The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-15
then smiled absolutely could Tot


What an exceedingly handsome tea
urn you have here, Mrs. Gostick. Do you
know / am wicked enough TO admire 1t TO
the extent of wanting to slip it into my
pocket when / leave"
Coed. My arrow had gone home. Cos
tick and his wife turned violent red.
"Oh, don't be afraid that l shall, l said
reassuringly.
Haven't you told the chaplain" said
my hostess, addressing the convict.
I'm going to directly" he answered.
and shifted the tack upon new line.
Wien tea was over and We We're alone,
the ex-convict told me the following Curl
GUS story. which. stripped OF its pictur-
esque thieves slang ran thus:
"
After being liberated from Pentonvillc
Jail he had rejoined his wife and COM
menced to look for employment. Time al
! ter time he had been successful; but when
f, it came to the knowledge Of the employers
| that he was ticket-of-leaye man. instant
| dismissal had followed Then his heart
| began to go down. He had struggled 10
| take the advice had given him. and break
| from the old life; but the door seemed
closed When in this despairing mood he
had met chum of his previous dishonest
| days, who had fomented his dependency
| by assuring him that once down was al
| ways down. and had wound up by inviting
| him to Join in burst the following
evening There had been wedding in
certain neighborhood. the man told Cos
! tick. and the Morning Post gave list
| of the most valuable presents Would ne
| join in burst" to try and get possession
Of these? The old burglarious mania re-
turned and pleaded for one more indul-
gence. Accordingly he had consented.
| .p.tf have
barked the place down till we stopped is
| mouth, chaplain; and then, just as we was
ready to march. we thought We heard them
| getting about up stairs, and We boited.
| Dartmoor as took a lot OF nerve out OF
| me. But / just collared one thing. and
| that's the tea-urn what you admired this
| tea-time. Then l was sorry I'd been
| tempted back to the old game; and felt
l couldn't give you lookup II l took TO
| the old business again. AS luck would
| have it, the next day I got the job I'm
on now-bill sticking. Then l wanted to
| send the urn back. and / couldn't help
wondering whether Florence and Rich
| ard'-these are the names on t-had
missed it much. l never used to think
these things; but it's Dartmoor and you
| wat done it,
why did not you send It back?" en-
Quired, much interested.
We'll, now, 'ere's a funny thing; WON
en- is funny, you know. My wife some
how took a fancy to the thing. and she
says, Let's keep it. and whenever you
feels tempted just have look at it, and
SO Florence and Richard'-why, they re
sort of danger signal to u.s." The tick
| et-of-leave man laughed and / Joined In
with him, seeing more humor than he.
but it must go back, nevertheless" 1
said becoming serious again. III you will
promise to restore 1t l will see that you
get danger signal in its p,ace-just like
it. in fact" and made up my mind to
ask Aunt Eleanor's permission ard my
wife's.
The convict promised. 'I'll get the ad-
dress from my pal, and send IT by post. l
| promise chaplain.
He left me to go and tell his wife what
had induced him to promise; and. being
alone "a sudden idea suggested Itself to
| my mind. There. on the little sideboard.
where 1t had been placed after being wash
ed, stood the notorious tea-urn. Would
they notice it il took It? The parlor was
seldom used / would risk It. In mo-
ment / had folded my overcoat round It
| and was. ready to leave when Gostick re-
turned.
Here is my address. No. thank you:
II is not cold. I'll not put my coat on.
| Now mind, / shall expect to see you in
few days. and to hear that Florence and
| Richard have received their aunt's kind
| gift back again. Good evening. Gostick-"
| My wife and ] spent really uproarious
I evening discussing our novel situation, and
/ speculation on what would happen when
Gostick and his wife discovered their loss.
1t would really be rather rich. we thought.
| for the thief to have stolen from him that
which he had stolen and by the very per-
SON to whom it belonged. The next day
nothing happened, and the solid silver tea
urn reigned again on our dining room side
board Two days later l was sitting read
ing the newspaper in the same room-1
desired our interview to take place in the
presence Of the urn-when Gostick was
| announced / shall never forget the look
on his face as he entered; it was second
only to the look which came to his face
| ten minutes later. When salutations were
| over he dashed into his subject
Chaplain! What do we Think"
THAT you seem to be greatly upset about
something"
Upset! / should think 1 am. It's no
good a fellow trying to be honest. You
know as you told me to send the tea-urn
| back Well. blest il We wasn't broke into
ourselves that very night. or next, and
| they've took it. Now. what
Inform the police" l suggested
| The ex-convict's look was beyond char
acterization in comicality at my suggestion.
AN tell 'em as I've 'ad stolen prop
erty stolen from me?" he commented.
Before precipitating the climax. thought
| there was a chance for me to drive home
| nv oft-repeated lesson, but from a new
age-ground.
Now, Gostick," I said. your present
| feelings ought to help you to understand
what the feelings of other people are WHO
| have"
-Chaplain!"
| What" l said. breaking of.
There is the blessed tea-urn hisselt:"
| Gazing round the room in his perplexity,
| his eye had wandered to the sideboard.
Your loss has made you suspicious. Cos
| tick I answered; that tea-urn is mine
was given to my wife and myself as a
| wedding present"
| l was too late: he had sprung toward It
and was reading the inscription aloud: To
Dear Florence and Richard"
| have seen many men and boys put to
confusion covered with shame and bewil-
dered with damning evidence; but never
have seen face SO transformed into one
personified blush as ! saw then.
so 1t was your crib I crscked!' he
painted.
We each had five minutes for reflection,
and In the ex-convict's case, for recover
ing and cooling.
Then Gostick said. with queer smile
hanging around his lips; Il said maybe I'd
give you look up when you came to town
didn't /. Chaplain? Well, Tin"
But you forgot told you / objected to
midnight callers"
M. and Mrs. Gostick. OF Chelsea. still
draw tea from the solid silver tea urn
which headed our list of wedding presents:
and for many months now Dear Florence
and Richard have successfully sustained
| for the ex-conv!ct the praiseworthy role Of