of leave. He decided to wait
until the ticket had expired and then
to get the jewels and leave the country.
But day or two after his release he
walked out to look at the field.
There was no field. During the five
years he had been in prison the estate
of which the field was part had been
built upon. He wandered about the
houses in despair. But as he turned
corner he saw something which suggest
ed hope. Behind some ratings was a
tree of curious growth.
SIT was the tree 20 steps due north of
which he had buried the jewels. He
recognized it Immediately and ran to-
ward it. Again he was in despair. A
yard or two north of the tree was
chapel, and the jewels were under the
chapel. He leaned against the ratings,
covering his face with his hands.
''It happened presently that the head
deacon of the chapel, a kindly old man,
came down the road. He saw Bill stand
ing like one in trouble and stopped and
asked what was the matter and whether
he could help.
For a few moments Bill did not
know what to reply, but then he spoke
well. He sale that once he had been a
burglar, but that he had learned in
prison that burglary is wrong; that now
he was trying to live an honest life, but
that as he had no friends it was not
easy.
1.-THE old man was touched. He had
found Bill leaning against the chapel
ratings, and Bill had said that he had
no friends. Was it not his duty as head
deacon of the chapel to be a friend to
Bill? Clearly it was.
He took Bill home with him. He
was bachelor, and there was no one to
restrain his benevolence. They had sup
per and talked together. The deacon
found Bill intelligent and fairly well
educated and offered him employment.
He was builder in the neighborhood,
he explained, and had vacancy in the
works Bill gratefully accepted the offer
and began his new career on the follow
ing Monday.
months passed. Bill had changed
wonderfully. He had forgotten his old
habits and learned new ones. The deacon
was delighted. Not only was Bill the
best of his workmen, but he was the
most regular attendant at the chapel
"Bill longed for the jewels, and he
worked hard because he knew that
money would help him to get them. He
the chapel because while there
he was near the jewels, the seat he had
taken being just 20 steps due north from
the tree. At first he had meditated dig
cling down through the floor one night.
but the chances of detection were great
and he had given up the idea.
Years passed The deacon had be-
come an invalid, and Bill practically
his business. He was an i'm
portant man at the chapel, too, and was
often intrusted with a collection box.
One day the deacon died. Soon after
ward it was known that having no near
relatives he had left his property to his
friend William Jones. -
81 see, =" l exclaimed. "Bill'-
Blanco Watson shook his head.
''Bill was Bill no longer" he said.
"He had become man of wealth. AT
the next election of deacons he was one
of the successful candidates. In future
we must refer to him as Mr.. Jones and
not as Bill.
"Mr Jones was a most energetic
deacon. He introduced new members,
and he persuaded old ones to attend
more regularly. He started young
mems literary society and series of
Saturday entertainments. He made the
chanel the most popular in the district,