The record-union., 1899-04-16
A NEAT JOB.


ly and with great circumstance down
to Cannon street station. Mr.. Large, in
his long frieze overcoat. sat on the box
! near the driver, for Mr.. Large was one
of thesbank couriers, red faced and
whiskered and sufficiently rotound of
figure, with a seafaring manner that
not even a large silk hat could hide.
Mr.. Large told the driver that, this be-
ing the last day Of the old year, he
was making his final trip on behalf Of
the bank; on his return the bank pro-
posed to superannuate him, with a
handsome allowance, and he did not
know that he should not take a nice
little hotel down at Hythe, on which he
| had had his eye for some considerable
| time. This added Mr.. Large 70 the
driver, with his usual caution, this is
confidence, mind The driver answer
ed that it should not go any further,
and that he knew when to keep his
mouth shut and when to open it.
In our business" agreed Mr.. Large,
you have to-
| AT the station the 'padlocks were
taken off the back of the war; and three
large wooden cases, red tapped and seal
| ed with scarlet wax. We're taken cut
| Wy lilC idliWdy pOIteIS Carefully dllu
placed. in a first class compartment 1t
was all done with fine air of mystery,
because to mention the name of Mr..
Large's bank was to fill railway men,
and even customs officials, with awe
and reverence. Especially at about the
end of the year.
/ Might those cases contain bonds, in
| spector?" asked an inquisitive passen-
! ger.
Well" said the inspector shifting his
lamp from one hand to the other, they
might contain anything"
But what do they containo"
"Ahp' replied the inspector evasive-
ly. Now you're asking me something
| There We're not many passengers by
the night mail from Cannon street, but
among them there was a party of three,
two well dressed, matronly women and
a muff1ed up man; the two women,
when they had seen the muf1ed up
man into a first class compartment and
mad warned him to keep his scarf over
his chin, came back and watched the
proceedings with studied carelessness
Wish your poor husband was alive,
Catherine" said one in an undertone.
| This would have been a job after his
own heart
He was always planning something
of the kind" said Catherine, feehngly;
but he was never spared to carry it
out. Seemed as though it wasn't to
be. Poor George!" The lady shook
her mead sadly. Il don't believe, Mar
garet, there was ever anybody like
him.
Fortunately" said Margaret there
| is somebody like this man Large"
| Hush!' remarked the other reprov-
ingly
And it's some consolation to think
that your poor husband is looking down
now and seeing US three helping the
foreign gentleman to manage a scheme
| that"
Certainly" conceded Catherine. with
emotion, lit is mark of respect. And
there's no doubt it was Providence sent
me here this morning and let me listen
TO them making the arrangements. You
sent the telegram to Delafon all right %
If Edward can only leave off-yes,
dear, l sent the telegram-leave off be-
ing silly fool for a little while it ought
to pan out all right
He's the only man for the lob and
there's been rare job to get the like
! IleSS 1lSnt.
! The other lady was not optimistic
haven't been his lawful married
Wife,. she said, these two and twenty
years without finding out that Edward
has his faults. How'd it be to take our
seats before the train starts?''
AT Dover the usual commotion of mas
sengers alighting with rugs and dec
Grated with portmanteaus, descending
the wooden steps to the Calais steamer
was stayed for a few moments while
Mr.. Large, with the imperial air that
a Ficeroy tries to catch but cannot.
strobe down, keeping a severe eye on
the porters who were carrying the three
deliberately sealed cases. The crowd of
passengers had TO wait while this took
place, and the cold wind, determined to
have some fun before the old year went
out, blew their hats off and f1uttered
ladies' cloaks impudently Then the
| ordinary passengers came down, and
Mr.. Large, who had changed his silk
hat for tweed travelling cap that had
| flaps to cover his ears, and was tied
securely under the chin, nodded to the
Captain (who seemed pleased to see
him), and demanded a prophecy in re-
gard to the journey across. The Cap
tam said that it might perhaps be the
leastest bit boisterous, and Mr. Large
answered he knew what that meant. Let
the cases be placed in the strong room,
where they would be secure from in
jury by sea water, and he would take
a private cabin.
Right you are, Mr.. Large" said the
CAPTAIN. Not too early, I hope, to
wish you a happy New Year How's
the firm?"
We're sending you a basket of game
this year. remarked Mr. Large casu-
ally. Struck me your missis would
like that better than cigars"
1T all comes in useful" replied the
Captain, where you've got a family
See you again presently
The Captain went up on the bridge.
The last trunk slid down the wooden
igangway and was caught by the sailors
OF deck; a bell rang; the steamer whis-
tied a mournful, regretful note to indi-
cate its regret at leaving, if only for a
few hours, the land of it's birth; the en-
tglnes grunted and the steamer, making
a prodigious amount of white foam
vert out into the dark, clustering
night. The lights of Dover town firing
ing the shore winked; a railway engine,
anxious to show off, gave an imitation
CT a cock growing at early dawn Snow
began to fall as the end of the pier
was passed, and the steamer showed
premcnitory signs of playing at pitch
and tess.
why, declared" exclaimed the mat
ronly woman called Catherine, with
great astonishment-passeng were