The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1907-08-23

} road, e. What a hofrid smelling place
However, Messrs. Sharpe & 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
ernoon dapper little clerk descended
from an omnibus in the neighborhood
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 a
woman of that name died few weeks
| ago. / remember seeing funeral leave
the news. don't know anything
about the boy. Sometimes when pass
through there at night / have seen a
light in the house. However, here it is.
Let's have look at It."
The pair entered the news and ap-
preached the deserted house. The So
licitor's clerk knocked and then tried
| the door. 1t was locked. They both
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 a small room of utmost
wretchedness, with mattress lying on
the floor in front Of the fireplace. An
empty tin and bundle of old letters
| rested on a rickety chair, and q piece
Of sacking was thrust through two
broken panes In the small window op-
posite.
mot much there, ehT' laughed the
policeman.
mot much, indeed. The floor is all
covered with dirt, and If it We're not
for the bed one would imagine that
the house was entirely deserted. Are
you sure Mrs. Arson is dead?"
"Oh, quite sure. Hers was rather Il
hard case, some one told me. / remem-
Der now. 1t was the undertaken. He
lives near here"
"And the boy. Has he gone away?"
II don't know. l 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 not
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
man paid more heed to the treasures
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 a cigar with the remark:
II will just ask the undertaken to
give me letter, stating the facts about
Mrs. Anson's death. I suppose the boy
is in the workhouseT
"Who knows? 1t often beats me TO
tell what becomes Of the kids who are
left alone in London. Poor little. dew
Ills, they mostly go to the bad. There
should be some means Of looking after
them, 1 think"
Thus did Philip, bravely sustaining
bis heart in the solitude of prison,
escape the greatest danger that threat
ened the preservation of his secret. and
ell because a scheming woman was too
clever to tell her solicitors the exact
reason for her anxiety concerning the
whereabouts of Mrs. Arson and her
son.
The boy passed a dolorous Saturday
night and Sunday. Nevertheless the
order, the cleanliness, the comparative
comfort of prison were not wholly
ungrateful to him. His meals, though
crude, were wholesome, luxurious
even, compared with the privations he
had endured during the previous fort.
night. The enforced rest, too, did him
good, and, being under remand, he
had nothing to do but eat, take exer.
else read a few books provided for
him and sleep.
With Monday came remarkable
cocoa and some excellent bread and
butter for breakfast evoked no com.
ment on his part, but dinner Of roast
beef, potatoes, cabbage and rice pud.
ding was so extremely unlike prison
diet that he questioned the turnkey.
ITS all right, kid" came the briet
answer. Its paid for. Eat while
you can and ask no questions
But
The door slammed, and at the next
meal Philip received in silence q cup
Of tea and nice tea cake. This went
on during three days. The good food
and rest had already worked a mar
velous change in his appearance. He
entered the prison looking like starv-
ed dog. When he rose on the Thurs
day morning and washed himself, no
one would have recognized him as the
same boy were it not for his clothes.
After dinner he was tidying his cell
and replacing the plates and the rest
on tin tray when the door was sud-
denly flung open, and warder cried:
Come along, Morland. You're want
ed at the court"
"At the courtv' he could not help
saying. This Is only Thursday"
what boy you are for arguing!
Pick up your hat and come. Your car
riage waits, my lord. hope you will
like your quarters as well when You
come back. A pretty stir you have
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