Year: 1874

not quite the right thing to do, perhaps,
under the circumstances but could I
not help feeling amused, as well as en-
barrassed, at the scrape my folly had
got me into, and 1 had not at the time
the slightest idea OF the disagreeable
consequences that were to follow.


"Cheer up, little woman, said /. TT
is all right; I did not do it, you know.
Go to bed like a wise girl, and will
come back as soon as can and tell you
the sequel to my story


"Just then the cook opened the door,
and said Oh, if you please 'um,
there's two policemen at the door. and
they says, um, as they want to speak
to master.


"'Very we'll, said I, I will go to
them. 1t is very possible I shall be alb
sent some time, cook, so take good care
of your mistress till come home ; and
giving Lizzie hasty kiss, walked out
and faced my unlimited visitors. Be-
fore 1 could speak word, one of them
touched me on the shoulder, and said
You're wanted about that old gentle
man found murdered in a fuss-class
railway carriage at 'ighgate station.
| LOo1 l. odlu L Wuo Jubb
down to the police station about it.


"'Oh was you p said the man, in
grimly facetious manner and looking
up, saw he had stuck his tongue in
his cheek, and was winking at his COM
rade. I longed to knock the fellow
down, but knew it would hardly do to
yield to the inclination so 1 tried to
console myself by remembering that ]
had only my own stupidity to thank for
the unpleasant position was in.


Foster grinned, and nodded friend
ly and provoking agreement.


Well,' continued /, the police
station was not far off. and we were
soon in the presence of the inspector.
AS we entered, he turned his calm grave
face towards us, and fixed an inquiring
look on me for an instant then, sign
ing me to come forward, he said quiet
ly, Will you state all you know about
this affair p and he pointed with his
pen to bench, on which the body of
my late ow-traveler was lying.


"I told him knew nothing about the
matter-that I did not know the man
was dead until few minutes before the
train stopped, and had been much
startled and shocked at the discovery.


Why did you not give information
as soon as you reached the station { ;
said the inspector, drily.


GO Well, really, stammered I, Il do
not know why. Of course I ought to
have done SO. I can only account for
my negligence to do it by the fact of
my being in hurry to reach home. and
the certainty that he would be seen by
the officials directly, who would know
better what to do than did


"This was a sorry kind of explana-
tion, and 1 was hardly surprised to find
that it did not satisfy the police, but
was, nevertheless, considerably dis
mayed when the inspector informed me
[ was prisoner.


Poor little Lizzie thought I,
what fright she will be in How
ever, L was permitted to send her mes
sage to the effect that [ was detained to
give evidence, and that she was not to
be uneasy.


" ] was then taken in cab to Bow
street, where was charged with mur-
dering and robbing an old gentleman,
name unknown. My pockets were
turned out, my papers, purse, and
watch taken from me, and even my
cigar-case, which was at the moment
certainly the greatest privation. The
charge was taken, and was marched off
to cell and locked up. There, sitting
on one bench with my legs on another,
and my back fitted into an angle of the
wall, 1 passed the night miser-
| o1 II o,rxIn I IL
ished with cold had it not been for the
kindness of the jailer, who lent me a
thick loose coat and blanket. In
wretched discomfort [ dozed and
dreamt, startingup now and then in be-
wilderment, wondering where I was,
and then suddenly recollecting, sank
back in my corner to doze and wake by
turns till morning. After some cold
coffee and bread, I was again taken be-
fore the court and examined, and, to
my horror, sent to the House of Deten-
tion till the inquest should be over.
when. it was intimated I should be
brought up again.


" Well, to cut short my story, for I
see you are yawning, must tell you
that the inquest was held and the doc
tors discovered that the old gentleman
was not murdered at all, but had died
of apoplexy. So my offense was reduced
to theft only the old fellows pockets
had been emptied and his watch taken.


g should, no doubt, have been
sent back for further evidence, but
that prisoner was brought in, upon
whom the stolen property had been
found. This prisoner proved to be the
Identical tall, good-looking man who
had left the railway carriage as I got
IN. The young fellow, who, on account
OF his gentlemanly stylish appearance,
had got the sobriquet of the Prince,
was professional thief; but on this
occasion he had been on pleasure trip
to the north, to see some friends, and
he solemnly declared that he got into
the carriage where the old gentleman
was without any business like inten-
tions that he always travelled first
class, because it was more comfortable,
besides being genteeler.' He said
and, as you know, the statement was
borne out by the medical evidence-that
the old gentleman had fit, and that,
though he did his best to assist him by
opening the windows, loosening the old
fellows neckcloth, and holding up his
head, he died in few minutes. 'And
then, added the Prince Il thought
the poor old boy couldn't want his
watch or his purse again, and I knew
they would be very useful to me, so
they changed pockets and then
stuck him in the corner where the other
gentleman found him. But I do hope,
continued he, looking round with an air
of candid innocence, so we'll assumed