while the frivolous and dishonest greytricks was hugging himself securely with the success of his fradulent schemes the finger of justice was tracking his path over the chart of crime


step by step the shadow followed him with unerring certainty holding the clue to his fancied impe uetrable labyrinth


shallow fool


like the ostrich he plunged his head into the sand and fancied that his body was concealed from the eyes of the hunter


the clatter of a horses hoofs was heard en


tering the police office yard and in a moment twenty constables who had been lolling listlessly about and sunning themselves by the portico became on the alert and vied with each other to assist the rider in his descent from the animal


stirrup and bridlerein were well attended as mr penny algiers for it was he dismounted


as he walked with all the dignity of a great man into his secret hall every head was bent and every hat was touched with a reverence which an eastern emperor might have envied


nor was this wonderful for independently of his vast and comprehensive mind and stern inflexibility of purpose the nod of penny algiers was as potent amongst policemen as that of jove himself


it was not till he had passed from sight that the constables regained their perpendicularity and their countenances relaxed into a natural ex pression


a quarter of an hour had elapsed when the portly form of inspector tearce loomed large in the distance and approached the office at a rapid pace


the inspector was evidently bur dened with a heavy freight for he scarcely took notice of the many good mornings and how are you pearces which were showered upon him as he speeded on to the sanctum of the great chief


having reached this spot he asked with some anxiety whether mr algiers had enquired for him and being answered in the negative requested that if such an honor were conferred upon him it might be notified that he was in waiting


tearce then strolled into the yard but not out of earshot so that he might be ready on the instant to attend the summons which he expected


what say you to a ball this fine morning tearce said a tall muscular looking person age with a blooming countenance in which good humour and jollity with a slight dash of reck lessness might be readily traced


not at present paddy was the answer


ive a steady business on hand and you know my way


my name it is john pearce sure from ireland i came my duty


well i know and mean to do the same


the worthy inspector it must be understood had a peculiar propensity for rhyming and he indulged in it upon every possible occasion


if he had a grievance to complain of or a joke to relate it was done through this medium and it not unfrequently happened that when he was en gaged in his court duties the ears of the magis trates would be saluted with harmonious numbers like these your worships the first on the list is james rock will i order him into the dock


in fact it is questionable if erins bard ever perpetrated more rhymes than john tearce


this peculiarity was easily tolerated by the higher powers who recognised in him one of the most honest straightforward and vigilant officers in the force


john however had not been exempt from the troubles of the world for during the dynasty of mr twyce ayte furlongs he had been unjustly accused of some derelic tions in his duty which caused his suspension from office for a time but to which he was re stored with unstained character after due en quiry had been made into the merits of the case while the bolt meant for him recoiled upon his accuser


to return to our subjectpaddy in vain urged him to take a morninger not that tearce objected in a general way to such a spirited comforter but business with him was paramount to pleasure besides mr penny algiers had a nose like a foxhound and the scent of jamaica had an effect upon him similar to that which some very great conquerors felt at the sight of a mouse or a morsel of cheese


nor was he slow in disclosing his antipathies and adopting the most efficient means for removing them far from his sight


scarcely was the refusal of tearce recorded than he was summoned to the presence of his great chief whom he found as usual half buried in a pile of papers and apparently with more business on his hands than a fouch or a rowan


have you made further enquiries said mr algiers in a harsh tone


for he adopted the in terrorem system in order that those under him might know the immeasurable distance between them


i have your worship day and night and find that our suspicions right


what do you mean by our sir mine sir i presume


true your worship yours i meant re plied the inspector hastening to correct the in voluntary error he had committed


remember sir that i am the protector of this city


i am the police sir the whole body the ab origina ad finem as it were


without me there would be no police


napoleonyou have heard that name perhaps was the french army he is my model


l am the napoleon of australia sir


seeing the inspector most peculiarly struck with this announcement and apparently unable to recognize the boasted similarity mr algiers added in a civil sense i mean sir


although had military opportunities offered themselves there is very iittle doubt that i should have ri valled if not surpassed that great genius


of course your worship assented tearce


what do you know about it sir


what can such people as your class be expected to know of the qualities of men of mine


you are the automatamere machinery moved by mas ter minds like ours


you are the pawns sir on our chessboard you have an idea what chess is perhaps


ive played at chequers your worship


draughtsahyes draughts and swal lowed them often no doubt


the perpetration of this very novel joke at which he inwardly chuckled seemed to soothe down the temperament of mr penny algiers a little and he gave his directions in a somewhat milder tone


then as my suspicions have as you say been confirmed by the observations i ordered you to make nothing remains but for me to place this searchwarrant in your hands and to proceed with it in company with meggcup and boddle to the premises of greytricks and his gang and seize all the property belonging to the swindled ones which you can find


which you can find i repeat for doubtless the rogues have taken due precautions to turn some into money


when done return and report progress


you can go


but your worship in case there isnt any property to be found dont take it slr


there go your path lies perfectly clear before you


the inspector did not hazard another ob servation but proceeded on his journey mut tering as he went along well i trust it will be many years ere we see another penny algiers


his good humour however soon returned and he bent all his thoughts upon the business he had in hand


he quickly hunted up the two dupes who were nothing loath to join him in his errand


when they reached the shop they discovered everything in confusion and one of greytricks slippery moves on the board


chests of tea and bags of sugar were strewed about the floor and piled upon the counter and evidently intended to be shifted to some better place of concealment


as meggcup and boddle re cognized their property they each gave a scream of joyful surprise and embraced as much of it as they could as if determined never to part from it again


hands off gentlemen hands off cried greytricks in nowise taken aback by the dis astrous appearance of affairs and adopting his favorite method of the bouncing sympa thetic stylethose articles belong neither to to you nor me


misfortune has fallen on the house of greytricks and coa greater power is visible here


behold


there stands the re presentative of the law the sheriffs baililf gen tlemen who claims these things alas


by virtue of a ca sa or a ca


re or a fi


fa


or whatever he terms it in his legal jargon for a judgment recovered in the supreme court dewberry versus greytricks for five fiftyfive fifteen and five pence three farthings


and when that is satisfied gentlemen im sure your hearts will bleed for me behold that dingy looking black guard at your elbow he holds in his hand no it is in his pocket at the present moment i like to be correct in my statements a distress war rant for rent gentlemen rent of this vile tene ment fortynine nineteen and eleven


think of that and such a trade as i was doing


trade you was doing said meggcup


come tip us no more of your blarney


by js it was us you were doing


i do


i augustus anthony horatio cla rence fitzstephen greytricks do any body perish the vile thought


the tender lamb that never nipped the grass is not more innocent than i ofdoing any body except myself


and i am done done brown


faith


it doesnt require fifteen heads to give us that information said tearce stepping forward


now mr meggcup and you mr boddel just identify your property and lave me to dale wid this innocint jontelman


be my sowl he puts me in mind of pat murphys pig dat niver squaked till he wor pinched and tight too


thus advised and having the protecting shield of the law spread over them the grocers lost no time in picking out such of the goods as had been surreptitiously obtained while the sheriffs bailiff and the distressforrentgentleman con tented themselves with simply watching the pro ceedings of those who were stronger armed than themselves


in the meantime greytricks pre served a moody silence apparently content with letting things go on as they liked although he occasionally cast an appealing look to the de puties of the civil law to assist him out of his dire extremity and put a stoppage in transitu on the part of dewberry upon the goods which were about to disappear for ever


but the bailiffs were afflicted with dobsons three warnings they were blind deaf and dumb and were too much up to trap to interfere in thc matter


when the last bag of sugar was placed upon the dray provided by meggcup and bod dle and driven off greytricks could restrain himself no longer the full tide of feeling burst out the torrent so long dammed up rushed over all opposition and his indignant heart found vent


what


he exclaimed in his usual theat rical tone with its due accompaniment of the pantomimic what all my pretty ones


the hellkites all


no tea bohea gunpowder bysonskinned


no sugar from the west or eastern ind no spices scattring fragrance all around no mace no stalky cinnamon no cloves no pickles cabbage cauliflower or beans no spanish liquorice no nothing left


then am i lost indeed


but


he cried descending from his tragedy as another thought struck himwheres my pocketbook containing two twentyseven twelve two


it was in the till that secret place has been ransacked where is my purse i ask you mr tearce


in general who steals my purse steals trash but there sir in that pocket book was the amount i named have you seen it i entreat you tell me lest i expire at your feet


be my sowl


replied the inspector i should like to have set eyes upon that same my brave boy and its not john tearce who would have been backward in coming forward to maintain the same


then fortune i defy thee


thou hast done thy worst cried greytricks in awful agony


not quite replied the inspector quietly fortune is a dangerous lady to defy shes sil dom at her worst


ive a warrant to apprehend you for felony here are the handcuffs be quiet take it asy or else it will all be harder for you


augustus anthony horatio clarence fitz stephen greytricks was paralized his noble soul was bowed down and he actually allowed the degrading irons to be placed round his wrists without a struggle


and why


because he could not help it


and where was lowrinks


idiotin a pri son


and where was dewberry


hidden in a cellar and jacob sharkey


far away with kate he sniffed the coming danger and made provi sion for it


jacobs time had not come he was reserved for some greater spectacle


dewberry for a crawling reptiles fate


to be continued


literature


the ministers wooing


i talb of new england


bii mrs h b slowe


chapter xii


miss prissy


continued


miss prissy hero ftoppca to adjust her speota


loa


her audience exprocd a breathless interest


you see she said i used to know her when she wab nabby smith


she was parson smiths daughter at weymouth and as handsome a girl as over i wanted to see just as graceful as a tweet brier bush


i dont believe nny of those english ladies looked one bit better than she did


she was always a master hand at writing


every thing sho writes about she puta it right before she goes on to tell about her daughters dress


she bayb my head ia dreesed for st jamebs and in my opinion looks very tasty


whilst my daughter is nndergoiug tho same operation i set mjeelf down composedly to write you a few lines


