The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1905-11-17

swiped Il document that might cost
England 100000 lives and $100,000,000
in cash. 1t was gently intimated that
he was known to be absentminded, and
it was limited that he might have taken
the document along to read at lunch
and left it lying beside his plate. A
messenger was rushed off, but he re-
turned with the statement that the
waiter had not seen such paper. He
added that the waiter was low brow.
ed, suspicious looking chap and that he
was probably liar
For two long days a number of first
and second and third lords held thelI
no less than fifty times. The top of
bare table was scanned until the eyes
of the scanners acbad The waste pa
per basket the floor, the coal rack, the
corners and all other places were
searched, but in vain. Two detectives
We're detailed to watch every move
ment of the waiter. The cabman who
had driven the first lord to lunch and
back was put under surveillance. The
clerical staff was made to feel that II
might find itself in Newgate Within
the next twenty-four hours, and had
New Zealand captured Australia the
excitement in that particular depart.
ment could not have been more intense.
When the first lord and the second
lord and the third lord went into Sc.
cret council for the tenth time, turning
even the broom and the door mat out
into the hall and stopping up the key.
hole Of the door, the two latter lords
had some figures to submit. A reward
must be offered for the return of the
document, and it must be large enough
to appeal to the cupidity of the robber
They figured that 100000 would do II
and that the first lord would have to
pay it out of his own pocket. If he
hadn't been so fat and stupid he would
have tainted away. As it was, he was
properly crushed for the next PROPOSE.
ton. The idea was to have him disap-
pear for couple of months. When the
thief found that no reward was to be
offered he might return the document.
There was Il belief that he was 4 per.
sonal enemy of the first lord and had
meant to spite him alone. If the first
lord would get out of the country for
few weeks or months the second and
third lords would carry on the case
with every hope to save England and
the honor of the honorable.
The first lord jumped ut the oppor.
tunity held out. He didn't want to see
England plunged into calamity and
neither did lie want to pay reward of
100000. He let the Office Immediately
and FASTENED home to pack up and
start for SwitZerl and, and a long breath
Of relief extended from the second lord
down TO the smallest messenger boy.
Some one was paid large fee for
work done, and the incident was clos
ed-that j., the first lord wrote back
weekly to ask if the document had been
found, ami the second lord answered
as regularly that it had not, but he
was still hot on the trail. After six or
eight weeks had passed the first lord
was one day handed the missing dOcu-
meat by Il disguised man who fled on
the instant, but the lord retired to his
bedroom and opened the envelope.
There was document. 1t was writ
ten recipe for making French cottage
cheese Tie first lord shut one eye
and sat and thought for an hour, Then
the light dawncd, and he laid the docu-
ment aside and whispered:
a man may be first lord and
first ass at the same time, and I'm
living example of the fact"