Slippery Bill's Adventure

Tliree sisters, Jane, Maria and Annie Maskall, lived in a small but comfortable cottage situated just within the suburbs of Milford. Tbeir mother had died some three years previous, leaving them means far too nieager for their support. They had, therefore, to seek a livelihood as best tbey could. Jane, the eldest, had turned her mueical talents to good account, and had become a popular and sought-after teacher; while Maria had found employment in a retail clothing establishment. Annie, the youngest of the three, kept house, and,by making fine embroidery and fancy work of various kinds, had earned many small sunas of money. By their diligence and economy they had not only left untouched the sum bequeathed by their mother - their father had died many years before - but had added to it each year until it amounted to more than L600. With this sum sum they intended to purchase a house of thir own, and thus save the rent they were paying. Por weeks they tramped from place to place, looking at Ihe various dwellings offered for sale, and had at last made up their rainds to buy a nice, cozy little place, situated but a short diutance from their present home. The arrangements for the purchase of the house were completed, and the sisters had begun to pack up their household goods prepara tory to removal. The money belonging to them was in the custody of friends, who had lent it out at interest for their benefit. It was agreed" that Annie should cali for this money, she being at liberty, and pay for the house therewith, or as much as was required. For this purpose a carriage had been engaged, and the three sisters were now awaiting its arriyal. "Now be careful, Annie," warned Jane, turning from the window ; " be careful you don't let the money out of your hands until you give it to Mr. Burchard, and get the deed." "O, don't be afraid," assured Annie, who was looking in the mirror, and arranging the set of her wee bit of a bonnet ; " don't be afraid. I can take good care of that." "I should hope so," said Maria, helping Annie with her cloak ; " O, wouldn't it be awful if you should lose it ! " "Ha, ha!" laughed Annie, gayly ; "the idea! How can I lose it ? I elia.ll take the best of care, I assure you." "Well, you'll make haste back, won't you, Annie ? " said Jane ; " because we ouglit to go to Mann & Co. 's to see about getting that new carpet." "Yes," answered Annie; 'Til make haste home. But don't you think I had better stop 3nd look at that new set at A 's ? We ought to buy a brandnew set of things for our sitting-room, hadn't we, Maria? " " Yes, indeed," replied Maria ; " and we want some nice pictures for the walls, too, and I shall look for some the first opportunity I get." " Well, here comes the carriage," said Jane, who was on the watch at the window. "Hadn't I better let my engagement go, Aunie, dear, and accompany you ? " "No, indeed," exelaimed Annie, tossiug her head ; " I'm not a baby." Annie, with a last hurried glance in the glass, hastencd below, and, as the carriage drove to the door, she was cautioned again and again to bo estremely careful. Taking her seat, she was driven away at a rattling pace. Arrived at her destinatioíi, the office of the gentleman holding the money in trust, Alinic wa ushered in by a clerk. " Gk)od morning, Mr. Alger ! " she said. "Ah, good morning, Míbb Maskall!" responded Mr. Alger, looking up from his papers. "Come af ter your money eh?"_ "Yes, sir," replied Annie; 'Tin just going to pay for our new house." " Well, I haven't the money here, but, as yon are known at the bank, I'll draw you a check ;" and Mr. Alger, taking down his check-book, wrote the required order and handed it to Annie. A check for the sum of L700. As the house was to cost but L600, Aunie was to pay üiat sum for a deed of the place, and retain the remainder for household expenses. " Shall I send a clerk with you, Miss Maskall ?" inquired Mr. Alger; "that's quite a sum for a young lady to handle. " "Oh, no!" oried Annie, blushing ; " there's not the slightest need. I shal] be very careful. Good-day, sir!" and Annie, going to her carriage, was driven to the B bank. Presenting the check to the cashier of the bank, he glanced at her, recognized her with a pleasant word, and, counting out the required sum, handed ït across the counter. Annie, clutching the notes tightly in her hand, hastened down the high steps, and, taking her seat in the carriage, was giving directions to be taken to Mr. Burchard's, when a clerk, bareheaded and with a pen behind his ear, hurried down the steps, and, before the coachman had time to start his horse, was at the carriage door