well methinks i hear betsy and lucy say what in cousins dres


while my dear pirls like your aunts only differently trimmed and or namented her train being wholly of white crape and trimmed with white ribbon the petticoat which is the most showy part of the dress coverod and drawn up in whtit are called foatoons with light wreaths of beautiful flowers tho sleeves white crapo drawn over the silk


with a row oj lace ronnd the fleeve near the shoulder another halfway dowu the arm and a thifd upon the top of the ruffle a little stuck between a kind of batcap with three large feathers aud a bunch of flower a wroath of flowers on the hair


llisa prissy concluded thib relishing description with a little smaokof the lip such as pooplo some times givo when reading things that are particu larly to their taste not i v as n making she added thu it would bo an excellent way to rim


mirjs flleevbs ihreo rjwa of lace with a sprig to each row


all thir wbilo our mary wij her whue ihort fjown ted blue stuff petticoit


her shining pc brown hair ond seiiou largo bue eye


ui inno


j bcntly lcoklng first t her mober tliaa at mirs prifsy nnl iben at ho llncy


we do not claim for her uny suporhuiaan exemp tion from girlish feeling


sho waj innocently dsiszcl with the vision of coiitly bll and princely rplrnjours and thought mrs adams de iciiplioub olmoht a perfect rculisalon of ihiugsfhe had read in sir charles grandison


if her molhoi thought it right and proper gh should be drcssud and made fine she wan glud cf it only there came a hoavy loaden feeling in her lituo heart which the did not understand but wo who know rronrinkiud wil translate for you it was that a certain pair of dark eyes would not see her after sho was dressed and bo after all what was the use of looking pretty


i wonder what james would think passed through her her head for mary had never changed n ribbon or altered the braid of her hair or pinned a flower in her bosom that she had not quickly seen tho effect of the chango mirrored in those dark eyep


it was a pity of courto now she had found out that t he ought not to think nbout him that so many thought strings wero twisted round him


so while miss prissy turned over her papers and read out of other extracts about lord caermarthen and sir clement cotterel dormer and the prin cess royal and princess augusta in black and silver with a silver netting upon the coat and a head stuck full of diamond pins and lady salis bury and lsdy tulbot and the duchess of devon shire and scarlet fa tin sacks and diamonds and ostrichplumes and the kings kissing vrs adams little marys bine eyes grev larger and larger eeeing far off on the salt gceen eea aud her eara heard only the ripple and murmur of those waters that carried herheurt nway till byand bye miss prissy gave her a smirt little tap which awakened hr r to tho fact that she was wanted again to try on the dress which miss frissys nimblo fingers had basted


so passed tlis dar mias prissy busily chatter ing clipping basting mary patiently trying on to an unheardof extent and mrs scndders neat room whipped into a perfect froh and foam of gauze lace artificial flowers linings and other aids accessories and abetmentp


at dinner the doctor who had been all the morning studying out his treatise on the millen nium discoursed tranquilly as usual innocently ignorant of the unusual cares whioh wero distract iug the miuds of his listeners


what should he know of dressmakers good boui


encouraged by the respectful silence of his auditors he calmly expandod and soliloquised on his favorite topic the last golden age of time ho marriage sipper of the lamb when tho puriged earth like a re pentent psyche fhall be restored to tho longlost favor of a cclcstiil bridegroom ind glorified saints and angels chill walk familiarly as wedding guests among men


sakes aliref said little miss prissy after dinner did i erer boar any one go on like that blessed man


such a spiritual mind


oh miss scuddcr how you are privileged in having him here


i do really think it is a pliamo such a blcssad man ant thought more of


why i could just sit ana hoar him talk all day


iliss scudder i wih sometimes youd jast let me make a ruffled shirt for him and do it all up mv self and put a stitch in tho hem that i learn d from my sister martha who learned it from french young lady who was educated in a con vent nuns you know poor things can do some things right and i thiak never saw such hem stitching as they do there nnd i should like to hemstitch tho doctors ruffles ho if so spiritually minded it really maken me love him


why hear ing him tnlk put mo in mind of a roal beautiful sung of mr watts i dont know as i could re member the tune


and miss prissy whoso musical talent was ona of her spjeial fortei tuned her voice a little cracked and quavering and ang


with a vigorous accent on each accented syliubio from the tbird heaven where god retido that holy happy place the xeit jerusalem comes down adorned with saining grace


attending nngeld shout for joy and tho brifflit armies sing mortals


behold the tacrtd eat of your descending king


tko oare mifs scudder


that rill must bo cut exactly on the bias and mis prisay hastily finishing her last qnaver onugiu the auk and iho sssors out of mra scudders hand and fell down bt ones from the millennium into a discourse on her own particular way of covering piping cord


so we go dear reader so long ns we have a bedy and a soul


tffo worlds must mingle he great and the litile the rolerna and the trivia wreathing in and out like thn grotesque curving on a gotbie shrine only did we know it rightly nothing ib trivial since the human sou wilh its awful fhadow makes all thinga avxred


have not ribbons castoff flower soiled bits of gauze trivial trashy fragments of millinery sometimes had an awlu


meaning a tfoadly power when they belonged to one who should wear them no more and whose beautiful form frail and crushed as they is a hidden and a vanished thing for all lime


for so sacred and individual ia a human being that of all the mil lionpeopled earth bo one form ever restores another


tho mould of each mortal type ia broken at the grave and never never though you look through all iho faces on earth ehall the exact form yon mourn ever meet your eyes again


you are living your dnily life nraong trifles that one dath strokc that may make relica


one fake step one luckless accident an obstacle on the track of a train the tangling of tha cord in shifting a sail and tho penknife the pen the papers the trivial articles of dress and clothing which today you toss idly and jestingly from hand to hand may become dread memorials of that awful tragedy thoec deep abyss ever underlies our common life


chapter xiu


the tarty


well let us proceed to tell how the eventful evening drew on how mary by miss prissys oare btocd at last in tho longwaisted gowu flowered with rosebuds and violets opening in front to display a white satin skirt trimmed wilh lace and flowers how her litde feat wete put into highheeled shoes and a little jaunty cap with a wreath of moss rosebuds was fastened over her shining hair and how miss prissy delighted turned her round and round and then declared that she must go and get the doctor to look at her


she knew he must be a man of taste he talked so boautifully about the millennium and so bursting into his study she actually chattered him back into the visible world and lending the blushing mary to the door asked him point blank if he ever eaw anything prettier


the doctor being now wide awake gravely gave his mind to the subject and after some consideration buid gravely


no he didnt think he ever did


for the doctor was net a man compliment and had a habit of always thinking before ha spoke whether what he was going to say was exactly true nnd having lived some time in the family of president edwards renowned for beautiful daughters he naturally thought them oxer


the doctor looked innocent and helplebs nhile miss prissy having got him now quite into her power went on volubly to expatiate on tbo diffi culties overcome in adapting the anoieut wedding dress to its present modern fit


ho told her that it was very nice aaid yes maam at proper paoes and being a vety obliging man looked at whatever he was directed to with round blank oyes but ended all with a long gaza on the laugh ing blushing fuoe that half in bhame and half in perplexed mirth appeared and disappeared as miss prissy in her warmth turned her round and showed her


now dont she look beautiful


mies pnsay reito ated for tho twentieth time as mary left the room


the doctor looking after her musingly said to himself the kings dnughter is all glorious within her clothing is of wrought gold she shall be brought into the king in raiment of needle work


now did i over f oaid miss prissy rushing out


how hat good man does turn everything i believe you couldnt get anything that he wouldnt find a text right out of the biblo for it i measi to get the linen for that shirt this very week with mies wilooxa money the always pay well those wilcoxes und ive worked for them off and on


sixteen d ays and n quaitor


to be f ure aifs soudder theren no real need of my doing it for i must say you keep him looking liko a pink but only i feel as ii i must do bomethidg for such a good man the good doctor was brushed up for ho evening wilh zfjaloub care and energy and if ho did not look like a pink it was certainly no fault of his hostess


well we cannot reproduce in detail the fudjd gloriea of that entertainment nor relato how the wilcox wsncr and gardens wero illuininftlej


hiw te iitidc were a ve of real paintlace


j hc midges rled ami grated on iho grvel


wiks aic negro servants in white kid gloves i i handed cut ladies in veivot mi falin


j


curing a grumbler or three days at home


cnapter i finst dat


there my dear i bronght you home three quarts of bunieb said john paley the blaok smith as he sat the basket down uon the table


what in the world did you bring three quarta for


i can not ubo more than two replied mra pftley


oh well now i think of it mra thompson wants it quart and wished me to get them for her if the man came along today


humph


now i tbiuk of if i want them my self and mra thompson oannot ntwe mem


never mind i left a quart to the shop for luncheon tomorrow sh can hsro them


do without yourself


certainly if she wants them she oan have them you take good oare of mrs thompson addod mrs pttley with a alight biieer


because lot her have a quart of berried


thnt is more than any one would do for you or me


oh no i guosa not


i aaked her to lend ma her wash tu the other moruing and shq wouldnt replied mrs paley rather spitefully


wouldfltdo it no


wouldnt lend you a wash tub t john paley was astonished and iudignant


mra thompson was a widow who lived ia tho next house and he had frequently been called upon to perform sundry litilo services which her lonely condition required aud now to have her refuse to lend his wifo a waeh tub waa tho highest ingroti tudt


and ho resolved oa the spot that mrs thomp son should not have the berries


she sui an angel added mrs paley


i nevev fupposed she was


she would not iond you her wadatub


no she jeould not i am surprised


when waa hi last monday morning monday morning


you did not go to ler for a tub on monday morning did you


i did


and what ether time should i waut a well i only aaked her for it and it was mean of her not to let me have it after we have done bo much for her


we


john wanted to say that we like the edito rial sidgular meant only himself but he did not wish to btir up auy more strife


