TJIE OMAHA DAILY BEE : SATURDAY , OCTOBER S , J8D8.
m
MR , LEDBETTER'S VACATION.
By H. G , WELLS.
( Copyright by H. O. Wclla. ) i
My friend , Mr. Ledbcttcr , Is a stout , |
round-faced little man , whoso natural
mildness of eye Is gigantically exaggerated
when you catch the beam through hU
glasses and whoso deep , deliberate voice
Irritates Irritable people. A certain elabo
rate clearness of enunciation has corns with ,
him to his present vicarage from his
scholastic days , an elaborate clearness of I
enunciation and a certain nervous deter- |
ruination to bo firm and correct upon all
Issues , Important and unimportant alike. He
is a sacerdotallst and a chess player and
suspected by many of the secret practice of
the higher mathematics creditable rather <
than Interesting things. Ills conversation '
Is copious and given much to needless de
tail. Hy many , Indeed , his Intercourse Is
condemned , to put It plainly , as "boring , "
and such have even done mo the compliment
to wonder why I countenance him. But ,
on the other hand , there Is a largo faction
who marvel at hla countenancing such a
disheveled , discreditable acquaintance as
myself. Few appear to regard our friend-
Bhlp with equanimity. But that 13 because
they do not know of the link that binds
us , of my amiable connection via Jamaica
with Mr. Ledbctter'a past.
About that past ho displays an anxious
modesty. "I do not know what I should do
If It became known , " ho says , and repeats
Impressively , "I do not know what I should
do. " As -matter - of fact I doubt If ho
would do anything except get very red about
the cars , nut that will appear later , nor
will I tell hero ot our encounter , slnco as
a general rule though I am prone to break
H the end of a story should come after
rather than before the beginning. And the
beginning of the story goes a long way back ;
Indeed , It Is now nearly twenty years slnco
Fate , by a aeries of complicated and start
ling maneuvers , brought Mr. Ledbetter , BO
to speak , Into my hands.
In these days I was living In Jamaica and
Mr. Ledbetter was a schoolmaster In Eng
land. Ho was In orders and already recog
nizably the same man that he la today , the
name rotundity of visage , the sarno or simi
lar glasses and the same faint shadow of
surprise In his resting expression. Ho was ,
of course , disheveled when I saw him and
his collar less of a collar than a wet bandage -
ago and that may have helped to bridge
the natural gulf between us but of that ,
as I say , later.
The business began at Hlthereatc-on-Si-a
and simultaneously with Mr Ledbatter's
summer vacation. Timber ho came for a
greatly needed rest , with a bright brown
poitmanteau marked F.V. . L. and a now
while and black straw hat aud two pairs
of white Ilannel trousers. Ho was natu
rally exhilarated at his release from school ,
for he waa not very forU of the boys he
taught. After dinner ho 'ell Into a discus
sion with a talkative person established in
the boarding house to which , acting ou the
adlee of his aunt , ho Sai resorted , luls
talkative person was the only other oan In
tinhouse. . Their dlscuaj'on ' concerned the
mtiancholy disappearance of wonder and nd-
vemurc In these latter days , the prevalence
of globe trotting , the abolition of distance
by pieam and electricity , the vulgarity of
ndvcrtlteruent , the degradatloi of men by
civilization and many such things. Partlcu-
lar.y was the talkative person eloquent ou
tha decay of human couraee througa se
curity , a security Mr. Ledbettor ratber
thoughtlessly Joined him In deploring. Mr.
Ledbetter , In the first dellgV. of emancipa
tion from "duty" and helms anxious per
haps to establish a reoutattoa for raanly
conviviality , partook rather rroro freely
than was advisable of the excellent whisky
the talkative person produced , llut he did
not become intoxicated , he lusls'9. He was
simply eloquent beyond his sober wont and
with the liner edge gone from his Judg
ment. And after that long talk of the bravo
old days that were gene forever , ho went
out into moonlit Hithercate alone and up
the cliff road where the villas cluster to
gether.
Ho had bewailed and now , as he walked
up the silent road ho sttri bewailed the
fate that had called him to such an un
eventful llfo as a pedagogue's. What a
prosaic exlstenco ho led , so stagnant , so
colorless ! Secure , methodical , year In year
out , what call was there for bravery ? Ho
thought enviously of these roving mediaeval
days , so near and BO remote , of quests aud
spies and condottlerl and many a risky
bladc-dranlng business. And suddenly
came a doubt , a strange doubt , springing
out ot aoino chance thought of tortures and
destructive altogether of the position ho
had assumed that evening. Was he Mr.
Ledbetter really , after alf , so brave as he
assumed ? Would he really be so pleased
to have railways , policemen , and security
vanish suddenly from the earth ? The talk
ative man had spoken enviously of crime.
"Tho burglar , " ho said , "Is the only true
adventurer left ou earth. Think of his
single-handed light against the whole civ
ilized world ! " And Mr. Ledbetter had
echoed his envy. "They do have some fun
out of life , " Mr. Ledbetter had said. "And
about the only people who do. Just think
how It must feel to wire a lawn ! " And he
had laughed wickedly. Now in this franKcr
Intimacy of self-communion ho found him-
elf Instituting a comparison between his
own brand ot courage and that of the ha
bitual criminal. Ho tried to meet these In
sidious questionings with blank assertion.
"I could do all that , " said Mr. Ledbetter.
