Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1898-10-12
THE PUBLIC HOUSE.
a fine public house." said Blanco
~ n the rumOr at

Ilngwe were approaching, "put strange
position-aHay from the highroad, and
surrounded by villas"
GA very strange position. We will
rest in the public house, and will tel
| you how IT came to be built in such 6
very strange position"
| / smiled and followed him into the
saloon bar. We sat at one Of the tables
and were silent for time, he thinking
and I watching him.
"The story begins" he said present
lly, "wiiE burglary committed by
cerisln Bill Jones one nigh! 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 a well known ac-
tress, in the hope of carrying of her
Jewels.
"He succeeded in getting the jewels
and was leaving with them when he
found that the slight nolseh had made
had attracted attention. A servant girl
met Linn at turn Of the stairway and
began to shrek. He rushed by her and
| to the window through which he had
entered. Az he passed through it again
he heard doors being opened and knew
that the house was fully aroused. A"
II understand" said. "Bill es-
| capped. The actress employed detec-
tive. The detective built this public
house in an out Of the way place, hop
ing that Bill, as an out Of the way young
man, would call in one day for drink.
Curiously enough, Bill did,
Blanco Watson frouned.
"This ia an intellectual story" he
| said. at does not depend on coinci-
dences.
IL will continue. Bill avoided the
first pursuit by long run across coun-
try, and then walked toward his home,
not daring to use the railway. He kept
to the byroads as much aspossible, and
at the close OF the next day had reached
the neighborhood of London.
"a spade lying inside field gate
suggested to him the adyisability OF
hiding the jewels until he had arranged
tor their sale. After making ture that
he was not observed he entered the
field and picked up the spade A tree
OF peculiar 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 then 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
evidence against him was very strong.
The servant girl swore that he was the
man she met on the stairs. Some OF
the villagers swore that they had seen
him near the house previous to the
burglary. He was found guilty and
sentenced to seven years penal servi-
tude.
"Bill behaved very we'll 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 a 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 builtIupon. He wandered about
the bouaes in despair. But as he turn
ed c, ner he saw something which
sugge. ed hope. Behind some ratings
was tree Of curious growth.
cit 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 is 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.
at happened presently that the head
deacon Of the chapel, kindly old man,
came down the road. He saw Bill
standing Ike one in trouble and stop
nod and asked what was the matter and
whether he could help him.
>"For a few moments Bill did not
know what to reply, bat tnen he spoke
well. He said that once he had been q
burglar, but that he had learned in
prison that burglary is wrong; that now