sao told mo she had olothca in it continued mrs paley


well she didnt seem willing to lend it tome bo when she offered to take ihem out aud let me hava the tub i told her she neednt trouble herself


it waa very wrong mary for you to ask her to lend her tub on monday niorniug


isuppose so if any one was wrong lam tho one pouted mra paley


disgusted witu her hus bands parliulity and injustice


nevermind mary is euppov ready v no that wood you got last is such miserable btuff it tfoiit burn at all


it is taebestl could get and thn best there is for that mattur


i gave eight dollars a cord for it


a fool and bia money nre scon parted


a iool nnd her husband


but john cut tne sentence short ttiiakiag it ullttle too wic lied for the occasion


jujt like you


if there h a fool anywhere i am the one jkevcr


mindmftry


jt hat uppt aisooa


i ai you cud


i am going to the election moeliog j von ate


you never sisy at homo evening


bow


why my dear i have not besn cut ef tho louso ot au evening lor a raonth


why need you go at all


uecauo i am deeply interested in the elec tion


more so than yon arc in yoar wife she ro plied petulantly ap she opened the stovo oven to seo if the biscuifs were ready


i declare


this is the meanest oren i erer saw


it will uobako worth a cunt


have you juat found that out asked john


it was never good for anything


and so mrs paley wont on irom one thing to another regularly and systematically condemning everything upon whiob me fet her uand


sho waa not suited


everything and everybody wore out of jcint


nothing went right nobojy could do any thing to suit her


chapter ii


secoxd dat


donnraiey was of an easy temper


he waa deposed to make the bost of things as he found tticin but there was no such ihing as oompromia ing with incessant grumbling


unliku many oihers be could not bs driven to the dramnhop nor even tho usual haunta of loafera in the country places


he was obstinately bent on staying at norae in tho eveuing


he was fond of reading and home was the ceuro cf bin thoughts


even the perversity of his wife could not eradicate his deeply seated love for home


still home was not half po pleasant as it might be


maiyloyed him he could not doubt lhat


during a long illueps the winter bpforp she had been unremitting in her devotion


a pieoe of red hot iron flew into his eye o that the bull of it had nearly run out


he had buffered the most intenso agony


day by day ho bad groaned with anguish and seen lha tears of his wife fall a


she witnessed his suffering


by night while he tossed iu agony she had watched by him nor slept for a week


his pain was hers auo whie he suffered eho lluver comdlainwl of thn wnoriintr nnd nrivivtinn aat his illness occasioned she never used an an


entle word even when worn out with suffering ho became tebty and impatient


she loved him she sacrigced all her comforts for him and why should ho not bear with her infirmity


should h who had boen so tenderly watched over who had been nursed nud nourished o devotedly by her cast her out should his affec tions bo alienated from her


it is true her fault waa n grievoua one


gav him a continual uneasiness


it kept him harrassod from one weeks end to the other


it almost em


tattered his very existence


i will cure her said john whilo he was going home one day as a now idea penetrated his brain dho will find fiiilt with me when i carry this loj of veal home


it will bo either too large or too small too tut or too lean too gojd or too bad i will cure her


mary did find fmlt with tho veal it waa loo fat aud too large and too good for persons in their circumstance


but john held hia peace and sat


down to hie supper


what sortur tea is tbiat eaid he as ho pushed tae cup reluctantly from him


what is the maiter of it asked his wife aatoninhed at such a display of sulk on his part


it was too strong of hot water


i should like to tret a dcoent cup of tea once in mv life


why john


it is nothing but dish water


i am sorry it dont buit yon


it never suits me he acded as he broke opon hot biscuit never euita you no and at the same moment ho threw tho broken biscuit back npou llie plate


saleratus again


what is the matter with the biscuit john t asked mrs puley amazed at the singular conduct of her husband


there aro great junks of srleratus in it


if tbore is nnythicg i detest it is the taste of sftlei atub in bread mary took the broken biscuit to examine it


there is only a single npeck to be heon in it i will cut it out pray tuko another john


johu did take another aud broke it open but perceived anothsr epeek of the offensive substanoe soaroely bggcr thaa the head


of


ti pin


havent you got any cold bread


he asked oh hethruw it back upon tho plate


there is none in the house replied poor mary ready to burst into tears with vexation


give me a piece of pie then mary brought a nice piece


strong enough of oloves to atrnnglo n fellow said he


titrango thatl cant gotanytaing tints tit to oat


the poor wife could bear it no more


hur eyes ailed with tear and she tooted aloud


john was uuu hiapusea oarry inu lessen tuciner


mary much aa she found fault uenelf was extremoly niitive and ehe could not endure the slightest censure


mary my


dear do not weep eaid he going to her and impressing a kips upou nor cheek


what is the matter wil h you john


you never baiaved so before


i was only holding up a rcirrjr to you


you oaa tell how i feel when you flud fanlt with overy tbing i do


i never will again


ify own mnryl forgive mi if i qbtusd you pain


you are too bad joho


but no worse than you are almost every day mary thought a great deal that night


chapter lit


third day


tho battle hud been fought and tha viotory won


mrs paleya heart was full of tender ness and sympathy


she could not havo realised the pain tbit her useless and ceaseless grumbling had caused her husband or she never would havo indulged the habit


she would not make him unhappy for the world and now when tbe lesaon had opened her eyes she set a guard upon her tongue


almost always an habitinl grumbler ia an indo lent person


a man or woman whose mind ia occupied hns no time to bfi discontented


bot mrs paleya was a kind of moral indolence


she per mitted her noble faculties to sleep for the time and discontent stole in whilo the sentinel was off guard


sho had chosen n new oourco of action but she had to watch with ceaseless vigilance just to curb the disposition to complain


to be indolent whs to lose the battle and lail forgive me john


i wont eay another word tny dear


he added


with u smile that turned it all into sunshine


shall i put bome more tea in the teapot


no i only said that the tea is very good


ah


i see what you mean


it ia all right you havo done nobly my dear and by andby you will forget how to com plain


i hope fo john for your eake


aud eventually mury did overcome the habit


to johu piiley bslougs the credit of the our


another might have been disgusted with matri mony pronounced tho wuole thing a humbug ana gone from home to seek solace in tho oompany of the abandoned nnd dissolute


to him tho remsm


brance of his witos devotion in sickness was liko


un oasis iu


the deeert it ia true it was her duty to take care of him in eicknesi but her devotion was not bounded by the mandate of duty it waa


the offspring of lovo


it was the hearts tribute aud her huebaud saw that her grumbling waa only a dark bhadow obscuring the brightness of her


charaoter and he cuabod the oloud away


life llluttrated star ironoor wqo nelja oiauu oa iaglehawk heavau only knows how many years


efore tha white man thought of dehing tbero for old


tho place whero it waa found presents the ap enrance of having been the bed of au olj creek or


rater way


how bug tho reptila has been perdu fill for over remain n secret hut there can be uo oabt but that it has occupied its lato lodgings for


iany yeare


jsendigo advertiser


auatrian italy lies open to him napoleon v hrough an nllianco with sardinia


it afforda fields or groat battles such as moat dazzle tho inuitfnutiou


f tho french soldier fields too already blight with ictory to the french and dark with defeat to their


pponents


louig nnpoleoo probably relics for sup iort ia such on enterprise on tlie aid of kussia nxioua for territorial aggrandizement at the oxpanbo f austria aud prepared for thnt object inbanely to


rt loose in ejropn the whirlwind by which the artifi ial and rotten fabrio of her owu despotism must ul imntely perish


saturday review


we are authorised to state that mr koiort clam


rs is not tha author of vestiges oforoation


rohably what gnve rise to the rumor iu the first ustnuce was the fact of home of tli proof sheets aving been forwarded to him the bookseller


temperance seems to be innkiut great progress inong tha peasantry iu russia


a commuricaticn


did tho governor of kowno in tho fndicatcur konomique states that the peasants of thit qovera jent took an oath iu the churches three months ao ot to drink brandy for tho future and they hy illy kept thr prowhe otx inoci v


a new series


the mysteries of sydney or the revelations of sin shame and sorrow


chapter vi


the darkey kenthe


gold dig gers wedding


it was long past the midnight hour the wind blew a hurricane the rain descended in torrents from a sky of inky blackness and the storm was at its height shrieking and howling about and around high and low now scattering the pools of water in cloudy showers and anon dashing against closed doors and shutters as if striving to tear them open and then angry at its abortive attempts rushing down to expend its fury upon the unlucky wanderers of the night


it was a time when nought but misery or guilt would be abroad


at this hour an individual might have been observed fighting his way against the power ful elements in the direction of the wharves


the violence of the storm had extinguished most of the lamps and rendered his progress perplex ing if not perilous


sometimes he fell with considerable force over heaps of stone or rubbish which were left upon the pathway and at others he plunged into slimy and muddy pools emitting a stench sufficiently offensive to breed a pestilence in the dense and filthy locality in which they were engendered


still he ploughed his way manfully until he reached a small arched gateway under whose shelter he paused for a few minutes for the double purpose of regaining breath and ascertaining whether any vigilant eye had watched his movements


apparently satis fled in both particulars he proceeded up a nar row alley and gave a particular knock against the shutters of a house which stood a little apart from the other buildings


after pausing about half a minute he repeated the signal


lt was answered by a rough voice within hawks asleep


ya ya was the reply


whats the word


forky


the janitor was apparently satisfied with the applicant for admission as the bolts were with drawn and the door was partially opened but as if to make security doubly sure a chain still ran across which was sufficient to prevent the sudden rush of unpleasant visitors


all right bully


the devil himself would scarcely face such a night as this


dont keep one waiting im as wet as a water rat


this appeal had the desired effect and forky jem for it was he stood within the darkey ken


meantime bully carefully replaced the massive iron protectors but with a slowness becoming so weighty an affair


forkys impa tience did not make the slightest impression upon the trusty guardian who had obtained his appellation from his similarity to that race of dogs so noted for the qualities of ferocity and fidelity


