Statesmen On A Lark

One night while Lord Raudolph Churchiü was conversing with several friends in the cafe attached to the house a question arose as to the time it would take a pedestrian to cross Westminster Bridge. Different opinions were expressed, but no two of the disputants were able to agree. At length Lord Randolph, who had been a silent auditor of the discussion, offered to wager that he could cross from the Middlesex toc the Surrey side of the bridge while "Big Ben," the great bell in the clock tower of the parliament buildings was striking the four quarters aud the hour of 12. The wager was accepted by one of the members of the company, and it was arranged that at the hour named witnesses should be stationed at each end of the bridge to watch the performance, says a correspondent of the Philadelphia Inquirer. A fow minutes before midnight a select party of well known statesmen was seen to emerge from a little door near the speaker's quarters in the parliament buildings and stalk sedately across the bridge. At the farther end the party paused, and was soon surrounded by a curious throng. Several other distinguished legislators soon afterward appeared and politely requested passersby to keep to the left. Just as "Big Ben" began to strike the first quarter the lithe figure of a man, wearing a top hat, a frock suit and white spats, was seen to leap out of a little group of men on the Middlesex side. Some wagglsh friend raised the cry of "Stop thlef," and in a jiffy half a score of wondering men and boys were fast on the heels of the doughty sprinter. A policeman hearing the cry and observlng the fleeing man. started in nursuit As "Big Ben" contlnued the clang, the pace grew hotter and hotter. One by one, the pursuers began to fall away, but the big policeman hung grimly to his task. When the center of the bridge was reached the quarters had been rung and the great bell had already begun to strike the hour. A cheer aróse from the watchers on the Surrey side, and Lord Randolph, who had until now been running up an incline, now had the deseent in his favor. A few moments later the panting policeman came upon his man, surrounded by admiring frlends. "What's up?" stuttered the breathless and bewildered "bobby." "Two strokes to spare," puffed the vlctorious Lord Randolph. The oñlcer stared, blushed, apologized, wlped his brow and went hls way.