El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-10-10
The HeraId's Daily
ShortStOry
The Bishops IndiscretiOn

it will only make things worse for
But you do not know who I am,
my good man? I am the bishop of
Wandoranga, and I am preaching at
the parish church this evening"
Bishop of Hanky-Pauky, more like
| ly,' laughed the constable; and if
you are so anxious to preach, why,
! perhaps they'll give you a chance
when you get to Portland. Those toys
of yours look like a bishops, 1 must
say. Who ever saw a bishop rugged
out like that, should like to know?"
Then for the first time the bishop
| looked at the clothes that were lying
! on the seat in the machine. In place
! of his own dignified black he saw a
suit of green and yellow tweed, a
| flaming red necktie and an imitation
| Panama with blue ribbon round it.
But those are not my clothes" he
! cried in anger. Il never wear such
| got into the wrong machine. Doubt
less their owner will be in here di-
! Tectly and will be able to explain mat
| tiers satisfactorily"
''WaIker!'' said the policeman, as he
/ looked out of the door. There is no.
! body in the water now, so nobody is
I likely to come out of it. Besides,
! watched you come in, and you were
| wearing these toys right enough then
/ So slip into them, and don't waste any
more time over it"
But I absolutely refuse to wear
/ such clothesl It would be most IN
/ seemly for me to appear in public in
| such garments. You forget who I am"
Look herel If your holiness don't
! get into these things without any
! more lip I shall call for assistance;
/ and then you'll have to come through
the town in a towel or something Of
| that sort"
But, my good man, you forget who
am urged the unfortunate bishop.
! as he made feeble efforts to dry him
| self.
'T know who you are. It's no good
| trying to keep the game up any
4 longer. You are Buster Bill, of Hox-
! ton, and we've got warrant for your
] arrest"
I But I assure you that my name is
not BIZ, and was never called Buster
I in my life. No one would think of
/ taking such a liberty"
( Liberty be blowed!" returned the
I policeman. It's precious little you
( are likely to see for some time to
| come"
1T is all some terrible mistake said
the bishop, and I obey you under
protest When you seeN that the
: clothes do not fit me you will per-
haps recognize the truth of my state
ment that they do not belong to me-"
But unfortunately for the bishop.
they proved to be a very decent fit
The rightful owner was just about the
same build.
When they emerged from the bath
ing machine the policeman took a firm
grip of the bishops arm, and invited
him to look slippy, for time was fly
ing and he wanted to go off duty.
SO the unhappy bishop, his face
flushed with shame, was marched
along the parade where he had been
strOlling so happily an hour before.
But presently he noticed an elderly
lady Of benevolent expression, reading
the Church Times. Surely she would
recognize the cloth; so he ventured on
an appeal.
Pardon me. madam, I am the vic
tim of an unfortunate mistake. 1 am
the bishop of Wandorango, and this
officer has mistaken me for someone
else 1 beg you will kindly inform the
ooh, you horrible old manr ex-
claimed the lady. How dare you ad-
dress met"
Now, don't try on that little game
again" said the policeman, as he gave
the bishop a vigorous jerk.
The bishop gave himself up to de-
SPAR, and said no more till they
reached the station, where the in
spector rubbed his hands when he
heard that Buster Bill had been cap
tured- He produced the information,
that had been sent down from Lon
don, and hastily compared the descrip-
ton Of the wanted man with the pris-
oner.
Short. stout. baId-headed red face.
snub nose, rather bow-Iegged, fond of
flashy dress-h'm, h'm, that's him
right enough. Wanted for a burglary
in the Strand. Several previous con-
T1ctions. Good I'll Just read over the
warrant, and then we can wire to Scot
land Yard"
The warrant authorized the arrest of
one William Tiptin, alias Buster Bill,
Of Shepherdess Walk, Hoxton, on a
hot hn
feloniously enter and break into a GER
tain dwelling house and shop. situate
In the Strand, and did unlawfully and
1elonlously steal and remove from the
said premises certain goods. to-wit, the
following articles of plate and jeWelry,
etc" all Of which was declared to be
contrary to the peace of our sovereign
lord the king.
CLAP him in the cells" added the
inspector, as he finished reading the
warrant But the bishop pleaded so
earnestly that the vicar of the parish
should be sent for that-though he did
not believe the bishops tale for a mo-
ment-he thought there might be no
harm in making quite sure. So he sent
a constable to tell the vicar that there
was prisoner in the cells who per-
sisted in saying that he was bishop.
and would the vicar be good enough
10 come round and take look at him?
ABOUT half an hour later the vicar
arrived and looked at the prisoner
through the little grated opening in
the door of the cell in which he was
now confined. The bishop made an
lmpassioned appeal, but was promptly
cut short by the indignant cleric. who
mad never met him before and was
quite unacquainted with his personal
appearance.
Preposterousr' exclaimed the vicar.
No one could mistake that vulgar,
Hastily dressed person for his lord
ship. The bishop of Wandoranga does
not arrive till the o'clock train. when
l shall hope TO meet him at the sta
ton.
The bishop made no further protest.
he resolved to wait till his failure to
turn up to preach should lead to in
quiries
All through the afternoon he sat
miserably in the narrow cell.
But his incarceration was not to |
last so long as he feared. About 6
ocloek there was a great noise in the
station. Evidently a case Of drunk /
and disOrderly" was being brought in. |
The door between the office and the |
cell corridor stood open, and the voices |