bully or in more proper vernacular the bulldog was a man below the middle height but his square built frame supported by a pair of huge bowlegs gave indications of uncommon strength


his countenance had a dogged look about it it was broad and flat that respect able organ the nose was on a level with the face except at the end which resembled a lump of red putty with two apertures through which issued a stertorous sound as he inhaled or omitted the vital air his upper lip had once been completely severed and as the gash was unskilfully sowed up it was clearly a bad job in more senses than one his lower jaw protruded


in the same way as that of an underhung bull dog and rendered his likeness to the animal more complete


the contrast between forky tom and bully was certainly favourable to the former whose appearance though reckless was not unprepossessing in fact his outward man was not dissimilar to the inner in which though shadow predominated occasional gleams of light shot forth to relieve the obscurity


none are all evil and even the most common potters vessel chipped and defaced is not utterly use less


whats up tonight enquired forky as the sounds of drunken merriment proceeding from the recesses of the building reached his ear


lankys married replied bully who was noted for not being wasteful of words


couldnt he find a better place than this for a wedding feast


not knowing cant say


is knuckler here


in coorse


drunk as usual i reckon


go and see


the fool muttered forky as he followed his conductor through a long narrow passage when his services were so neededand lanky too what did he want with a wife


faith


this gold digging has turned their heads they get a hundred or two and fancy themselves breeched for life little kings


a nights ill luck with the box though teaches them the difference


a wife


lanky with a wife


the idea seemed so preposterous to forky that he could not for bear bursting into a hearty laugh and so sym pathetic that bully emitted a series of guttural growls which however unlike general cachinna tions was his only method of expressing pleasur able emotions


he then threw open a door and discovered a scene to be pourtrayed only by the pen of bulwer dickens or ainsworth or the pencil of cruikshank


in a long low apartment dimly lighted by a few unsnuffed guttering tallow candles perched in tin sconces along the walls and whose faint gleams were rendered more feeble by the foggy atmosphere of tobacco smoke enveloping them as in a shroud were assembled some twenty or thirty persons of different sexes in the various stages of intoxication


but upon every coun tenance was impressed the same stamp of crime and habitual debauchery


lanky as the hero of the feast was seated on an empty barrel which elevated him somewhat above the rest on his right with her head upon the table betokening a delightful somnolence was the bride evidently overcome by the united powers of hymen and bacchus on his right sat the knuckler who was beating time to a chaunt which lanky was pouring forth with stentorian powers


it was the composition of knuckler who it is as well here to mention prided himself on his poetry like pope lisped in numbers and bore the title of the peoples poet


some interruption having occurred in the song the knuckler knocked a quart pot upon the table and called out be quiet covies full of beer and then the diggers chaunt youll hear less noise there ladies if you please such conduct is not quite the cheese proceed now lanky best of men one mull is nix begin again


lanky thus emboldened essayed once more the diggers chaunt


of all the various games of life the diggers life is best boys no father mother child or wife comes twixt us and our rest boys


the pick and cradle are our friends our home is in the tent boys and government a license sends to yield us cent per cent boys


dig dig dig pick and cradle wash away boys dig dig dig


the queen she sits upon her throne oppressed with weighty cares boys the miser counting oer his own is hoarding for his heirs boys


but as for cares we know not such they never come to tease boys and when we golden nuggets clutch we spend them at our ease boys


dig dig dig c


the merchant dreams of ships on seas when stormy winds do blow boys the doctors mourn departed fees from those they have laid low boys


their troubles are not ours we fear no fees nor vessels loss boys if floods arise we wolf good cheer and play at pitch and toss boys


and should bad luck upon us come for life is full of change boys


we take to trigger and to thumb and seek the mountain range boys and if in looking out for greed we nap a leaden pill boys we all must die once and the need lt saves to make a will boys


chorus


dig dig dig grave or cradle all the same boys dig dig dig


the chorus was most enthusiastically joined in by those who had a voice to give in the mat ter but as each one sang in a different key and not precisely in the same time it certainly bore greater resemblance to a drunken dutch medley than the elaborated performances at the italian opera


yet the performers were highly delighted with themselves under the direction of knuckler they wound it up with a three times three


at the conclusion forkey jem stepped forward and the warmth of his reception afforded evident tokens of the high esteem in which he was held by the parties present


his fertile schemes and desperate daring won the admira tion of his pals whilst his goodly person and rough gallantry rendered him an especial favor ite with the softer sex who were liberal in their advances to him and looked with as much anxiety for his choice as the eastern beauties for the throwing of the handkerchief


this in continence argued ill for his comfort but forky possessed the happy knack of keeping the jealou sies of his sultanas within due bounds and though he was unable to prevent an occasional skirmish he quelled it before it resulted in serious warfare


he declined the seat of honour which lanky offered and placed himself by the side of a young and pretty girl who had but lately become initiated into the mysteries of the darky ken


forky whose especial business it was to secure the services of knuckler for a purpose to be hereafter detailed determined not to lose sight of him


to abstract him from the festive scene was impossible for knuckler particularly prided himself on seeing things out and the mag netic influence of the bottle absorbed all the minor powers of attraction


scarcely was forky seated than the poet rose a loud cry for order as he had something very particular to remark


by dint of his own exertions and bullys assistance he was enabled to make himself heard and he thus broke forth heres to the health of forky jim a better chap neer lived than him and when his time for goings come may humbox patterer be dumb


ladies and gentlemen replied forky after the toast had been duly honored i am not such a spouter as knuckler else i might come out with a something spicy on the present oc casion and favour you with a full true and par ticular account of my birth parentage and ed dication all i can say is i was sent while a kid to quod by mistake and was necessitated to adopt the profession which i now practice by choice


i have taken all my degrees at college and i think i may say without vanity am a pretty tidy scholard


i was never known to flinch in business nor turn round in trouble


so no more at present from your humble servant to command forky james


wait a bit heres a health to the ladies and a kiss all round


the speaker suited the action to the word and a sound smack came ringing from the lips of the darkeyed damsel whom he had selected for his partner


cut that will you shouted a digger who had watched forkys advances with a jealous eye


not at all replied he and implanted ano ther kiss on the coral lips of the cyprian


then take this said the other furiously at the same time discharging an empty bottle at forkys head


the missile did not reach the intended mark but struck the unfortunate girl on the face and laid her senseless and bleeding


b you


cried forky you shall pay dearly for this


he made one bound over the table and drag ged the ruffian from his seat


stand up and fight said forky you shall have all the rights of the law


shape and look out


forkys antagonist was no tyro in the pugi listic art and he had a considerable advantage in size but whether he had imbibed too much or did not feel confidence in his cause he cut a sorry figure and a few well directed hits soon terminated the contest and left him sprawling and helpless whilst bully lifted him out of the room without any apparent overexertion of strength


the girl soon recovered from her fainting fit and the wound was bound up but her bloodstained garments contrasted fearfully with the ashy hue of her countenance and threw a deep gloom over the wedding scene


the beings around hardened as they were felt a sudden thrill come over them for which they could scarcely account whilst knucklers intoxication assumed a sombre and melancholy cast and he began to tell in a wild and incoherent manner of times long passed away ere the innocence of childhood was clouded by the dark shadow of crime


the expression of his face was changed as memory conjured up bygone scenes and his glassy eye was fixed upon one spot as if it was a magic mirror in which the events of his life were reflected before him


at length he spoke but his poetic strain had fled


the old woman said how it would turn out from bad to worse and at last to come along knuckler said forky who was fearful that unless hurried away at once he would become powerless or unmanageable


not till ive sung my grandmothers song forky


hang your grandmothers song tis all about hanging worse luck said knuckler disconsolately


out with it then be quick cried forky impatiently


time enough time enough for us both forky a short life and a merry one but it must come the song the song knuckler


knuckler then chaunted the following ditty in a most lugubrious and lacrymose manner and with all the solemnity which a peculiar phase of intoxication gives


the air sounded like a dirge and the words had a scent of the charnel house about themthe ravens croak


the raven sat on an ancient oak whose bare arms stretched to the sky and chaunted he with a dismal croak tis here that a man must die


a highwayman heard the dark birds song and shouted aloud in glee with prad like mine to bear me along a pice for the fatal tree


a year passed by and the raven came again to the wellknown place the old oak stood with its limbs the same and yet he a change could trace for swinging there in an iron shroud


a skeleton form he spied fit end screamed he for the guilty proud who the warning song deride


a loud knocking at the outer door followed by a crash startled the whole party from their seats


tis the peelers by uttered bully with a fearful oath


then came a mis cellaneous assortment of orders and directions of which douse the glimscut ithook it were predominant


as the exertions of the police to force an entry became more strenuous the confusion amongst the weddings guests was redoubled


forky jim whose presence of mind never deserted him in the hour of danger caught hold of knuckler and dragged him out from the mass who were rolling and tumbling over each other trying to make their escape and each moment rendering their efforts more abortive


the lights were all extingished but forky who was well acquainted with all the turnings and intricacies of the place made his way into a back yard followed by knuckler whom sudden proximity to peril had slightly sobered


forky crept about on his hands and knees in order to secure a ladder which was thoughtfully left for use in such emergencies he was soon rewarded by finding the object of his search


he placed it against the wall mounted it and listened in tently


not a sound was heard except the rush ing of the rain and moaning of the wind whose force had considerably abated


he then de scended


up you go knuckler drop from the wall the ground is high on the other side and soft enough now ill warrant


take the first turn to the left it will lead you to my crib theres the key if anything should happen to me you know what to do


quick


by jingo theyre coming


knuckler obeyed his orders and disappeared with remarkable celerity


forky followed him and as he reached the top of the wall the back door was thrown open and the bullseyes of the police were flashed upon him


thats the man we want they cried simul taneously on to the ladder


not so fast said forky as he drew that commodious article after him this jacob was invented for gentlemen like me not for scrubbers like you


