The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-11-05

kenna hoo TIL get owro a..
| looked at the old man I'm s,ienco .,,-,-
ousis speculating as 10 whether he r,ien,
- pe on the eve OF a comfortable barl,-
| suptoy' and anxious 20 accoilnt for sor'a
/ 1aenoiehcy In the assets. 1 was unjust in
| tha 5%spiVioh' as after events proved :nut
.he Mnoie story was so absurd or "a tbor
so dinerent from the ordinary rnr -,
| cases that my uistrust was al least not-
uFal. MY only wonder was that no bat
! put down his loss at less than bundres
pounds when he might as easily hava
| said thousands.
And then he said that he wouia ,nsLa
the money do?" | inquirlngly remarl1ad
Ma, he said ne wanted a hnna.ra a
| haie hunder, neither mair nor less-s nd
seemed sulky at finding that hndna as
muckle' Dut after wce-feared 1 s'nose.
mat somebody cam that way-ho pouch.
90 me siller, put up the pistol. and bade
me guid ncht."
lhaeedF l ui.-y remarked. getting
more suspicious as he proceeded 'One
| would think, Mr.. Stirling. that hundrols
were much more easily earned with vo,,
nan win most people when you allow
them TO be taken from you so easily
an but I'm no dune Yet" warmly
continued the publican. "rhe rnoenit
saw the awfu' pistol put ava. I thoucht
10 myseI that we were on even terms
ana that micht AS well hae a fecht for
my money The moment ne turned his
pack, gied DOT great shout and sprane
on a. IN 10 try ans. throttle him the wav
the garrotters dae. Eat he sune showed
me that he was bath stronger and
younger than ne; for after a short strug-
gle, IN which gripped him by the sleeve
MS coat or ony place I could got n
srup o. he cad me owre in the snaw,
leaFlnS me lying there WI naething but
,, nrass button Off his coat in my hand.
instead O the siller he had taen."
\ brass button2" ] exclaimed. more
amazed than ever Brass buttons are NOT
worn now-a days on coats, unless by
coachmen or acqueys."
And it was iunky's coat he had on"
continued the publican. II min fine o.
noticing the bright buttons: and he had
also bright red cravat room his neck .
Have you the button with your"
curiously inquired. beginning 10 be more
deeply Interested
No me- / drapped IL anon the snaw.
ana got up and ran as fast as / could
for a bobbie"
"Ah, that's pity" remarked
Hoo pity? What guild wad the hut
ton haze duneY' he testify answered III
wadna have put my money back in my
| pouch wad II?
Il am not sure OF that" | calmly re-
| turned. Less than button has done as
| much before now; and you yourself adj
init that there is nothing else by which
you could identify your assailant. Could
you take us TO the spot where you we're
attacked? mean as near as possible TO
the exact spot where YOU were when you
threw the BUTTON away?"
Fine that, for | wasna on the walk at
a, but cutting across In straight line
for the east en- o. Monteith Row"
was little doubtful Of mis- ability to
point out any particular spot on a
trHCklpgS hi1t caf1
ing We lifted down our hats, and got
! out into the white streets, beginning to
| be deserted by all but the police and the
! houseless, and turned on to the Green
! just as eleven O'Clock was striking. A
! light shower OF snow was blowing across
| from the east, and my hope of finding the
! spot was rapidly evaporating, when Stir
ling suddenly stopped near the centre OF
| the Green. with the words
III was here-t6e place maun be aboot
here"
i brought out a dark lantern which
had secured In the office before starting
and began flashing IL along the white
ground, stoopiag low with my compan-
ions To discover, II possible traces OF
footsteps or "A struggle. After about five
minutes spent In the search, we did come
upon q spot where some footprints ap-
peared TO become jumbled and crossed,
and near TO these was still discernible
the broad imprint OF stou; mans form
legs. arms trunk and head-as neatly
moulded as If he had been let down on
the snow with every care and tenderness.
That's where the deevil knockit the
feet frae me-" tho publican terseiy re-
! marked. with the first glad start OF rec
ognition. "He iist cleckit his tae i'm
ahint my legs and cad me owre, and as
I had his sleeve I'm my fingers, ] took =
button frae it WI me-"
Continued Tomorrow