"I long to do all that. Only I do not give
way to my criminal Impulses. My moral
courage restrains mo. " Uut he doubted ,
even whllo he told himself these things.
Mr. Lcdbettor passed a largo villa standIng -
Ing by Itself. Conveniently situated abo\o
a qutto practicable balcony was a window ,
caplnc black , wldo open. At the tlmo he
bcnreely marked It , but the plcturo of It
rame to him , wove Into his thoughts. He
tlgurcd himself climbing up that balcony ,
crouching , plunging , Into that dark , mys
terious Interior "Hah ! You would not
dare , " said the spirit of doubt. "My duty
to my fellow men forbids , " said Mr. Led-
better's self-respect.
It was nearly 11 and the little seaside
town was already very still. The whole
world slumbered under the moonlight. Only
ono warm oblong of window blind far down
the road epoko of waking life. Ho turned
nnd came back elovvly toward the villa of
the open window. Ho stood for a minute
ouUldo the gate , a battle of motives. "Let
us put things to the test , " said Doubt. 'Tor
the satisfaction of these intolerable doubts
show that you dare go Into that house.
Commit a burglary in blank. That at any
rate Is no crime , " Very softly he opened
and shut the gate * and slipped Into the
cbadow of the shrubbery. "This la foolish , "
eald Mr. Lelbetter'a caution. "I expected
that , " raid Doubt. HU heart was beating
fast , but ho was certainly not afraid. He
was not afraid. Ho remained In that
nbadow for eomo considerable time.
The ascent of the balcony It was evident
would have to bo done In a rush , for It
r was all in clear moonlight , and visible from
the gate Into the avenue. A trellis thinly
pet with young , ambitious climbing roses
made the ascent ridiculously easy. There In
that black shadow by the stone vase ot
tlowers one might crouch and take a closer
view ot this gaping breach in the domestic
defenses , the open window , For a while
Mr , Ledbetter was as still oa the night , and
then that Inildlous whisky tipped the bal
ance. Ho dashed forward. Ho went up
the trellis with quick , convulsive move
ments , swung his legs over the parapet
of the balcony and dropped panting In the
shadow , oven as ho had designed. Ho was
trcmbllnc violently , short of breath , and
his heart pumped noisily , but his mood
was exultation. He could have shouted to
nnd bo was so llttlo afraid ,
A happy line that ho bad learned from
Wills' "Mephlstopheles" came Into his mind
as he crouched there , "I feel llko a cat
on the tllea. " He whispered it to him
self. H was far better than ho had ex
pected thla adventurous exhilaration. Ho
was sorry for all poor men to whom bur
glary was unknown. Nothing happened. He
was qulto safe. And ho was acting In the
bravest manner 1
And now for the window to make the
burclary complete ! Would ho dare to do
that ? Its position above the front door
dunned It as a landing or passage , nnd there
were no looking glasses or any bedroom
signs about It or any other on the first
door , to suggest the possibility of a sleeper
within. For a tlmo ho listened under the
led EC , then raised bis eyes above the sill
and peered In. Close at hand on a pedestal
and a llttlo startling at first was a nearly
life-size gesticulating bronze. Ho ducked ,
and after some tlmo ho peered again. Be
yond was a broad landing faintly gleaming ,
a flimsy fabric ot bead curtain , very black
and sharp against a further window , a broad
staircase plunging Into a gulf of darkness
below , and another ascending to the second
door. Ho glanced behind him , but the still
ness of the night was unbroken. 'ICrlme , "
ho whispered , "crime , " and scrambled softly
and swiftly over the sill into the house.
His feet fell noiselessly on a mat of skin.
Ho was a burglar indeed !
Ho crouched for" a time , all ears and peerIng -
Ing eyes. Outside was a scampering and
rustling and for a moment ho repented of
his enterprise. A short miaow , a spitting
and a rush Into silence spoke reassuringly
ot cats. His courage grew. Ho stood up.
Everyone was abed , It seemed. So easy Is
It to commit a burglary , If ono is so minded.
Ho was glad he had put It to the test ) . Ho
determined to take some petty trophy , Just
to prove his freedom from any abject fear of
the law , and depart ) the way he had come.
Ho peered about him and suddenly the
critical spirit nroso again. Burglars did far
more than such mere elementary entrance
as this ; they wont Into rooms , they forced
safes. Well , ho was not afraid. He could
not force safes because t'hat would be a
stupid want of consideration for his hosts.
But ho would go Into rooms ho would go
upstairs. Moreover , ho told himself that he
was perfectly secure ; an empty house could
not bo more reassuringly still. He had to
clench his hands , nevertheless , and summon
nil his resolution before he began very sottly
to ascend the dim staircase , pausing for
several seconds between each step , \bovo
was a square landing with one open and
several closed doors , and all the house was
still. For a moment ho stood wondering
what would happen If some Deeper woke
suddenly and emerged. The open door
showed a moonlit bedroom , the coverlet
white and undisturbed. Into this room he
crept in three interminable minutes and took
a pleco of soap for his plunder his trophy.
Ho turned to descend oven more softly than
ho had ascended. It was as easy as . Hist !
Footsteps ! On the gravel outsldo the
house , end then the nolso of a latchkey , the
yawn and bang ot a door and the spitting )
ot a match In the hall below. Mr. Ledbetter
stood petrified by the eudden discovery ot
the folly upon which he had come. "How
on earth am I to get out ot this ? " said Mr.