good morning


he then walked leisurely home where he found knuckler comfortably ensconced in an easy chair and sleeping as soundly as if a deed of darkness had never crossed his mind


clmftkr


iitns terrihlk accusatiox


i i lind burnt my braces


i bad endeavoured to purchaso forgetfulness of sorapbluas false ness in a box of fullflavoured ilavannahs


i i bad smoked them every ono but no


i could j not get those six feet of military anatomy out of my head nor wlpo away from beforo my oyes


i that sylphlike form of vtntisrdine de taine


i was a miserablo man i got fatallowed my hair to grow ns it


likedneglected my once detr mustachiosdrank beerlot my whiskers run riotwent about actually without straps in fact did not caro what becamo of mo


my friends left mo ono by ono ministers ovon went to greenwich without mo


i cried liko n pump ns i was


hut this agony could not last long


man aged at length after several attempts to go down to brighton


seraphina was them


i called upon her


dont know why but it was an uncontrollable impulso thnt carried mo to kemp town made me lift the lions head and give a footman vulgar rattattat that must have been heard on tho chninpler


the lovely creature evidently did not know mo


is that you


sho said showing her bcautifnl whit teeth i thoaght you had gone into tho span ish legion


i could not say a word for i noticed that sha had on the very mouuetine de taine which had novar left my sido aloco our fatal meeting in greenwich park


she talked ns usual and played a little sang a little gavo two or three stitches to


rad worsted turk fed her canary watered her hyacinths till at last losing all patience sho turned round to mo moro uko a meg mrrilet thnn


anything elso and said with a slinging voice tho very estonco of pins and noedloi pray sir what in tho matter with you this morning p von aro aa uroly al a prue comedy


ono word with you tjidy seraphina i said without botraying moro emotion than i could holp


i nm unhappy mor unhappy than i would daro trust my lip to rovaal


th wretchedness i havo latoly known may it never bo your lot to oxporienoo


thoro is a secret i burn to unbosom to you


it has polsonod tba spring of my whola exiitanco turning that whioh was moro than ncotar to my thirsting heart int the bitterest gall


but how an i lay bara my bronst to you i tour looks however encour age mo tell me lady podgkinipntoll mo dearest seraphina as you value tho adoration nf a captiva heartand i foll on say tremb ling knees tell mo i implora youwith thoia tears i beseech youworo you not two mouths ngo in greenwich park walking with a sargeant of tho guards


novel albtll forgot hor indignant look


bat not n ward escaped her quivering lip


sho simply rang tho bell nnd ns tho pompous flunky swam into tho room quietly said will you seo if liouunant dummiescab la nt the door


i roso from my knees and for tho first time in my lifo felt ashamed of niysolf ah i ah i


the mysteries of sydney not by the author of the mysteries of paris or the mysteries of london but by one ourselves chapter ii


the attack


the night was solemn and beautiful


the crescent moon hung like a silver lamp in the midst of those glorious stars which studded the deep vault of heaven and the magic beauty of australian skies was strikingly exemplified as the lovers lingering for a few delicious moments looked on a scene such as young juliet gazed at when her eye filld with the fervid soul of italy watchd for the starry hours


if one could write the history of mans heart and its motives how much more interesting and instructive too would the record be than the brightest volume that ever was written upon mans actions


would that we could lay bare the inner springs of eustaces heart as he uttered a fond good night to the danseuse or that we could reveal the feelings which agitated the young girls bosom as her lover turned from the cottage and took his homeward path


hes a precious time a biddin good night to the shickster i vunder wot soft sawder hes a tippin her he seems to be pitchin it wery strong eh toby


oh he wont be long now these swells are raal flesh and blood and hed sooner be up at the terrace a takin his supper and ginnums than spinning a yarn to a gal spose shes ever so pretty


its all right hes a squeezin of er lily vite hand and takin is departer


now lipey my rum un look out


as eustace humming a lively tune sprang across one of the rivulets which as we have already observed intersect the uneven ground between the wooloomooloo and south head roads with the view of proceeding by the path lying behind the sydney college to that stately pile of buildings known as lyons terrace front ing hyde park toby and lipey cautiously left their hiding place and with stealthy pace crept towards a fence over which it was evident eustace would attempt to pass


sheltered by the outhouse of one of the cottages the villains lay concealed until eustace came up


now then lipey muttered toby in a harsh whispernows your time


lipey growled assent and grasping a small bludgeon with a deadly and determined purpose sprang noiselessly to the fence just as his in tended victim had placed his foot on one of the rails


hearing a movement behind him the young officer turned and only just became con scious of the presence of lipey when the up raised bludgeon was suddenly dashed from the hands of the latter and with an energetic tare and ouns terry mahony who had carefully dodged the miscreants began to admi nister what he called the swatest polthough in life between the shoulders of the astonished lipey


you big blaggard you shall av thrashin galore cried torry as he flourished lipeys own weapon over his devoted head but his attention and that of eustace having been drawn away for a moment by a threatening noise on their left and which was artfully contrived by toby in the hope of giving lipey a chance of escape the latter suddenly sprang to his feet and in another instant was seen in company with his confederate swiftly doubling the mazes of the paddock rookeries


eustace hastened to thank his timely deliver er but was surprised to find his outstretched hand sulkily refused by the boy


terry didnt like to see murther committed by the spalpeens but begad he didnt like the sojer as was robbin him of his darlint and with strange disdain he refused the thanks and the handsome reward which was gratefully tendered by eustace


it was a singular passion which impelled the poor lad and it may appear as extravagant on our part to describe terrys affection for the grace ful danseuse as it was for theocritus to make polyphemus that monster of reasonably horrid dimensions actually and tenderly in love and raving for his galatea my heart and very feet for wretchedness throband so let them for i too am wretched


oh cyclops cyclops where are thy poor senses


go to thy basketmakingget their food for the young lambs


twere wiser for thee fan mind what thou hast and let the young sheep go


perhaps thoult find another galatea


another and a lovelier for at night many girls call to me to come and sport and when they find me listening they all giggle so that een i seem counted somebody


if not in this in equally as wild a rhapsody did poor terry rave as eustace kindly pressed upon him a handful of coin and promised him in return for his timely and chivalrous assist ance to befriend him for the future


the lad insisted that jealousy on the part of the manage ment of the victoria was robbing him of romeo and it was but too clear that eustace was also robbing him of his juliet he would not there fore be comforted and finding his overtures vain the young officer musing upon his narrow escape and reflecting also that his movements were obviously watched by dangerous eyes pushed into the main road and reached his resi dence without further interruption


ciurten ry


when oswald raymond readied his home after the interview with his aunt it was with settled despair that he related to his wife in a few words ull that bad occurred still be of good cheer replied she seo heroa fow minutes before you came in a gen tleman called and asking for mo inquired par


ticularly if i was the wile of mr oswald ray mond bnd on my answering him in thu affirma tive ho gave me this packet which inclosed a brief note and ten sovereigns


all that this noto says is an old friend requests oswald ray mond to allow his two children to accept tho in closed ns a christmas presont


who can havo so kindly done this


in quired oswald with emotion


i do not knowtho gentleman was a perfect stranger to mc answered his wife placing her arni round raymonds neck nnd kissing him but i thank god for moving tho heart of somu one towards nsl told you oswald that christ mas would bring us a change of fortune hopeful ono you nre always dreaming of better fortune said oswald still looking at tho note to seo if lie could recognise thc handwriting


of conrso i am rejoined his smiling wife


it would never do fir a wife not to bo hopoful so long us her husband is so good to her and his children os yon uro j besides i really did dream as i sat over the fire this evening chat wo wore all very happily settled


dreams are more shadows clara i know that but if they aro pleasant shadows we should always believe themi do and after all you seo we shall have a dinner on christmas day althongh you began to despair of having one


so before you go out again to buy one como in to tho dear childrens room and say their prayers with them they are keep ing awake on purpose to pray with you for a merry christmas and happy new year


the sittingroom occupied by the raymonds was rather a large one on the second ifoor at tho side of it was a smaller apartment which they with their young children used as a sleeping roora


into this bedroom oswald and his wifo now entered taking their light with them and leaving tho sitting apartment in comparativo darkness


the noisy welcome and prattle of tho children as their parents drew near to them did not alow either oswald or clara to hear that their largor room door was opening or to ob serve who it was that entered that apartment


wo need not follow mrs corbett in her hasty rido to oswalds lodgings or tell how she begged the landlady to let her up stairs without being announcedso that she might come by surprise upon them all


suffice it that with a heart flut tering like a young girls about to meet a lover tho aunt ascended tho stairs and entered the sit ting room


looking into tho adjoining apartment she saw her nephew instructing two beautiful children a girl and a boyin tho exercise of her prayers which tho little ones repeated word for word after their father


at tho head of the bed holding tho hand of the youngor child tho girl stood tho mother


ono glance nt tho last mentioned and all mrs corbetts doubts respecting tho worth of her nephews wi co vanished


there was something in that pale expressive aountenancc


those wild blue eyes that slim and petite figure combined with a placid air of happy resignation that at once made clara kay mond a favorite with all who saw her


she looks a good young woman and is very handsomo thought tho aunt i can hardly blame him


but surely i have seen that face before


whilst thus contemplating tho clear full voico of oswald attracted her attention as ho impres sively spoko word for word tho simple night prayers his little children were repeating after him


she listened as the words fell on her ear and their prayer finished thus god blossdear papaand dear mamma and grant usa morry christmasanda happy new year


god blessdoar aunt martha and grant heryears of comfort aud joyand inclineher hearttowards us all


amen


he has done so


god bo praisedhe has done so


exclaimed tho excited ludy os she hurried towards the group and sank upon tho bosom of her astonished and forgiven nephew


twas christmas eve


kiowayoiu not thatthey thatrun in the race allrun indeed butone receiveth the prizop so run that you may obtain


