Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-06-05

would be rather lark-the sort of
joke you could tell your friends of
years after-how the rich company
honger supported the drama, after all,
without knowing it.
1t would be the easiest thing in the
world to get in. too-as easy as going
down stairs. Nobody would know, OF
course. and it would really seem a
capital joke afterward. And, while
this would be joke, going without a
Christmas dinner would be serious
matter. Were they oysters In that
tub? The spilled oatmeal would seem
to indicate as much, though you
couldn't tell with certainty at this dis
lance. And then
Mr.. Barring Spencer sat late, with a
box of cigars and decanter. He was
ford, heavy jowled man of forty
five or thereabout, and 1t was probable
that in his time he had emptied more
decanters than this one. A few draft
prospectuses and such papers lay about
the table, but they were done with
hours ago. He had discovered very
excellent port In the cellar, and now.
the decanter being empty, Mr. Barring
Spencer, after look at his watch, de-
cided that on the whole he would see
about another bottle. The rest Of the
household were In bed, SO he took q
candle and went down stairs himself.
He was on the cellar stairs when he
heard slight noise in the direction of
the larder Perhaps cat had got in
to 1t.
Joe Hendy had burned his last
match and, with pudding dangling
by its cloth from one hand, was feel
ing along the shelf with the other In
pursuit of the cut ham when the door
flew open behind him. and his heart
flew up into his mouth. There were
light and crash and two hands on
his collar behind, and at that, with a
yell of despair, Hendy twisted about
and fought wildly with both hands.
The candle went over and out, the
pudding mold smashed against shelf
and the cloth. still gripped in his
fingers, shed cool. moist pudding about
the heads Of thief and financier alike.
But Hendy was the weaker, and the
shock had despoiled him of wind
Presently he was dragged through the
door and found himself imploring par
don and release in AFFECT terms. He
was starving. and the window was
open to tempt him; he had sick wife,
no food for her, disgrace would kill her,
and so forth.
"Come." said his captor. hard OF
breath himself; "you just come along
and we'll see about that" And he
pushed the captive, now all terror and
submission, up stairs before him IN the
dark, tripping and stumbling. For II
struck Mr. Barring Spencer for reasons
that possibly, if no particular harm
were DONE 1t would be better to terrify
the intruder and send him about bis
| business rather than engage in trouble
some business at police court. So al
the top of a short fight Hendy found
himself pushed first across dimly
lighted passage and then through Q
study door.
From a landing high above came q
trembling female voice: "Mr. Spencer,
sir! Are you there, sir? III thought
heard noise!'
Whereto Mr. Spencer, in the passage
without, replied with SO terrifying q
mouthful Of language that the voice
was heard no more.
Poor Hendy, pale and trembling
smeared across the face with pudding
and staring ut the decanter on the
table without seeing it, started mt that
amazing string Of rhetoric. Surely
surely the idiom was somehow ia
miliar.
Mr.. Barring Spencer came in at the
door, and for the first time their eyes
met in full light. Both were to some
extent disguised in pudding, but Hendy
knew his man at once. why" he
gasped. "Fitz-Fitz-Howa
"Eh?' grunted the other sharply
''What's that?" for his own recollection
was slower. But the name
Hendy took a long breath, wiped the
back Of his hand across his face and
sat down unlimited. "My names Hen,
dy," he said; Joseph Hendy, Juveniles,
Trevor Fitz- Howard's company, Leeds
Trevor Fitz-Howard's company, Bris.
toll. You've got your pudding back;
give me my boots"
what? What d'you meanT'
Cali right, all right Hendy went
on, now clear in mind and dangerous.
"P'raps you might bluff 1t off with one
stone broke busker, but there's Miss
Beaumont here, too; same company.
You owe her week or two salary,