Ledbettcr.
The hall grew bright with a candle flame ,
some heavy object bumped against the um
brella stand , and feet were ascending the
staircase. In a flash Mr. Ledbetter realized
that hla retreat was closed. Ho stood for a
moment , a pitiful figure of penitent confu
sion. My goodness ! "What a fool I have
been ! " ho whispered , and then darted
swiftly across the shadowy landing Into
the .empty bedroom from which ho had Just
comeHo stood listening quivering. The
footstep * reached the first floor landing.
Horrible thought ! This was possibly the
late corner's room ! Not a moment -was to
bo lost ! Mr. Ledbetter stooped beside the
bed , thanked heaven for a valance and
crawled within its protection not ten seconds
ends too Boon. Ho became motionless on
hands and knees. The advancing candle
light appeared through the thinner stltcheH
ot the fabric , the shadows ran wildly about
and became rigid as the candle was put
down.
"Lord , what a. day ! " eald the new comer ,
blowing noisily , and seeming to deposit some
heavy burden on what Mr. Lodbeuef. Judg
ing by the feet , decided to be a writing ta
ble. The unseen then went to the door and
locked it , examining the fastenings ot the
windows carefully and pulled down the
blinds , and returning sat down upon the
bed with startling ponderosity.
"What a day ! " he said ; "good Lord ! "
and blew again and Mr. Ledbetter Inclined
to believe the person was mopping his
face. His boots were good , stout boots , the
shadows of his legs upon the valance sug
gested a formidable stoutness of aspect.
After a time ho removed some upper gar
ments a coat and waistcoat , Mr. Ledbetter
Inferred and casting them over the rail
of the bed remained breathing less noisily
and , as it seemed , cooling from a consider
able temperature. At Intervals ho muttered
to himself and onto he laughed softly.
And ( Mr. Le < lbetter muttered to himself ,
but he did not laugh. "Of all the foolish
things ! " said Mr. Lodbetter. "What on
earth am I to do now ? "
His outlook was necessarily limited. The
mlnuto aperture between the stltchea
of the fabric of the valance ad
mitted n certain amount of light ,
but permitted nopeeplng. The shad
ows upon this curtain , save for those
sharply defined legs , were enigmatical and
intermingled confuslngly with the florid
patterning of the chintz. Beneath the edge
of the valance a strip ot carpet was visible
and by cautiously depressing his eye Mr
Ledbotter found that this strip broadened
until the whole area of the floor came Intc
view. The carpet was a luxurious one
the room spacious , and , to Judge by th <
castors and trimmings ot the furniture , well
equipped.
What ho should do he found It difficult
to Imagine. To watt until this person
had gone < to bed , and then , when he
seemed to be sleeping , to creep to the door ,
unlock it and bolt headlong for that bal
cony , seemi-d the only possible thing tc
do. Would It be possible to Jump from
the balcony ? The danger of it ! When lie
thought of 'tho ' chances against him Mr
Ledbetter despaired. He was within ar
nee of thrusting forth his head beside the
gentleman's legs , coughing If necessary tc
attract his attention , and then smiling
apologizing and explaining his unfortunate
Intrusion by a few wclr chosen sentences
But he found these sentences hard tc
I choose , "No doubt , sir , my appearance
Is peculiar , " or , "I trust , sir , you will
pardon my somewhat ambiguous appear
I ance from beneath you , " was about a :
much as he could get.
I Grave possibilities forced themselves or
his attention. Suppose they did not be >
lleve him , what would they do to him'
1 Would hit unblemished high charactei
count for nothing ? Technically he was a
burglar beyond dispute. Following out
this train ot thought ho was composing a
lucid apology for "this technical crime I
have committed" to be dcHvercd before
sentence In the dock , when the stout gen
tleman got up and began walking about
the room. Ho locked and unlocked draw
ers , and Mr , Lodbetter had a transient
hope that ho might bo undressing. But
no ! Ho seated himself at the writing table
and began to wrlto and then tear up doc
uments. Presently the smell of burning
ream-laid paper mingled with the odor
f cigars In Mr. Ledbotter's nostrils.
"The position I had assumed , " said Mr ,
> edbetter , when ho told mo of these things ,
'was In many respects an Ill-advised one. A
ransvcrso bar beneath the bed depressed my
head unduly and threw a disproportionate
share of my weight upon my hands. After
a tlmo I experienced what Is called , I be-
leve , a crick In the neck. The pressure of
my hand on the coarsely-stitched carpet
speedily became painful. My knees , too ,
were painful , my trousers being drawn
tightly over them. At flint tlmo I wore
rather higher collars than 1 do now two nnd
a half Inches In fact and I discovered what
had not remarked before , that the edge of
ho ono I were was frayed slightly under the
chin. But much worse than these things
was nn Itching of my face which I could only
relieve by violent grimacing I tried to raise
my hand , but the rustle of the sleeve
alarmed me. After a time I had to desist
'rom ' this relief also , because happily In
time I discovered that my facial contortions
were shifting my glasses down my nose.
Their fall would of course have exposed me ,
and as it was they came to rest in an oblique
position of by no means stable equilibrium.
In addition I had a slight cold and an Intcr-
nd there's no time for explanations ,
What was I going to ask you ? Ah ! Have
jou any mates ? "
"In a tow minutes , if you "
"Have > ou any mates , d n you. If you
BACH ' 100118 | IiI JOABpJd XdtJOl XU } JB1
you any mates ? "
"No , " said Mr. Ledbetter.