and everyone that striveth for the manstery refraineth himself from allthings and they indeed thatthey tnay receive a corruptible crown but we an incorruptible one corinth


ix


will you inform me father what is drunkenness for i was never drunkl f ood grant my dear child you never may know what it is by expcricnce in your own person


drunkenness is a derange ment f tie noble faculities of our soul pro duced by the use of certtin liquors such as whiskey wine beer porter dotiblex c c when a person drinks of those liquors to excessand for asome persons a very small qiantity is an excesshe loses the right use of hessenses he begins to stagger about to talk foolishly and oftentimes very wickedly he swears and blasphemes quarrels with his neighbour and as has been often the case commits the horrid crime of murder


si will never become a drunkard


f ear more my son of the bad effects of driiiking intoxicating liquors


if the personwho drinks be a poor man and have a family of sons and daughters he robs them of two thingsfirst the means of temporal support and next the good ex ample which as a father he is bound to give them besides these evils hois guilty of another


namely


he cuts short the number of his own days


and leaves his children ii poverty and exposedtoall sorts of misfortune


s ohli father what a shocking thing drunkenness is f i will tellyou more of its bad effects myson n order to guard you against it


ciuptbu iiitn mxstiitioua dcovbt


i was killing n month nt knmsgato till my hnlr lind resumed ita itowlniidliku luxiirlnnoo mid having nothing to do


in despair i took up tho newspaper


good gracloua what did i roo i a pollco report in willoh tho nnmo of my woll bolovod soraphlnn waa mentioned


i involun tarily gronnd my tooth a


i thought of hor per fidy but atilt i could not control myself ogalnat unconsciously rending tho following i mbou


smithtmnry dugglns a washer woman ww charged with having on several


occasions worn tho drosses of her customers


i it was proved that she had worn at greenwich on two distinct occasions a hanilsomo mousse line u aine of the lovely lady odgkinson of alfredstreet mav fair


several gentlemen canje forward and complained warmly of tho indignity and tho very great annoyanco their families had been subjected to in consequence of tho innumerable contretemps that lind arisen from mrs duggin wearing their daughters dresses at such places as kittle chelsea rosh erville the white conduit and battersea tea gardens


tho cases were clearly established arid tho prisoner was tc tc tc


i started up like n madman


so then tho figuro i liad seen on a sunday in greenwich park wa not my seraphina but merely the mockery of her elegant selftho moro in animate clothes that helped to adorn her poo ti cnl person


how i inughcd nt myself


to mistake a washerwoman for her who had not her equal on tho earth not to distinguish tho nativo dignity of a lady podgkinsnn from the innato soapsuds of a mary duggius


oh


jealousy


what nincompoops yon mako of tho wisest men


tho following day i was


in tho arms o my dearest seraphina sh qui ceil me dreadfully scolded me inquired how many bumporaf prus sic acid i had drank and tho following day sent mo a curious littlo packet which contiinoii half adozen of tho genuino bears grenso importo from tho north polo by sir john ross


could i mistnko such undeniable proofs of nltoction


i should have been a malthus a martincau a stoney a mummy ndummy if i had not madu lndy podgkinson tho partner of my joys and lieutenants pay


i liave now a nug littlo hos near blackheath and whenever i want a hearty laugh i stroll into greenwich park and show my wifo tho identical pot


where i saw her dividing tho orangowith tho lifo guardsman


sho biiios and taps mo playfully with her pink psrasol


what afunny world wo livo in if pcopo would only think so


hi iii


a new series


the mysterles of sydney or the revelations of sin shame and sorrow


chapter viii


a walk in the domainan eplsode in an irish gentlemans life


an shure katie miss earle is quite dull and stupid like an sorra the bit of pleasure she sees do thry to persuade her to take a thrifle of air this fine afternoon


such was the address of mrs osqueeze as the three ladies sat poring over the intricacies of crocheting and such feminine nicknackeries in the drawingroom of migration lodge


fannys thoughts were wandering far away from her employment and to speak the truth the pre cocious katie was dreaming of a certain young gentleman who had stamped himself upon her impressionable heart and her ideas were much lazier than her fingers


oh mama replied katie waking from her reverie it is far beyond my powers of per suasion i have frequently essayed them in vain miss earle acts the hermit and does not deign to listen to me but there is a swain who tis very plain could win her away from her cell yet as for the name which fans up loves flame i think myself bound not to tell


sang miss katie archly


in all matters con nected with courtship and the interchange of souls she was a complete adept and under the affectatlon of childishness concealed an obser vant and scheming brain


even before she ab


jured short frocks and long trousers her mind was turned towards a matrimonial connection and many a time and oft she sought a key to the future through the aid of palmistry or the magic mysteries of the teacup and the divining cards


the worst of education and example had made her old before her time


mothers cannot indict a greater curse upon their children than by teaching them to become hacknied in the ways of the world and changing the green romance of youth into the yellow hue of autumn


it is sickening to contemplate the unnatural picture but in the end mothers reap the evil harvest they have sown when they most need filial affection soothing sympathy and tender assist ance they experience only cold contempt and pointed neglect


they who raise the nettle must expect to feel its sting


i am quite content remarked fanny with out condescending to notice miss katies inu endo to bear an humble and quiet fate


still i feel grateful for the kindness which would strive to woo me from my meditative moods


but as words do not speak so plainly as actions i will accompany you with pleasure to your favorite spot the domain presuming your friend mr melson will accord us his protecting defence


well that is kind cried miss katie clap ing her hands joyously and the band will play and such a beautiful lot of the newest and there will be such company and such a swarm of scarlet coats inter rupted fanny smiling


faith an i hope katie nivir thinks of the likes of thim


for although my dear dead an gone misther osqueeze was an offlcer i cannot bear the thoughts of my darlint intering into the arrms of the army


to be torn away from me and scorched in the lngies or shot at by new zealand salvages or whisked about in all sorts of outlandish places it would be too much for my nerves quite intirely


please mem said nips who just made his appearance theres a gentleman below vots a axing arter you


what is his name nips


a regular rumun he calls himself mr tickleass melson and if that ant a queer style of christenin folks i dont know what is


oh im so glad hes come send him up directly nips exclaimed miss katie delight edly


another of em miss


vell for your time of life you sartinny does hook em with your fishin tackle surprisin and no mistake


them there gudgeons and flat fish bites uncommon sharp


here this vay mr melson bawled nips who was not accustomed to assume the manners of a west end footman mind the coalscuttle on the stairs and dont break your shins against the wenns in the corner


thus warned mr melson piloted his way safely to the room


while he is making his devoirs to the iadies we will give a slight sketch of this extraordinary personage


mr tickleass melson was of hibernian des cent but unlike the mass of the emerald isle was never accustomed to boast of the loins from which he sprang


he left it entirely a matter of speculation and folks could take their choice between brian boru and the odonoghoe or ted dy the tiler and darby the blast


this cloud of uncertainty was favorable to mr melson and prevented him from being thrown into unplea sant rencontres with orange or green


he was tall and thin his face particularly was of the elongated hatchet order it could not be called an oval for his chin and nose were as sharp as scrapers and no countenance could be better calculated to give the cut direct to a dun or an unpleasant acquaintance


he was blessed with imperturbable good humour and had the happy knack of putting those with whom he associated on good terms with themselves which was the best method of ensuring their favorable opi nion


mr melson fully appreciated this great his flatteries were so adroitly adminis tered and bore such an air of sincerity with them that his hearers were completely capti vated and led away in the melsonian chains


in consequence of this happy knack he not only won the confidence of most people but obtained the entree to their houses which was of infi nitely more consequence


but he never how ever abused these favors the secrets of each domicile were inviolable and while his conver sational powers were exercised with unceasing volubility they were confined to the recital of general events and never touched upon particu lars or these were so skilfully disguised as to convey the whole force of the joke without betraying the source from whence it was derived


for instance if mr melson saw an excessively occurrence at the house of mr h at woo lloomooloo he would retail it to the town in the shape of i remember when in ireland many years ago witnessing such and such a thing c


thus he obtained the character of a funny fellow without injuring any one and a pleasant com panion without the faintest spice of malevolence about him


in fact he played his cards well and could always score the game either by his or the odd trick


melson was devotedly attached to the fair sex and this occasionally led him into dilemmas from which however his disposition would extricate him and somehow or other he invariably managed to swim safely to shore when less happily consti tuted men would have been swallowed by the


such was mrticklelass melson who as an especial favorite of miss katie although he did not sport that peculiar colored cloth which arouses the ire of turkey cocks and insane bullocks


the ladies soon donned their walking costume and sallied forth from migration lodge under the protecting care of mr melson who was quite exhilarated and had the finest flow of animal spirits imaginable


his little bits of irish life forth patly and his passing observations men and things were made in a most felici tous style


the beauty of the weather the dulcet of the music the picturesque view and the gay throng were all so happily blended as to steal with a soothing influence over the mind of fanny who turned from the dark curtain of the past to gaze upon the bright lights of the future


mr melsons running commentaries were con tinually interrupted by how dye does charming weathers c as he bowed and addressed the parties passing


fanny was sur prised at the extent of his acquaintance and ventured to express as much


yes miss earle replied mr melson


i flatter myself that i know everybody in sydney worth knowing


it was always so with me born naturally born to it


i remember when i was in dublin at the castle bal


do you mind


his excellency the lord lieutenant sir tarleton fitzboy was at a loss for an introduction to lady kitfoozle a young widow lovely creature her charms only equalled by her fortune but reserved very melancholy as a nun and frigid as an icicle


the whole court would not ven ture did not know her do you mind


at last his excellency applied to me


melson said he placing his hand on my shoulder in the most familiar manner for we were almost like brothers do you mindare you acquainted with lady kitfoozle


its myself replied i that knew her from a child wove wild flowers for her hair plaited crowns of rushes for her dragged her out of a duck pond and made love to her amongst her grim ancestors in the long picture gallery


