Connecticut western news., 1909-01-21
A Boomerang.

tCopyright, 1908, by American Press Asso-
 ciation.l
 "My dear," said Tom Weston to his wife, "I have a note this morning from Jim Atterbury asking an invitation for his especial friend, the Hon. Donald Chesterton, a younger son or some thing of a British lord. Please send him a bid'
 Donald Chesterton! I never heard Mir. Atterbury speak of having friends among the British aristocracy."
 The function referred to was large dinner and cotillon to be given by Mrs. Weston. Atterbury was MT. Wes- tons bosom friend and was privileged to ask of the Westons for what he chose. The invitation was sent, and when the evening came round Alter bury brought his friend to the dinner. Chesterton had mild blue eyes, soft fiaxen hair parted in the middle and cameo cut smooth shaved face. He wore the usual British monoclc.
 My friend CheSterton," said Atter- bury, introducing him and at the same time skipping him on the back famn- iarly, doesn't consider himself h. dies man. He loves to roam, now hunting in Chicago-beg pardon, l mean Africa-and now doing battle with the clubbers of Philadelphia-I mean the pirates of the Malay archi- pelago,"
 ''What's the matter with your tongue, Jim|' asked Weston. Did you drop ill at the club for refresh ment On your way oyer:"
 Nothing the matter, l assure you. l only wish to say that, Chestertcn being more at home in the open than shut up, even in a fine house, Mrs. Weston had better take him under her wing at dinner. He doesn't fly for young ladies"
 There was considerable disappoint- spent among the women guests that the Hon. Mir. Chesterton should have been retained by the hostess. But that lady gave out that, like many men of the British nobility, the young man was a sportsman and a mans man rather than a woman's man. He said little and seemed to be keeping his eye on his introducer as though he didn't feel at ease on American ground and among American customs.
 "Wake up, Chcsterton," said Alter bury from across the table. "We Americans, of course, are Americans, but we're not so dreadfully different from your London smart set"
 Chesterton forced a smile, but looked as if he would prefer shooting lions to being oggled by women. When the dinner was over and the guests were forming for the cotillon Alter bury took pity on his protege.
 "Chesterton," he said to Mrs. Wes- ton, mates the cotillon. You see, when at home he's obliged to do things he doesn't like. He's danced so much at balls in London that he doesn't want any of 1t in America. I'm going to take him up into the den and let him smoke"
 The two men went upstairs. Later Atterbury went down and asked if Chesterton was dancing. Chesterton, he was told, had not come down. At
  for q moment some time before and had not returned. The missing man was not to be found. Atterbury seem ed worried. He finally told Mrs. Wes- ton that Chesterton, bored as he was by social functions, had probably talk en French leave. When the guests were gone Atterbury took Weston aside and said:
 Do you remember our talk some months ago about the effect of dress on peoples appearanceT
 "Yes"
 And 1 bet you a hundred dollars that before the winter was over I'd palm off on you jail bird?"
 "Yes."
 Well, I've done it."
 "How? Vhen?"
 '"This fellow Chesterton is no British swell at all. His mug is in the rogues gallery. I brought him here expecting to keep an eye on him. Somehow ol another he managed to give me the slip and"-
 >'Tom," called Mrs. Weston, ':comt up here at once. We've been robbed. ,
 The two men looked at each other Atterbury turned pale. Weston's face changed from interest in the story tC interest in what Mrs. Weston wa: saying, then he ran upstairs.
 When he came down he found hi. friend walking the floor. You've woI your bet, old man, but at considerable cost. All the jewelry that was in ; box on my wife's bureau drawer ha disappeared. It couldn't be replaced for S5.C0O.''
 There was a constrained pause.
 "Well," said Atterbury as soon as h. could recover from the shock, "wc'l telephone the police. I'll mail you ; check tonight for 5000. If the stuff i found you can return the amount"
 The police were teitphoned and sool got on the track of the Hon. Mir Ches scrton, alias Foxy Pete, alias Feb Nip per and q number of other aliases He was eventually caught and tn fewelry restored. MT. and Mrs. Yves ton went to see him in prison garI