"I suppose It's a lie , " said the stout man ,
"But jou'll pay for It If It Is. Why the
devlf didn't you floor me when I cntno
upstairs. You won't get a chance to now ,
anyhow. Fancy getting under the bed ?
I r"ckon it's a fair cop , auvhow , so far
ns jou are concerned "
"I don't see how I could prove an alibi , "
remarked Mr. Ledbetter , trjlng to show-
by his conversation that ho was an edu
cated man. There was a pause. Mr. Led
better perceived that on a chair bcsldo hla
captor was a largo black bag on a heap
of crumpled papers , nnd that thcro were
torn and burned papers on the table. And
in front of these , uud arranged methodi
cally along the edge , were rows and rows
of llttlo yellow rouleaux a hundred times
more gold than Mr. Lcdbettor had seen
In all his llfo before. The light of two
candles In silver candlesticks fell upon
theso. The pause continued. "It Is
rather fatiguing holding up my hands llko
this , " said Mr Ledbetter , with a depre
catory BUille.
"That's all light , " said the fat man
"But what to do with you I don't exactly
know. "
"I know my position Is ambiguous. "
"Lord ! " said the fat man. "Ambiguous !
And goes about with his own soap , nnd
wears a thundering great clerical collar !
You are a blooming burglar , jou arc If
ever there was one ! "
"To bo strictly accurate , " said Mr. Led-
ot some education , " ho said , lighting a
cigar. "No , don't begin that explanation
of yours. I know It will bo long.winded
from your face , nnd I'm much too old a liar
to bo Interested In other men's lying. You
arc , I say , a person ot education , You do
well to dress ns a curate. Even among
educated people you might pass as u
curate "
"I am a curate , " said Mr. Ledbetter , "or ,
nt least "
"You nro trying to be. I know. But you ,
hadn't ought to burgle. You are If I may
say It , the thing will have been pointed out
to you before a coward. "
"Do you know , " said iMr. Ledbettcr , tryIng -
Ing to get a fresh opening , "It was that
very question "
The stout man vvaved him Into silence.
"You waste your education In burglary.
You should do ono of two things. KIthcr
you should forgo or you should embezzle.
Tor my own part I embezzle. Yes I cm-
be/zle. Ah1 What do you < hluk a man
could be doing with all this gold but that ?
Listen ! Midnight ! Ten. Hlevcn.
Twelve. There la something very impres
sive to mo In that slow beating of the hours.
Tlmo space ; what mysteries they are !
What mysteries ! It's tlmo for us
to bo moving. Stand up. "
And then kindly but firmly ho induced Mr.
Ledbct'ter to sling the dressing bag over his
back by a string across his chest , to shoulder
the trunk and , overruling a gasping protest ,
to take the Gladstone bag In his disengaged
hand. So encumbered , Mr. Ledbetter strug
gled perilously downstairs. The /tout gen-
.Icraan followed with an overcoat , the hat
box and the revolver , making derogatory re
marks about Mr. Ledbetter's strength nnd
insisting him at the tuiulngs ot the stairs.
"Tho back door , " he directed , and Mr.
"KNEEL. " SAID THE STOUT GENTLEMAN. "AND HOLD UP YOUR HANDS. "
mlttont deslro to sneeze or sniff caused me
Inconvenience. lu fact , quite apait from the
extreme anxiety of my position , my physical
discomfort became In a short time very con
siderable Indeed. But I bad to stay there
motionless nevertheless. "
After an Interminable time there began
a chinking sound. This deepened Into a
rhythm , chink , chink , chink , twenty-five
chinks a rap on the writing table and
a grunt from the owner of the stout legs.
It dawned upon 'Mr. ' Ledbettcr that this
chinking was the chinking of gold. Ho
became Incredulously curious as It went on.
His curiosity grow. Already if that was
the case this extraordinary man must have
counted some hundreds of 'pounds. At last
Mr. Ledbetter could stand It no longer ,
nnd ho began very cautiously to fold his
arms and lower his head to the level of the
floor in the hope of peeping under the
valance. He moved bis feet and one made
a slight scraping on the floor. Suddenly
the chinking ceased. Mr. Ledbctter be
came rigid. After a while the chinking
was resumed. Then It ceased again and
everything was still except Mr. Ledbetter's
heart. That organ seemed to him to bo
beating like a drum.
The stillness continued. Mr. Ledbetter's
bead was now on the floor and ho could
see the stout legs as far up as the shins.
They were quite still. The feet were rest-
inz on the toes and drawn ba-U ; . ns it
seemed , under the chair of the owner.
Everything was qulto still , everything con
tinued still. A wild hope came to Mr. Led
better that the unknown was In a fit or
suddenly dead , with his head upon the
writing table.
The stillness continued. What had hap
pened' The desire to peep Ijecame Irre
sistible. Very cautiously -Mr. Ledbetter
shifted his hand forward , projecting a pioneer
neer finger and began to lift the valance
Immediately next his eye. Nothing broke
the stillness. Ho saw now the stranger's
knees , saw the back of the writing table
and then ho was staring at the barrel of
a heavy revolver pointed over the writing
table at his head.
