Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1907-02-14

AS a further PROOF or his effrontery
and absolute recklessness, he called
Thomas Dexter as witness Of char
acter.
Loath as he was, Thomas Dexter
was compelled to appear in the witness
box and tell all he knew of FoXey, his
evidence being enlivened by the pris-
Oner's running commentaries, to some
such effect as the following: ooh, what
a whopper!' "Where do you expect
to go for running down a innocent
chap like that?" do yer know the
meaning of oath" ooh, you out
and-out old sinner"
The trial was one of those which are
occasionally made the medium Of an
interchange of much small wit be-
tween bar and bench, and Foxey's re-
marks were provocative of convulsive
laughter, in which the hardened young
criminal Joined. :.
The upshot was that Foxey was SEN
fenced to three years Imprisonment
with hard labor, and two years police
supervision at the end of that time.
1t disturbed Thomas Dexter some
what to see Polly Cleaver in the body
of the court during the trial, and when
It was over he found himself once more
face to face with her.
"a good days work, Tommy she
said, glaring at him.
Her face was flushed, and there were
| tears in her eyes. .t-.
eyer miserable old skinflint yer'll
live to repent it!' >,
He hurried from her, but her words
rang in his ears for many day after
! ward.
He was both angry and pleased
angry that he had been innocenty in
strumental in the boys conviction, and
pleased that he was rid OF the pest,
and that Little Make-Believe now stood
in no fear of contamination from the
society OF the young thief.
The gentlemen who were destined to
play All important part in the lives OF
Little Make-Believc and Saranne were
Mr.. Deepdale and his son Walter.
The father was gentleman of indie
pendent means, and one of THOMAS
| Dexter's best customers; Walter was
a handsome lad of sixteen.
They lived alone-the father being
widower and having no other children
and Were inseparab!e.
! Mr.. Deepdale had one love and one
hobby-his love was Walter, his hobby
was the antique.
An easy, credulous man, whose lines
of life had been cast in pleasant places.
one great grief had afflicted him
the loss of his wife.
One great compensation for sorrow
which otherwise would have been un-
bearable was given him.
His boy was all in all to him, verita-
bly, the apple of his eye and the heart
of his heart, his solace, his comfort,
his joy.
And when to this was added the
means and opportunity of indulGing in
a passion for old china, old carvings,
old enamels, old anything, it will be
easy of belief that his life was one to
be envied by the toilers and moiiers
of the world.
The truth must be told. He had about
as much knowledge of art as the man
in the moon, but whether an article
belongs to the fourteenth or the nine
teenth century is really of small con-
sequence to the possessor if he derive
pleasure in the possession and II his
faith be not disturbed.
Thus, Mr.. Deepdale was an easy prey
| to the dealers, who fooled him to the
top of his bent, to their profit and his
qualification.
Having received a letter from
Thomas Dexter informing him that
he had a service of Old Derby for sale,
he and Walter fastened one night to
| Clare Market to secure it,
The month was August, and oysters
were in; also grottoes.
| On their way they were attracted to
three children, who had formed them
selves into company and had
launched into speculation.
Their stock in trade, the value OF
which was nil, was represented by oys-
ter shells, but they had an available
asset (Which, however, was consuming
itself and eating itself up, as it were),
in the shape Of penny candle.
The firm consisted of Little Make
Believe, Saranne and another child,
whose visions of wealth-conjured
chiefly by ake-Believe-were of an
enhancing nature, the crowning glory.
pfwhich was to be. an eel-pie supper.
The grotto they had built was more
artistic and ambitious than most; the
candle was alight and the children
were ready for business.
But whether 1t was owing to the
strikes III the north, or the scarcity Of
meat, or the high prices of Goals, or
Over-population, or the disturbed state
of Ireland, or the rise of half-penny
in the four-pound loaf, certain it was
that trade did not flourish with Little
Make-Belicve's firm, one of the men,
bers, at least, of which worked hard
for nearly a couple Of hours without
obtaining a copper. .>'.
"Please remember the grotterw was
first launched merrily and saucily at
the passers-by; at the end Of the first
half-hour there was no light-hearted-
ness in the appeal; at the end of the
second it became pathetic; at the end
of the third, mournful; at the end Of
the fourth, despairing.
Saranne was the first to give. way;
cold looks chilled her, and she left the
battle to her two partners, Of whom
Little NIake-Believe was the active
! worker.
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