The Press., 1899-03-23
THE PUBLIC HOUSE.

Watson, the humorist.
yes" replied, looking at the
building We We're approaching, shut q
strange position-away from the high
road, and surrounded by villas.
"a very strange position. We will
rest in the public house, and will tell
you how it came to be built in suco q
very strange position.
/ smiled and followed him into the
saloon bar. We sat at one of the table,
and were silent for time, he thinking
and watching him.
1.-The story begins he said present.
~, with "a burglary committed by a
certain Bilf 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 a 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 shriek. 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, said. "Bill escap-
ed. The actress employed detective.
The detective built this public house in
an out of fhe way place. hoping that
Bill, AS an ont Of the way young man,
would call in one day for a drink. Curl
ously enough, Bill did,
Blanco Watson frowned.
"This is. an intellectual story" he
said. SIT does not depend on coinci-
| dences.
II 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 as possible, and
at the close Of the next day had reached
the neighborhood of London.
| "a spade lying inside a field gate
suggested to him the advisability 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 Cf fiction. he counted 90
steps due north from the tree and then
dug deep hole, placed the jewels in il
and filled 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 swcre that they had seen him
near the house previous to the bur.
glary. He was found guilty and sen.
fenced to seven years penal servitude.
"Bill behaved very we'll in prison
and at the end of five years was released
on a ticket of leave. He decided to wal,
until the ticket had expired and theI
to get the jewels and leave the country.
But day or two after his release b,
walked out to look at the field.
"There was no field. During the fiv,
years he had been i'll prison the estate
of which the field was part had beer
built upon. He wandered about TIT
houses in despair. But as he turned /,
corner he saw something which suggest
ed hope. Behind some ratings was 1
tree of curious growth.
cit was the tree 20 steps due north O.
which he had buried the jewels. HI
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 We're under thu
chapel. He leaned against the ratings
covering his face with his hands.
cit happened presently that the heat
deacon of the chapel, a kindly old man
came down the road He saw Bill stand
ing like one in trouble and stopped ant
asked what was the matter and whethe
I he could help.
"For q few moments Bill did no
know what to reply, but then he spok
we'll. He said that once he had been
: burglar, but that he had learned il
prison that burglary is wrong; that nov
he was trying to live an honest life, bu