"Come out of that , you scoundrel ! " said
the voice of the stout gentleman In a tone
of quiet concentration. None of your hanky-
panky corao right out , now. "
Mr. Ledbetter came right out , a llttlo
reluctantly , perhaps , but without any
hanky-panky , and at once , oven as he was
told.
told."Kneel
"Kneel , " said the stout gentleman , "and
hold up your hands "
The vnlanco dropped again behind Mr.
Ledbetter , and he rose from all fours and
held vr > his hands. "Dressed like n par
son , " said the stout Gentleman. "Im d d
If he Isn't ! A llttlo chap , too ! You scoun
drel ! What the devil possessed you to come
here tonight ? What the devil possessed you
to get under my bed ? "
He did not appear to require an answer ,
but proceeded at once to several very ob-
Jectlonablo remarks upon Mr. Ledbetter's
personal appearance. Ho was not a very
, blg man , but ho looked strong to Mr. Led
better ; ho was aa stout as his legs had
promised. Ho had rather delicately chiseled
small features , distributed over a consid
erable area of whitish face , and a number
of chins. And the note of his voice had a
sort of whispering undertone.
"What the devil , " I say , "possessed jou
to get under my bed7"
Mr. Lcdbetter by nn effort smiled a wan
propitiatory smile. Ho coughed. "I can't
quite understand , " be said.
"Why ! What on earth ?
"It's soap ! No you scoundrel. Don't you
mo > o that hand "
"It's soap , " aalil Mr. Ledbettcr. "From
I our washstand , No doubt It "
"Don't talk , " saU the stout man. "I
ce It's soap. Of all Incredible things. "
"If I might explain "
"IJpn't explain. It's lure to be a He ,
better and suddenly his glasses slipped off
and clattered against his vest buttons.
The fat man changed countenance , a fla h
of savage icsolutlon crossed his face , and
something In the revolver clicked. He put
his other hand to the weapon. And then
ho looked nt Mr , Ledbctter , and his eye went
down to the dropped pince-nez.
"Full cock now , anyhow , " s > ald the fat
man after a paube , aud his breath seemed
to catch. "But I'll tell you , you've never
been so near death before. Lordl I'm al
most glad. If It hadn't been that the re
volver wasn't cocked you'd bo Ijlng dead
there now. "
Mr. Ledbetter said nothing , but he felt
that the room was swaying.
"A miss is as good as a mile. It's lucky
for both of us It wasn't. Lord ! " ho blew
noisily. "There's no need for you to grow
pale green for a little thing like that. "
"I can n&suio jou sir , " said Mr. LedbPt-
ter with an effort.
"There's only one thing to do. If I call
In the police , I'm bust. A little game I've
got on his bust. That won't do. If I tie you
up and leave jou again the thing may be
out tomorrow. Tomorrow's Sunday and Mon
day's bank holiday I've counted ou three-
clear daj-s. Shooting you's murder and
hanging and besides , it will bust the whole
blooming kernooze. I'm hanged if I can
think what to do I'm hanged if I can. "
"Will jou permit me "
"You gas as much as If you were a real
parson , I'm blessed If jou don't. Of all the
burglars jou are the . Well ! No I won't
permit j-ou. There Isn't time. If jou start
off Jawing again I'll shoot right In your
stomach. See' llut I know now I know
now. What we're going to do first , my man ,
Is an examination for concealed arms. An
examination for concealed aims. And look
here ! When I tell you to do a thing , don't
start off at a gabble , do It brisk. "
And with many elaborate precautions and
always pointing the pistol at Mr. Ledbet
ter's bend the stout man stood him up and
searched him for weapons. "Why , jou arc
a burglar ! " he said. "You're a perfect ama
teur. You haven't even a pistol pocket In the
back of your breeches. No , you don't1 Shut
up now "
So BOOH as this Issue was decided the
chort man made Mr. Ledbetter take off his
coat and roll up his shirt sleeves , and with
the revolver at one car , proceeded with the
packing his appearance had Interrupted.
From the bhort man's point of vlow that
was evidently the only arrangement , for If
he had packed ho would have had to put
'lown his revolver. So that even the gold on
the table was handled by Mr. Lcdbetter.
This nocturnal packing was peculiar. The
Htout man's Idea was evidently to distribute
the weight of the gold as unostentatiously
as possible through his luggage. H was by
no means nn Inconsiderable weight. There
was , Mr. Lcdbetter says , altogether nearlj
18,000 In gold in the black bag and on
the table. There were also many llttlo rolls
! of 5 bank notes Each rouleau of 23
I was wrapped by Mr. Ledbetter In paper.
These rouleaux were then put neatly In
cigar boxes and distributed between ii
I traveling trunk , a Gladstone bag and n hat-
box. About GOO went in a tobacco tin In
a dressing bag. Ten pounds In gold and u
number of G notes the stout man pocketed.
Occasionally he objurgated Mr. Ledbetter's
clumsiness and urged him to hurry , and
several times he appealed to Mr. Ledbetter's
watch for Information.
Mr. Lcdbetler strapped the trunk and
bag and returned the stout man the key
It was then 11 50 , and until the stroke ot
midnight the stout man made him sit on
the Gladstone bag , whllo ho sat at a reason
ably safe distance on the trunk and held
the revolver handy and waited.
He appeared to bo now in a less aggres
sive mood , and , having watched Mr Lcd
better for some time , ho offered a few re
marks.