and accosted Annie. "Ibegyour pardon, ma'am, but we neglected to take the numbers of those notes ; if you will allow me a moment," and, stretching out his hand, he took the roll of notes, and hurried back into the bank, leaving Annie waiting for his return. Annie waited a few minutes, and then grew impatient. With an indefinable fear in her heart she hurried away to the cashier of the bank. "Are the notes ready for me?" she asked. " Notes, notes - what notes?" inquired the cashier, in surprise. "Why, I - I - gave the notes you let me have to a clerk, who said he wished to tak.6 the numbers of them." "■Gave them to a clerk ?" cried the cashier, astonished. "Y-yes sir," almost crying. "Then you are robbed !" exclaimed the cashier. And talring in the situation of affairs from the disjointed remarks of Annie, he consulted with the manager of the bank as to the best means to be employed to catch the thief. Annie sank in a chair in despair ; she feit as if her heart would break. Here, after all the cautions not for one moment to let the money outof her hand, she had lost it - lost it, perhaps, beyond hope of recovery. The people of the bank questioned her closely regardiug the marnier in which her money was taken, how the thief looked, dressed, etc. Annie, with tearwe.t eyes, answered as best ehe could, and was promised that every effort would be made to catch the thief and recover the money, but it was probable, seeing he had such a start, having without doubt at once slipped out at a side door, that it would be a long time before anything wonld turn up regarding him. "I ain exceedingly sorry for your mishap," condoled the manager, "and 1 shall spare no expense in trying to ferret out the rascal." "An ingenióos fellow, whoever he was," observed the cashier; " the idea of representing himself as a bank clerk wasn't bad;" and the official chuckled at the cunning of the rogue. Annie tried to dry her tears, and with :i sad face and aching heart returned to the carriage and gave orders to be driven home. Sh had never before met with such a misfortune, and it completely upset her. To think, too, that she had given the money to the man with her free will, as it were. She could not restram her tears, but cried softly to herself all the way home. She dreaded to meet her sisters, and thought how greatly tliey would blame her. On arrival, she found both Jane and Maria at home, and waiting for her. " Hr.ve you the deed all right, Annie ?" cried Jane, as soon as Annie had entered. And then, seeing her sorrowful face, she cried, " Why, Annie, what is it ? you have it, haven't you ?" "Oh, Jane!" cried Annie, throwing herself on her sieter's breast and sobbing grievously; "Oh, don't blame me; don't, please, Í can't bear to hear you. I - I hav lost the money !" "Lost the money !" cried Maria, her face growing pale; " why, Annio !" "O1', dear !" moaned Jane, looking sorrowfully on Annie, "how could you, Annie, oh, how could you, when we told yon to be so careful ? Oh, dear !" "Oh, don't scold me, Jane; please don't," sobbed Annie, piteously. "I - I - didn't mean to, you know. Y - you see I got it from the bank, but, just when I was driving off a young man, bareheaded and with a pen behind his ear, looking the very image of a bank clerk, stepped up and. said that they had forgotten to take the number of the notes, and so - so I - I - gave them to him. Oh, Jane, I thought, of course, it was all right, he spoke so simply. Oh, what shall we do ?" The sisters mourned grievously for their Ios3, but generously forbode chiding Annie. Indeed, they saw that she was really quite ill in consequence of the occurrence. And before eveiiing Annie had to be put to bed, and a doctor summoned to her, who found her in a raging fever. For days and weeks. Annie was confined closely to her bed, and, as there was no one to take care of her, Maria gave up her situation and remained at home, nursing and doing the housework. Thcir money gone, and only Jane earning anything wherewith to pay their increasing expenses, they were at last obliged to let a part of their house. This they did to a respectable Germán family of the name of Zimmerman, and, as this family desired if possible to board with them', Maria procured a girl to assist lier, and posted in the front window a notice, "Furnished Apartments." " O, Annie !" cried Maria, one afternoon, bursting into the room where Annie lay, " we've just get another lodger. A young man this time, and such a handsome one !" "Don't bo ' soft' on him, Maria," said Annie, smiling ; " though I suppose, of course, he is perfect." "He looks so," said Maria. "He says he is from home, and has