Year: 1871




ham. But there was no trace OF Chubb
presence, no opened shells, no empty bottl,
of Guinness. Where could he be g?


1t was necessary that | should 90 out t
look after the missing Chubb. | embraced
my mission very reluctantly; for | was tire
and hungry, and | thought that Chubb wa
indulging in some freak His aunt woul,
not hear OF the possibility OF such a thing
her boy had never been out so late as thi
without her knowledge, and she felt cOnvin
ed that some evil had come to him. She
besought me to lose not moment in putting
hee police in motion, in advertising, in offer
ing reward ofa hundred pounds for any in
formation.


- Had he any money with him. aunt -


| had grown so intimate with the family
that Mrs. Chubb had adopted me as he
nephew.


'Oh dear, yes, and great deal. l paid
him bis halfyear's allowance, fifty pounds
this very morning, in Bank Of England notes
and he stuffed them into his breast coat pock
ct in his careless way, and -


" Have you got the numbers p


''Oh yes l put them down they are il
my desk See here


= Nothing but the numbers no date, nc
distinguishing letters Dear me, aunt, how
unbusIness-like you are ~


'Oh, is it necessary, Edward | didn' I
know"


&" This list will do well enough for stop
ping the notes but if they were lost you d
never get anything out of the bank for them
But now the point is to find Chubb. Good
by, aunt; I'll send the young scamp home
to you fast enough, never fear


Please God, | trust You will.


Lefty was in the hall as | went out. She
came to me, pale and trembling.


- On, Edward, do you think there is any
thing wrong with Chubb -


a.. No. nothing wrong, l trust, Lefty
Don't worry about him he's sure TO be al
right


took her hand as l SPOKE Her sweet
gray eyes sought mine in unsuSpecting SIS
terly confidence


:. You will come back with him We
shant 20 to bed till you come back Good
by. Edward.


Ii was hot. dull, sodden night-a nigh
on which one felt the oppressive weight o.
undofinabe wretchcdness. As | made my
way to the cab stand felt that was upon :
boojless errand


Chubb hadn't been at Lincoln 5 Inn the
hou, keeper, whom ! reused cut of her first
sleep, was sure Of that. | must 20 on to En-
field street, to the shop of the eminent wood
eEgrayers where Chubbs was employed The
premises were locked up , an iron bar across
the door, with great paddock securing Il,
showed that no one slept IN the house. " hat
should | DO next In my perplexity, | found
my way to the police Office The inspector
smiled at my grave air when he heard my
tale


There's good many young gents a.
don't get home as soon as their mas would
like, Sir But I'll send a sergeant with you
Sir The man on the beat VIII know where
the foreman Of the shop lives no doubt. Sir.


The police sergeant, q grizzied, care-worn
man. started with me 70 the beat. The Off
ccr on duty knew where the foreman OF
English a Jardine lived it was in a street
on the Tottenham Court Road. Another
short cab drive, and we were knocking at
Mr. Whites door. Mr.. White was a bach
e.or and lodger. lie was evidently giving
a party that night the front room was
lighted up. and there was piano going,
and a song with laundering chorus. Ny
heart felt q great relief; Ohubb was here, OF
course this was the very sort of thing in
which he delighted. for which he'd give up
any kind OF civilized society. Wouldn't he
be Wild at being fetched home by police
sergeant and friend


White came to the door in his shirt
sleeves he had long clay pipe in his hand,
with which he was beating time TO the
chorus lie seemed too perfectly happy to
feel any surprise at the sight OF two stran-
gers at his gate, although one of them was a
police constable A rich tenor voice inside
singing, - Hard times come again, no
more.


. Chubb jackson here No. he isn t
lis a song sigh of the weary, hard times
but if YOU re a friend Of his, come in and
Join Us = Again he was led away by the
chorus " Around my cabin door-come
again no more


The police sergeant sighed he'd a soft
heart, | fancy, under his blue coat and few
who had hard times themselves could hear
unmoyed the plaintiye refrain.


- Can you give us few minutes conver-
sation on matter OF Importance p


- Certainly only don't interrupt the
son5, Come in, there. Hard times, hard
times, come again no more : now chorus,
all -


We stood there in the hall under the
lamp MIR. White waving his pipe to the
time, and the police sergeant Joining grutiiy
IN the strain.


Bravo thank ye, gentlemen. Now,
then, what have you got to say to me -


| told him briefly OF Chubb being missing,
aad asked him what clew he had to give me.
- Why, let's see. Chubb went away first
thing this morning he wasn't quarter Of
u
some tin, hadn't he lie don't often show
much at the shop on such occasions. Where
he went to don't know Yes, DO, though.
can tell you where he started from, at
least. lie went 10 the Essex street pier; for
be asking Brown if it was open again,
it had been repairing lately, and Brown
said it was. But where he went alter that
l know no more than the dead. But, bless
You, he'll turn up all right


We took our leave sadly, it didn seem
very hopeful trial


don't like track as ends in the river,
sir. You don't often get any farther than
that. -


At early dawn l found myself wearily
walking along Albany street with hope
that Chubb might have come home in the
mean time. But there was only Mrs Chubb
sitting up, sad, and looking ten years older
in that single night.


My poor boy - she could only cry, quite
broken down. Lefty took her up stars, and
dIdn [ venture to see her for month at-
ter


/ had the direction OF all the inquiries
which were made. Spurred on by the reward
of $3.50 the police exerted themselves most
strenuously But not the faintest trail
could they find of Chubb jackson One of
the notes he had received from his aunt was
traced to a low public house in the Waterloo
Road but although the house was watched
for months, and the haunts of all the doubt
full characters who resorted there thoroughly
searched, they failed to get a glimpse OF the
fate of poor Chubb. The atelier on the sec
ond-hoor in Albany street was shut up from
that time. Aunt Chubb would let no one
enter it but herself Once week she would
20 in and dust it with her own hands. Poor
Letitia thought herself almost a widow, and
wore deep mourning for her lost sweetheart.


1t was year after Chubb's untimely fate
that ventured one day-she was sewing a
button on my sleeve at the time the sight