' From jour accent I Judge you are a man
Ledbetter staggered through a conservatory ,
leaving a wako of smashed flowerpots behind
him. "Never mind the crockery , " said the
stout man ; "It's good for trade. We wait
hero until a quarter past. You can put
these things down. You have1" Mr. Led
better collapsed panting on the trunk. "Last
night , " he gasped , "I was asleep In my llt
tlo room and I no more dreamt "
"There's no need for you to Incriminate ,
yourself , " said the stout gentleman looking
at the lock of * the revolver. Ho began to
hum. Mr. Ledbetter made to speak and
thought better of it.
There presently came the sound of a bell
and Mr. Ledbetter was taken to the back
door and Instructed to open It. A falr-halrad
man In yachting costume entered. At the
sight of Mr. Ledbettcr he started violently
and clapped his hand behind him. Then he
Bavv the stout man. "Blngham ! " he cried.
"Who's this ? "
"Only a little philanthropic do of mine-
burglar I'm trying to reform. Caught him
under my bed Just now. He's all right. lie's
a frightful ass. He'll be useful to carry some
of our things. "
The up\v-comer seemed inclined to resent
Mr. Ledbotter's piescnco at first , but the
stout man reassured him. "He's quite alone.
There's not a gang in the world woult
own him. No ! Don't start talking , for
goodness sake. " They went out Into the
darkness of the ganlen with the trunk still
bowing < Mr. Ledbetter's shoulders. The
man In jachtlng costume walked in front
with the Gladstone bag and a pistol ; then
came Mr. Ledbetter llko Atlns , Mr. Blng
ham followed with the hat bov , cOat and
revolver as before. Thu hoube was one
of those that have their gardens right up
to the cliff. At the cliff vVas a steep
wooden stairway descending to a bathing
tent visible on the beach. Below was a
boat pulled up and a silent little man with u
black face stood besldo It. "A few moments
explanation , " said Mr. Ledbettcr ; "I con
assure jou " Somebody kicked him and he
said no more.
They made him wade to the boat , carryIng -
Ing the trunk , they pulled him aboard by
the shoulders and hair , they called him
no better name than "scoundrel" nm
"burglar" all that night. But they spoke
In undertones so that the general public was
happily unaware of his ignominy. Thej
hauled him aboard a yacht manned bj
strange unsympathetic orientals , and parti ;
they thrust him nnd partly he fell down a
gangway into a noisome dark place , wheif
ho was to remain many days how man ;
ho does not know , because he fast coun
among other things when ho was seasick
They fed him on biscuits and Incompie
henslble words ; they gave him water tc
drink mixed with un-wlshed-for rum
And there were cockroaches where they pu
him , night and day , and In the night tlmt
thcro were rats. The orientals emptied hU
pockets and took his watch , but Mr. BIng
ham , being appealed to , took that himself
And five or six times the five Lascars I
they were Lascars and the Chinaman am
the negro who constituted the crew , flshc (
him out and took him aft to Bingham and
his friend to play crlbbage and euchre am
three-hended whist , nnd to listen to thel
dories and boasting In an Interested man
ner.
i Then these principals would talk to him
I as njen talk to these who have lived a lit
of crime Explanations they would neve
permit , though they made It abundant ! ;
clear to him that ho was the rummest bur
glar they had over set eyes on. They said
as much nsiiln nnd acalu. The fair raai
was of a taciturn disposition and lrasclbl <
I nt iilay. but Mr Blngham , now that th
evident anxiety of his departure from Eng
land was nesunEwl , displayed a vein o
philosophy. He enlarged upon th
mystery of Space nnd Time , and quote <
Kaut ao'l Hegel or at least beuai'J h
Id. Several times Mr. Lcdbetter got ns far
s "My position under jour lied , you
snow " but then he atwnjs had to cuter
or nats the whtaky or do some such In-
ervenlnir thlnj. After his third failure
lie fair man gat qulto to look for this
pcutng , nnd whenever Mr. Ledbettrr be
an , after that he would roar with laughter
ml hit him violently on the Kick. "Same
Id start ; same old story , good old burglar , "
tie fntr-hnlred man would say.
So Mr. Ledbettrr fared for many days ,
wcnty perhaps , nnd ono evening he , to-
ether with some tinned provisions , was
nkeu over the side and put ashore ou ft
ocky little Island with a spring. Mr. Bing-
inm came In the boat with him , giving him
: oed ndvlco ail the way and waving his
ast attempts at nn explanation aside.
"I am really not a burglar , " said Mr.
. .odbt'tter. "You never will be , " said Mr.
llnghnm. "You'll never make a burglnr.
'm glad you're beginning to see it. In
choosing a profession a man must study
cmpcrnment. It jou don't , sooner or later
ou will fall. Compare myself , for example.
Alf my llfo I have been In Kinks 1 have
iccn a bank manager. But wns 1 happy ?
Vo. Why wasn't I happy ? Bee'nuso It did
not suit my temperament. I am too ml-
enturous , too versatile. Practically I have
brown It over. I do not suppose I shall
ever manage n bank ngnln. They would bo
glad to get me * , no doubt , but 1 have learnt
ho lesson of my temperament nt last
. . No ! I shall never manage a bank
again.
"Now , your temperament unfits you for
crime Just as mine unfits mo for rcspecta-
> lllty. I Know jou better thuu I did , and
tow I do not even recommend forgery. Go
inck to respectable courses , my man.