the thing was arranged in a moment


lady kitfoozle was condescendingly polite and his excellency was mesmerised or magnetised for the remainder of the evening


that circumstance simple as it may appear had nearly laid the foundation of my fortune


in what way mr melson


unless the en quiry would lead to the disclosure of your pri vate griefs


not at all miss earle


i have no secrets


lt got me an appointment in the secretarys office a capital thing de you mind


nothing to do six hundred a year for doing it and pro motion in perspective


and you lost it


precisely so my lucky stars withdrew their shining light as the poet sings


the secretarys chief clerk was a little weazenfaced parchment anatomy who laboured under the monomania that the ladies were desperately in love with him head over heels dying do you mind


vanity will have a fall as well as pride and so he proved it


what put it into my head i dont know un


less it was tim flanagan the priest of duckan derry or ould nick himself pardon the men tion of his sable mightiness


but i determined to bring the chief clerk and miss biddy brady together


she wanted a husband bad enough and as she was on the wrong side of fifty and an ould maid the wish was a natural one


the chief clerk for reasons best known to himself had a mortal aversion to her and in troth miss biddy brady was not far behind in her dislike to him


well down i sat at my desk with pen ink and paper before me as busy as if i had been writing dispatches of the grand victory at waterloo or the defeat of the peelers in the wilds of connaught and i addressed a note of invitation to miss biddy brady to meet an adoring lover of agreeable person and manners with a competent fortune who was boiling over with anxiety to make her happy for life


and for greater security she was to wear a hood tied with a piece of green ribbon


off went des patch


no to the lady and despatch no was soon forwarded to the chief clerk


by simply changing the genders and requesting him for decencys sake to throw a military cloak over his dress and wear a slouched hatthe thing was done


he fell into the trap at once and twenty times during the day i caught him perusing the billet doux of the admiring phillis


but the joke would have been lost without an audience so i enlisted a few friends for the purpose of witnessing the affair and coming up at the denouement quite by chance as it were do you mind


it was rather a dangerous experiment i am inclined to think mr melson


faith youre right but i couldnt restrain myself at the time the fun was so strong in me


well we planted ourselves in a convenient spot behind a thicket and sure enough as miss biddy brady appeared in one direction the chief clerk was coming post haste on the wings of love in another


as they passed each other each gave a hem as much as to say is it all right


a second turn brought them together and faith they began love making without the least delay irish fashion


and is it you my darling


cried the chief clerk as he tried to get a peep under miss biddys hood


faix an youre not far out sighed miss biddy as she strove to pierce through the mili tary garment and broad brimmer


and are you ready to sacrifice every thing for me adored one groaned the chief clerk


och by the holy


its meshelf thats well inclined towards yez responded miss biddy


if the sacrifice of my life will convince you of my constancy i will give it up to you this moment ejaculated the chief clerk


by the powers id rather yed live for me responded miss biddy


what heavenly sounds are these i hear sang the chief clerk remove that odious hood and let me catch a glimpse of your divine countenance


take off your hat and let the surprise be mutual said miss biddy coyly


faith miss earle had you seen the pair continued mr melson as they disclosed them selves you could scarcely have survived


the chief clerks face turned as blue as if he had been struck by the cholera and miss biddys became as red as a peony


for a few moments astonishment struck them dumb but the lady soon found her tongue


an is it yerself ye little baboonfaced dried mummy as had the audacity to be inditin love letthers to a brady


its a mistake mem stammered the chief clerk i received a billet from you


from me is it you parjhured villin of the world


an you want to take away my charac ter


faix if theres law in ireland ill have it out of you


there is your note said the chief ckerk producing it


i niver wrote itniver but here is yours you little apology for a man


murther diffina shun of character and braach of promise


an here comes the wltnesses


the last exclamation was caused by the ap pearance of my friends and myself as we strolled leisurely up to enquire into the cause of the dispute


the chief clerk stopped to hear no more he shook his little fists at us and rushed from the scene of action as if pursued by a thousand demons whilst the lady regaled us with her version of the affair and the desperate intentlon she had formed against the monster of iniquity


whether my share in the transaction was discovered or merely suspected i know not but shortly afterwards i was compelled to leave my ppc and accept a situation in the colony which i hold to this day


but it strikes me mr melson that a circum stance very similar to your history occurred in sydney said miss earle


not at all i assure you it happened in dublin


did not a high military personage here once faith no scandal miss katiein dublin sweet city on my honor as a gentleman


miss katie was by no means satisfied with mr melsons assertion and determined to convince fanny that the affair had a much nearer local habitation and a name but at this moment the band struck up the national song which warn ed them that it was time to depart


they ac cordingly strolled towards migration lodge and on their way met mr hawk kitely who was on horseback


he bowed politely to the ladies and requested mr melson in rather a marked tone to favor him with a call at his earliest con venience


surely surely in the morning replied mr melson


do you know mr kitely enquired both the ladies


ah yes


my principle is to be acquainted with every body


he then murmured sotto voce faith i wish kitely was an exception to my rule


why and wherefore rested between mr hawk kitely and mr ticklelass melson


to be continued


mysteries of sydney


not by the author of the mysteries of paris or the mysteries of london but by one of ourselves


part iichapter xv


lipey resumes the narrative of his life to young daylight


after losing my companions daylight i felt a sort of desperation come over me and i vowed revenge upon all mankind who were not of my class


when i saw the rich rolling by in their carriages clad in furs and warm garments and turned around to behold some poor halfnaked wretch shivering upon the icy pavement i asked by what right all the comforts of the world were given to wealth and all the miseries to poverty


and as i could never satisfactorily answer this i would say to myself ho ho


master wealth you lord it bravely and ride rough shod over your fellow flesh and blood we must try to share your good fortune and put things more upon a level


i expect my principles were pretty much on a par with those of the great kings and warriors that we read of in history who levied contributions upon their neighbours for fear they should get too proud


but as i am not much of a scholar i leave that point for wiser heads to determine


at all events it was my theory and i never lost an opportunity of putting it into practice


still i was true to the memory of my old friends and kept my eye steadily fixed on those who had been the instruments of their punish ment


and i truly believe that if i had seen the judge and jury who tried them and the sheriffs the parson the hangman and the thousands who witnessed poor spicys fatal end drowning and my hand could have saved them i would not have stretched it out


i told you daylight my heart had become completely burdened and seared up as if a redhot iron had been stamped upon it


on one of these sheriffs i took a bitter re venge and i felt a deeper enmity towards him because he always set his face against any mercy being extended towards criminals


he had the character of a hard man and had well earned it


he was a regular chapelgoer besides and ought to have been different


but these men are al ways so much better than their neighbours that they can never forgive a fault


he was a large paper manufacturer and had extensive ware houses in a lane leading out of thamesstreet


at this time i had formed a connexion with some of the most skilful cracksmen in the city and the jobs we performed were of the heaviest description


we had got information from the porter belonging to the warehouse that after eight oclock at night the place was left com pletely unguarded for two hours as the person in whose charge it was invariably spent that time nightly in a neighbouring public house


a large sum of money always remained in the cashbox and as by means of our informant the putterup we had got impressions of all the locks both of the outer and inner doors that time was considerably more than sufficient to enable us to accomplish our object


i say our but i cherished another object which i kept carefully concealed from my companions


the night was as dark as pitch i shall never forget it and there was only a solitary lamp in the corner of the lane the light of which was far removed from the scene of our operations


we stood within a few yards of the clerk when he came out closed the outer door carefully locked it and walked away to his customary enjoyment without giving the warehouse or his masters property another thought


he whistled a lively air little dreaming how soon it would be changed into a serious tune


to make all secure two of our people stationed at the bot tom of the iane followed him unperceived to the publichouse and did not leave him till he was comfortably seated with a glass of warm brandy and water before him and a pipe in his mouth


our scheme was so well arranged that it did not take us ten minutes to complete the job and make ourselves masters of the cash box


we locked the door again and had nearly reached the outer door when as if the sudden thought had struck me i said by jingo


ive left my handkerchief behind wait a bit


i retraced my steps and taking some lucifers from my pocket set a light to a large pile of loose paper which i had observed in one corner of the warehouse


i then rejoined my comrades and we walked leisurely away


when we got to a secure place we burst open the cash box and found bank notes and gold to the amount of nearly six hundred pounds be sides a large quantity of bills of exchange and other securities


the latter it was proposed to return as they were of no use to us but i ar gued so strongly against such a course that it was agreed to keep them and try to gain some thing on them by way of reward


we had scarcely lotted out the money when that fearful cry in london fire fire from a hundred voices mixed with the hurrying and clattering of feet and the rumbling of engines reached us


we were instantly on our feet and having de posited our money carefully hurried out to try our further luck in another branch of the rogues art picking pockets


where can the fire be said i to a passer bysomewhere about thamesstreet i be lieve he answered and hastened on


thames street cried my companions simultaneously


the devil


lt wont do lipey to show there tonight


nonsense


i replied


what are you afraid of nobody will take notice of us in the bustle come on


few can imagine the surprise of my pals and my fiendish delight as the huge volumes of flame burst forth from the windows of the warehouse we had so lately quitted


the lane was so nar row that the engines could not find room to play well upon the burning building but even if they could have done so the inflammable nature of the stores inside must have resisted all their endeavours


i had no wish to ply our avoca tions it was enough for me to hear the roar and hiss and crackle and when the roof fell in and a huge volume of smoke and millions upon millions of bits of burning paper and sparks rush ed up into the sky followed by a broad furnace of flame which turned the dark clouds into crim son i shouted with demoniac glee and for the moment fancied that i beheld splcys spectre standing on the tottering wall and waving his hand towards me in gratitude for the deed


i watched and watched till the walls fell in and nothing was left of that huge place and its riches but rubbish and ruins


revenge the parsons say daylight is wrong it may be so but it is sweet


they showed spicy no mercy why should i have spared them


the newspapers were full of the affair next morning


no one could account for the manner in which it was done


though there were plenty of speculations about it they did not hit on the truth you may be sure


