Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-07-25

lost the bag was the curt reply.
"Where is it?"
The maids voice was somewhat tear
full as she answered.
"In milady's room. I paid the SOW
cregn"
Her ladyshp rose and glided grace.
fully toward the door, followed by tn"
maid, who whispered to French
waiter-bowing most deferentially to
I the guest M he held the door open-that
her mistress was a cat. lie confided
his own opinion that her ladyship was n
holy pig, and the two passed along a
corridor.
Lady Morland hastily tore open the
recovered dressing case and consulted
an address book.
"Oh. here it is" she cried triumphant.
/ ly. NO. s Johnson's News, Mile End
road, T.. What horrid smelling place.
However Mcssrs Sharpe Il Smith will
now be able to obtain some definite in
telligence for me. Julie! My carriage
in ten minutes
Thus II happened that during the aft
crnoon dapper little clerk descended
from an omnibus in the ncighborhood
of Johnson's News and began his in
quiries. as all Londoners do, by con-
sulting policeman. Certain facts
were forthcoming.
"a Mrs Arson. a widow. who lived
in Johnson's News? Yes, I think n
woman of that name died few weeks
ago. | remember seeing Il funeral leave
the news. don't know anything
about the. boy Sometimes when pass
through there at night ] have seen Il
light in the house. However, here it is.
Let's have n look al it,
The pair entered the news and ap-
preached the deserted house. The So
]icitor's clerk knocked and then tried
the door. II was locked. They botD
went to the window and looked in,
Had Philip hanged himself, as he in.
tended, they would have been some
what surprised by the spectacle that
would have met their eyes. AS it was,
they only saw small room OF utmost
Indebtedness. with mattress lying on
the floor in front of the fireplace. An
empty tin and n bundle Of old letters
I
of sacbing was thrust through two
broken panes in the small window OPP
posite.
Not much there, eh:" laughed the
policeman.
Not much, indeed. The floor is all
covered with dirt, and if it We're not
for the he'd one would imagine that
you sure Mrs. Arson is dcad?"
ooh, quite sure. Hers was rather Il
hard case, some one told me. I remem-
Der now 1t was the undertaken. He
lives near here"
"And the boy. Has he gone away"
Il don't know ! haven't seen him
lately"
Each Of these men had read all the
reports concerning Philip and his dia
monds. Large numbers of tiny, white
pebbles were lying on the floor beneath
their eyes, but the window was no!
clean. and the light was far from good
as the sky was clouded. Yet they were
visible enough. The clerk noticed them
at once. but neither he nor the police
almost at their feet than was given by
generations Of men to the outcrop OF
the main reef at johannesburg. At last
they turned away. The clerk gave the
policeman cigar with the remark:
Il will just ask the undertaken to
give me letter stating the facts abou
Mrs. Ansons death. ! suppose the boy
is in the workhouse?'
"Who knows? 1t often beats me tC
tell what becomes Of the kids who are
left alone in London Poor little dew
lis, they mostly go to the bad. There
should be some means Of looking after
them, | think
Thus did Philip, hravely sustaining
his heart In the solitude Of n prison
escape the greatest danger that threat
ened the preservation Of his secret, anc
all because a schcming woman was to.
clever TO tell her solicitors the eXac
reason for her anxiety concerning tn
whereabouts of Mrs Arson and he
son.
The boy passed q doorous catvrds
night and Sunday. Nevertheless tn
order. the cleanliness, the comparativ
comfort of a prison were not who'll
ungrateful to him. His meals, thong
crude, were wholesome, luxuriOu
even, compared with the privations h
had endured during the previous fort
night The enforced rest too, did hir
good. and, being under remand, h
had nothing to do but eat, take excl
else, read few books provided 70
him and sleep.
With Monday came remarkabl
l cocoa and some excellent bread AN
butter for breakfast evoked no CON
I ment on his part but a dinner Of roa 8
10 beef, potatoes, cabbage and rice pud
I ding was so extremely unlike prise
g diet that he questioned the turnkey.
e answer. ITS paid for Eat Will
l. you can and ask no questions"
Il But
Il The door slammed, and at the mex
= meal Philip received in silence Gu
= of tea and n nice tea cake. This wer
t on during three days. The good foo
@ and rest had already worked a ma
S velous change in his appearance. ii
+ entered the prison looking like star'
g ed dog When he rose on the Thur!
q day morning and washed himself II
S one would have recognized him as tn
|. same boy were it not for his clothes.
q After dinner he was tidying his ce