Your lay is the philanthropic lay that Is
jour lay. With that voice . The Assocla-
lon for the Promotion ot Sniveling Among
ho Young something In that line. You
hlnk it over.
"Tho island wo nro npproachlng has no
name apparently nt least there Is none
on the chart. You might think out a
name for It while you are there whllo you
are thinking about all these things. It has
qulto drinkable water , I understand. It
s ono of the Grenadines ono of the
Windward Islands. Yonder dim nnd bhio
nro other of the Grenadines. I have
often wondered what these Islands are for
now , you see , I am wiser. This one , at
east , Is for you. Sooner or later some
simple native will come along and take
you off. Say what you llko nbout us then
nbuso us If jou like wo shnll not mind.
And bore here Is half a sovereign's worth
ot silver. Do not wnsto that In foolish
dissipation when jou return to civilization.
Properly used , it may glvo you a fresh
start In life. And do not Don't beach her ,
. ou beggars , ho can undo ! Do not waste
he precious solitude before you In fooHsh
houghts. Properly used , It may bo a tuni
ng point lu jour career. Waste neither
noney nor time. You will die rich.
I'm sorry , but I must ask you to carry
four tucker to land In your arms. No ,
t's not deep. D n that explanation of
yours ! There's not tlmo. No , no , no , I
won't listen. Overboard jou go ! "
And the falling night found Mr Led
better , the Mr. Ledbctter who had com
plained that adventure was dead , sitting be
side his cans of food , his chin resting upon
his dravvn-up knees , staring through his
glasses In dismal mildness over the shin
ing , -\ncant sea. Ho was picked up In the
course of three days by a negro fisherman
nnd taken to St. Vincent's , and from St.
Vincent's he got , by the expenditure of his
lost coins , to Kingston In Jamaica. And
there ho might have foundered. Even now
adays he Is not a man of affairs , and then
ho was a singularly helpless person. H
had not the remotest Idea what ho ought
to do. The only thing ho seems to have
done was to visit all the ministers ot re
ligion ho could find lu the place to borrow a
passage home. But ho was much too dlrtv
nnd Incoherent and his story far too Incredible -
credible for them. I met him quiteby
chauco. It was close upon sunset , and 1
vas walking out after my siesta on the
road to Dunn's battcrj' , when I met him
I was rather bored , and with a whole even
ing on my hands , luckily for him. Ho was
trudging dismally toward the town. Hla
woebegone face and the quasi-clerical cul
of his dust-Btnlned , filthy costume caught
my humor. Our eyea met. He hesltnted
"Sir , " he said , with a catching of the bteath ,
"could you spare a few minutes for what 1
fear will seem an Incredible story ? "
"Incredible ! " I eald.
"Quite , " ho answered eagerly. "No on <
will bellevo it , alter it though I may. Yol
I can assure you , sir "
Ho stopped hopelessly. The man's tone
tickled me. He seemed an odd character
"I am , " ho said , "ono of the most unfor
tunate beings alive. "
'Umong other things , you haven'l
dined ? " I said , struck with an Idea.
"I have not , " he said , solemnly , "foi
many days. "
"You'll tell It better nfter that , " I said
and without moro ado led the way to a low
place I knew , wheto such a costume as his
was unlikely to give offense. And there
with certain omissions which ho subse
quently supplied , I got his story. At firs
I was Incredulous , but as the wine \varmci
him , and the faint suggestion of cringing
his misfortunes had added to his mannei
disappeared , I began to bellevr. At las
I was BO far convinced of Ills slncerltj
that I got him a bed for the night , niu
next day verified the banker's reference lu
gave mo through my Jamaica banker
And that done , I took him shopping for UU'
derwear and such llko equipments of a geii'
tleman at large. Presently came the verl'
fled reference. His astonishing story wai
true. I will not amplify our subscquen
piocecdlngs.
Ho started for England In three days
time.
"I do not know how I can possibly than }
you enough , " the letter ho wrote mo frou
England began , "for all your kindness to i
total stranger , " and liroceeded for BOUH
tlmo In a similar strain. "Had It not bcec
for jour generous assistance I could cer
taluly never have returned in time for tin
resumption of my FcholaBtlc duties , and m :
few minutes of reckless folly would perhnpi
have proved my ruin. As It Is , I am entangled -
tangled In a tissue of lies and evasions o
the most complicated sort , to account foi
my Burnburnt appearance and my where
abouts. I have rather carelessly told tvvi
or three different stories , not icalMng tin
trouble this would mean for me In the end
The truth I dare not tefl J have consultei
a number ot law books in the Diltlsl
museum , and there Is not the slighter
doubt that I have connived at and abettei
and aided a felony. That scoundrel , Blng. .
ham , was the Hlthcrgatu bank manager ,
find , and guilty of the most flagrant em
bezzlcment. Please , please burn this letlo
when read I trust you Implicitly. Tbi
worst of It is , neither my aunt nor he
friend , who kept the boarding house a
which I wns staying , seem altogether to bo
lleve a guarded statement I havn inadi
them practically of what actually happened
They suspect me of some discreditable nd
venture , but what sort of discreditable ad
venture they suspect me of I do not know
My aunt Bays ulio would forglvo me If
told her everything. I have I hav
told her moro than everything , and alii
bbo U not satisfied. It would never do t
let them Know the truth of the case , o
course , and so I represented myself as , hav
Ing been v > aylald and gagged upon the b-ac1 !