only just arrived. He told me that ho wishes to keep very quiet on account of a near relative of his, who is trying to flnd him, and destroy him, in hopes of succeeding to a large property." " Pshaw l" said Annie, contemptuously. "I don't believe it. It's too romantic by half," " Well, of courso I don't know how mucli truth tliere is in it," said Maria, rather dubiously. "Anyhow, he wants to remain unknown. ftè's lodging across tlie way at Mr. Beaoh's." "Well, seo tbat he pays yon in aclvanoe. I s'iould judge f rom your account that he is as likely as not to be a swindler, a regular lodging-house ihief - they all teil some such stories." A few days later Annie was sufficiently well to rise from her bed and wolk about the room. She was still quite weak, but some of her old spirits shone in her eyes, and the loss of the money was gradually fading from her daily thought. The young gentleman seemed to have made himself quite agreable, for Maria became rather shy and silent when he was the subject of conversation. And Annio often wondered where Maria went after the morning's work was done. When, however, she was spoken to about it Maria laughed and said she was oitt marketing ; but Annie strangely suspected that Maria was out promenading with the new lodger. One morning Annie thought she was strong enough to go down to tho breakfast-table. So, dressing herself neatly and giving an adde'1 puff to her hair in view of the fact that ahe was then to see the lodger for the first time, Annie was led down sta'rs by Jane. She could hear the heavy, guttural tones of old Mr. Zimmerman, who was in a violent confab with his wife, Shd the laughing voice of one whom she took to be the new gentleman lodger. Entering the dining-room, Annie was taking her seat when her eyes feil on the young gentleman direcüy opposite. He was looking at her stupidly. "Oh, Oh !" cried Annie, on meeting his glance; and she stopped short, unable to articúlate another word. "Ah, Oh, a - a - excuse me, ladies," muttered the youug man, backing out toward the door; and, getting the handie, he opened the door and böunded down the stairs into the street. Annie recovered herself in a moment. Dashing to the window, she threw it up and shouted as loudly as she could : "Stop thief! stop thief! Oh, stop him, stop him!" Fortunately, a policeman was lounging nearly opposite, who, on seeing Annie wildly screaming "Stop thief," and the young man fleeing as for dear life, started in jrarsmt. The lodger ran fast, but the policeman ran faster, and the former was soon in his grasp. " Oh, Annie," cried Marie, "how you frightened me. Whoishe?" "Why, he is the tliief who stole our money," said Annie; "I knew him the very moment I set eyes on him." " A tief !" cried old Mr. Zimmerman, turning to Annie; "vy, he told me he vas a nopleman, he did ! Mine gracious ! He hash got 60 pounds from me. Oh ! mine vrau, vat shall I do?" "Here he is, ma'am," said the policeman, hauling the thief into the room. "I know him, ma'am. He's SHppery Bill, one of the smartest rogues, ma'am. I've had my eye on him. WÍiat's he been up to now ?" Jane told him of the loss of the money. "Just like him, ma'am," exclaimed the officer on hearing the account ; "just like him. He is one of the shrewdest rascáis I ever saw. Well, he is nabbed now, thank Heaven." The lodger, otherwise Slippery Bill, of unenviable notoriety, stood carelcssly with his back to the open grate fire and smiling dubiously on the throng. The policeman took the precaution to slip a pair of handcuiïs over his wrists. "Por you never know, you see," he said, " when these kind of fellows will give you the slip." " Giff me back mine sixty pounds," cried the Germán, shaking his list in the prisoner's face. " Giff it me back, you bad one, you; giff it me, I say !"' But the pseudo gentleman only smiled at his simplicity in so easily parting with his hard-earned money to a complete stranger, and whistled softly to himself. The prisoner was taken to the policestation. On searching his room, the money stolen so adroitly from Anne was discovered concealed therein. Great was the joy of the sisters on receiving it. They are now living in the cozy little house purchased with the recovered money, and are as happy aa the day is long; wlnle the author of their misfortune is lodging in the fine house known as the Portland prison, as quiet and retired as he could possibly wish to be. Annie is careful to whom she inti'usts valuables, even for a moment, and Maria has an aversión to lodgers, and particularly to new and strange gentlemen lodgers - so the notice " Furnished Apartments " has never been displayed at their windows.