the loss was estimated at and better than all the property was uninsured


that sheriff would have been lord mayor the next year they said but he changed his character he wasa bankrupt


perhaps in his poverty he learned to be more charitable in his judgment on the errors and guilt of others


if he did so the lesson i gave him was worth more than all his riches


how ever i didnt think of that at the time


theres one gone thought i now for the rest


but luckily for them my career was sud denly stopped else who knows daylight what might have happened


ill tell you this ex ploit which led to my visiting botany bay a country for which i always had a wonderful horror and which has not been diminished by acquaintance i have been sunk low ever since ive been in it but i suppose i shall get duly elevated in time


and to tell the real truth my life has been so hard that i am getting some what careless about its preservation


however these reflections do not belong to my story


two of my new connexions were extraordinary chaps in their way


they were known amongst the fraternity as the climbing boys for their skill in managing to effect entrances into houses by means of the leaden spouts which run up from the ground to the roofs


their names were wells and smithers both of them had been sailors and it was in pursuing this career that they acquired their catlike accomplishment


the feats they performed in this way were in credible and many a servant was discharged from a good place on suspicion of being con cerned in robberies which were performed by the clambering pair


several extensive jewel pecula tions were committed by them upon the nobility and although the most sagacious officers from bowstreet were called in to examine the pre mises and the domestics they were completely baffled


not a lock was forced not a door open nor the slightest clue left by the ma rauders


in fact it seemed miraculous


i worked with these worthies several months and each of us had made what to many would have been a fortune and which well husbanded might have placed us above all future want


but with people of our profession light come light go is the maxim


what with gambling and indul gence in every species of extravagance we found our pockets exhibiting signs of weakness which were not peculiarly pleasant


the hint was enough for us and we were ready for anything


the scholars of the devil are never in want of temptations and a rich bait soon presented itself


in taking a ramble by the london docks on the look out for the waifs and strays which are scattered about we overheard one of the clerks give directions to a re spectable looking man to be very particular about the delivery of a small case to the brazilian consul which was marked gold dust


you may rely on it daylight we never lost sight of him and his charge till we saw them both safely lodged in the office of the consul close by the old jewry


it was a large house and like many of that kind in london let out in various offices that of the consul being on the first floor


we watched the place very narrowly for several nights without being able to effect an entrance


fearful that the golden spoil might escape us if we delayed our attempt too long wells proposed to try to reach the roof by a water spout which ran up at the back part of the house and let himself down through the skylight by means of a rope


it was a desperate undertaking but as he expressed the greatest confidence in his ability we agreed to make the experiment


if he succeeded he was to unclose the front door and admit smithers and myself with the necessary implements to open or force the locks as the case might require


the night we selected was stormy the rain poured down in torrents and the wind blew a hurricane


however wells was not the least alarmed he commenced his perilous ascent with a rope tied round his body


nothing but the strongest nerve and power could have pre vented him from losing his hold and being dashed to pieces on the pavement


the sensa tions i experienced were terrible i felt sick at heart and as the flashes of lightning revealed him for a moment clinging to the slender stay i shuddered and turned away in horror from the contemplation of his frightful position


when at last i saw him standing on the coping stone of the tall building in safety a heavy load was removed from my mind


once on the roof wells soon made his way through the window and attaching the rope to a hook on the top of the skylight let himself down to a landingplace


finding all quiet he descended the stairs and gave us admission


we closed the door after us and having put list shoes over our boots noiselessly proceeded to the consuls office


to effect an entrance into this was only the work of a few minutes but a strong barrier still interposed between us and the object for which wells dared so much


it was secured in a large iron safe let into the wall the lock of which was of a construction that baffled our skeleton keys


we were therefore com pelled to use more forcible means and burst it


for a long time we toiled in vain but the magnitude of the stake encouraged us to pro ceed and we were at last successful


but our success was ruin the iron door flew open with a bang like the sound of a cannon and roused all the sleepers in the house


flight was now our only resource


wells rushed up stairs and clambering up his knotted rope managed to reach the roof but not without being seen by one of the inmates who gave the alarm and prevented his drawing up the cord


wells descended by the leaden spout in his usual way and would have escaped but unfor tunately when within fifteen or twenty feet of the ground he missed his hold and fell


he was not only stunned and terribly bruised by the fall but his thigh was broken


the passage of smithers and myself was op posed by a giant of a fellow who held a cutlas in one hand and a candle in the other


we made a dash at him and with one blow of a jemmy shivered the blade of his weapon to atoms and laid him sprawling on the floor


he was not our most formidable foe however as the devil of a fellow who saw wells escape then made his appearance springing a huge rattle whose sound brought the police to the spot and on rushing into the street we found ourselves opposed by fresh adversaries


we fought des perately but were overpowered by numbers and dragged half dead to the nearest station house


the rest may easily be guessed daylight


after waiting till our unlucky pal had recovered the use of his limb they put us in the dock of the old bailey together and mercifully recom mended us to try the healthy air of this country for the rest of our natural lives


they wanted to persuade us that it was very kind of them and all for our good but for the life of us daylight we could not see it


but as i said before i am no scholar and no doubt the gen tlemen were right


our trial made a rare hubbub at the time and people used to come to newgate and stare at us as if we were wild beasts


the officers looked upon themselves as keen chaps but if it had not been for the rope which wells was com pelled to leave behind him in the hasty flight and his subsequent disaster they never would have found out the mystery of the climbing boys


to be continued


broiling a piratedr


woodbridge strong one of the witnesses in the webster trial on the th march gave the following account of a dainty little bit of professional cookeryl have dissected a good many bodies in my day i had a pirate given me in warm weather in the year and as i only wanted the bones i dissected him rapidly and as there was a good deal of fat about him i thought lt would be as good a way as any to burn him up


i therefore made a large roaring fire and kept throwing on piece by piece all night and till eleven oclock the next day i found i had not done by a great deal


i con sider it a great job to burn up a human body


pitch pine would be the best thing to do it wlth


it is necessary to keep the fire wall stirred up during the process or it will go out


some malignant slanderer says woman needs no eulogistfor she speaks for herself


the heart of a married woman who flirts is iike a rose of which every admirer plucks a leaf till there is nothing left for the husband but the stalk and the thorn


the mysteries of sydney


not by the author of the mysteries of paris or the mysteries of london but by one of ourselves


chapter xx


the capturethe trial


when the mail reached sydney immediate in formation was conveyed to the police of the daring robbery and such a description of the perpetrators as the nature of their disguises would allow


inspector tearin immediately despatched the most cunning and sagacious of his forces in various directions through the country to ferret out the robbers while the town runners were directed to keep a watchful lookout in their quarter


tearin attended by inspector furrows and a district chief managed to secure the person of young daylight after an arduous search and lipey was subsequently apprehended upon private information at the illuminated hotel in kentstreet


after various examinations strictly private before mr twiceayte furlongs at the police office toby and young daylight were both com mitted for trial


it being the eve of the sittings of the central criminal court the depositions were at once forwarded to the attorneygene rals office and within fourandtwenty hours of their committal the knights of the road were arraigned at the bar before his honor mr justice wickinson and a jury of twelve on an indictment for highway robbery with firearms to which they respectively returned the cus tomary plea of not guilty and for their trial put themselves upon god and their country c


the interior of the darlinghurst court is most impressive


the justice seat is alone sufficient to strike terror into the minds of all beholders but faced as it is by the spiked rattrap in which the prisoners are caged the effect is doubly terrifying


beneath the awful dais of the god dess of the sword and scales is the box of the clerk of the arraigns and lower down on the floor of the court the legal tables set apart for the gentlemen of the bar and attorneys


on the left of these sit the jury gaoler and officials on the right the gentlemen of the press and the curious crowd


for the accommodation of the latter a spacious gallery is also provided


at the barristers table was a rubyfaced keen eyed personage past the bloom of life but whose general appearance and lively manner evidently betokened him as one possessed of all the faculties of youth matured and improved by agea splendid wine originally but wonderfully improved by keeping


good living was stamped upon his facenot the mere sensual enjoyment of excess but the marks told of intellectual symposia of brilliant noctes ambrosian when the sparkles of wit flashed more brightly than the beaming tints of the wine and the glow of the draught brought out the best feelings of the heart like those invisibly traced letters which only appear by the application of warmth


his silk gown bespoke him to be before the bar and a leader


mr phosphor was in fact the oldest counsellor at the australian bar


he was engaged in a conversation with two brother barristers and from the frequent bursts of laughter which sprang from the trio suffici ently subdued to suit the hallowed precincts in which they were given vent to


it was clear that the subject of discourse was anything but a grave one


mr widehurst the one who sat next to mr phosphor had acquired a strong reputation for classical and forensic talent and not without reason


he possessed abilities of a very high order and these were agreeably assisted by a constant flow of wit and imperturbable good temper


but he was a lion when roused and the least shadow of insult would effect this


he was liberal to a fault somewhat gay and care less of money nay it was said that if at the end of twelvemonths exertions he found a balance of eighteenpence in his favour he was perfectly satisfied ie when he had expended that amount


the prominent nose and clearly chisseled facial outline of the next gentleman were full of cha racter


lt was a countenance once seen not easily to be forgotten


mr todarthur was de scended from an english judge of high standing


originally intended for the medical profession and gifted with an ardent and enterprising spirit he passed a considerable portion of his early life in travel


central africa and the dead sea were almost as familiar to him as the home of his childhood


after encountering moving accidents by flood and field he returned to his native land with a mind considerably enlarged by his intercourse with new phases of human cha racter and the stores which his acute observa tion had garnered up


he eschewed galen and celsus for hale and blackstone and dived into the musty records of legal lore with the same ardent spirit which characterised his previous pursuits


success rewarded his efforts and as a criminal lawyer he was acknowledged to be one of the best in australia