My aunt wants to knov/ why they waylal
and gaggrd me , why they took me away I
their yacht I do not know. Can you stig
gcst any reason ? I can think of nothing
If , when you wrote , you could write 01
two sheets , BO tha' I could show her one
nnd on tlmt one. If jdu oouhl show clrivly
that 1 te-.illy was In Jamaica this emiinur ,
ntid had come thtrti by being marooned from
u plilp. it wouM be of great pcrvlci to Ha
lt would certainly add to the load of my
obligations to jou , a load that I fear 1 cau
uover fully fcpay. Although It gratitude.
" And so forth. At the > end ho re
peated his request for me to burn the let-
er.
er.So the remnrknblo story ot Mr. Lcilbeiter'a
ncatlon ends. That breach w.lth hlu mint
was not ot long duration. The old woman
md fully forgiven htm before pho died
THE EXCELLENCE OF SYRUP OF FIGS
is due not only to the originality and
simplicity of the combination , but also
to tliu cnro nnd skill with which it is
manufactured by beiuntillc processes
known to the CAi.iroiiNi.t FIG Sviiur
Co. only , and\\o wish to imprest , upon
all the importuncn of iwrehahhiir thu
true autl original remedy. As the
genuine- Syrup of Fips is uuuiufnctvrcd
by the CAUI'OIIMA Fie Bviiur Co.
nly , n knowledge of that fact will
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ties. The high standing of the CAM-
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ing them autl it docs not gripe nor
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ifTccts , please remember the name of
iho Company
CALIFORNIA FIG SYRUP CO.
MAN riU.NCISCO , Cnl.
r. rr , % mv VOIIK. N. Y.
A SPECIALTY
Primary , Secondary or Tertiary
BLOOD POISON permanently
Cured in 15 to 35 Days.
You can b treated at home for same
price under same guaranty. If you
prefer to come hero we will contract
to pay railroad faro and hotel bill * ,
and no chnice If we fall to cure.
IP YOU HAVE
taken mercury. Iodide potnah nnd BtlH
have aches and pains , Mucous Patchei
In mouth. Sore Throat , Pimples , Cop-
par Colored Spots , Ulcers on any part
of the body. Hair or Eyebrows falling
out. It Is this secondary
We tiuarsntoo to Cure
We solicit the moat obstinate cases
and challenge the world for a case we
cannot cuic. This disease has always
tallied the skill of the most eminent
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$500,000 capital b hlnd our uncondi
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sent free.
Adtlrem COOIC 11KMKUV CO. , 1401
Blunonto Templr , Clilcnao , III.
WHEN OTHERS KAIL CONSULT
Searles & Searles.
mm. . . .
SPECIALISTS.
Gnnruiitoe ( o on re | ii-cilllr nnil mill-
cullr all Mil\OI'h ' , CIIHOMC ANO
I'll I VATIC dlHciiMVB of men ii nd women
mm SYPHIUS
SDXUALLY. cured for life.
Nlfiht Emissions , Lost Manhood , Hv-
flroctle , Verleocele , Gonorrhaa , Qleot , Syph
ilis , Stricture , I'lle.i , Fistula and Rectal
Ulcers , Dlubates. Hrlght's Dlsemo cured.
CONSULTATION
SMcfure Gleet Cured
nd ati Homo
by new method without pain or cuttlnsr.
Call on or address ) with stnmp Treatment
by mall.
DRS , SEnRlfS I MM. '
Dr Railway Hear Sir I hove been u -
IMR your medicines tlmt Is , vuui 1'llls and
llratly lloltef Tht-Hu o mulielnex huvn
done niu and my fnnub inure good than
u vshulo ( Irux Htou 1 a in fj.lI.HH old
I nurd itbuut six bo\PH or > our ] > > IH | uliu
last Hprlni , I am ux utrulur now uml f il
llko a healthy man of SO > ciirn
Now I .uimt to lltnl out nliiuit } our HP-
lolvent to UHI In i ase ot a luuns Judy
< tc u < t H iHitful | > AULUH'itin i
612 r Ht J 4th Si N\v Ymk A-
Purely vegetable , miiu
1.\1U.HB IRTlYll IIIKlHlll'll. tlllllllH , lllHlll'l' |
uon and lit-iiitum i Kiiluri. > i ui tuo
curti or all aiuurai-rH oi Uiu Stonia' h , lio\\-
ols , Ki'lm \ , 111Hid'r trvu.it , I'trou cs ,
i'liLS. hint UL.AUA * ah umi uii < i ui-
Ueis of the llvir I'rl .01 p i HX oiJ
uy all ( li iiKhtatri , ir HI in i > nm iin i re-
ctimf prui
u.\i > v\ vA. . < o. , r.r Him si. , VMV > < > i-u.
I- : i i < v to 1.11 Knilw.i > H
McMTJIOTTS
is a preparation of the Drug by ulnch Iti
Injurious effects arc icmovpc1 , while the val
uable medicinal propmieu are loiamel It
possesses nil the sedative , uaodvno and aim-
spasmodic powcri of Opium , but produces
no BlckutBs of thu 8tom'b no vomiting , no
costlvencsn , no iicaJnthu la ncuto ncrvou'i
disorders It Is an li valuable rtmcdy , and < d
iccommendcd ty tht brst pliyiiclins ,
E , FERRETT. Ap on J
; 17I'viirt M. , JNf
