LOAN OF A LATCHKEY.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 2128, 23 October 1896, Page 3

LOAN OF A LATCHKEY.

"Fifteen years ago I stood in the prisoners' dock, a convicted felon." It is impossible to adequately describe the effect produced by this startling confession; a sudden and death-like silence fell upon the company—each and all stared at the speaker in undisguised astonishment and expectancy. "Yes. gentlemen, fifteen years since, to the very day, I, Robert Clyde, was tried, found guilty, and sentenced to a term of ten years' penal servitude for burglary, and had it not been for — But perhaps you would like to hear the whole story V" A burst of applause anil a loud, hearty chorus of "Hoar, hear." greeted Clyde's words; every man in the room --and there was a large and fairly representative gathering-eagerly awaited the explanation of so extraordinary and incredible a statement. Robert Clyde was one of the most prominent townsmen in the extensive and important borough of Daggerfleld. Yet he had not been fifteen years in the town. lie had come among them a complete stranger. Rut by dint of unflagging industry, allied with a sturdy, inflexible principle, he had pushed his way upward into a position of wealth and Influence. "Well, gentlemen." continued Clyde, as soon as the company had relapsed into silence, ''this is my story. " I had .insf entered my teens when my father died-my mother had been dead for some- time-leaving behind him a trifle of over 200 pounds. little enough for a friendless lad to have to face the world with. I had neither trade nor profession, but alter a good deal of trouble I succeeded in obtaining a situation as porter to a laige and fashionable draper. I placed my father's legacy in the bank, thoroughly determined never to touch ii until absolutely compelled. 1 was robust, steady hopeful, and by sheer hard work, coupled with the strictest economy, managed to live in some degree of comfort and respectability. After a while, however. 1 grew restless :ui<l unhappy. 1 felt within me an irresistible imiilse to rise to something higher and better than the daily drudgery to which my employment subjected me. "About this time an emigration agent came to Danesleigli-my birthplace, gentlemen—and.in glowing colors, painted the splendid prospects which awaited the 'enterprising emigrant.' " 'Just the thing for me.' I said to myself, at the close of the lecture. 'Here I am-young, energetic, industrious-peg-ging away without the faintest hope of lettering myself. There's no mortal tie to bind me P> the old country, and it's morally certain that there won't b» the keen, savage selfish Si niggle for existence e;n in the far unpopulated West that there is in England. At any rate. I*ll make a bold bid for fortune." ••This resolution T quickly carried into effect, and. drawing together all the money I possessed out of the bank. I got together a small outfit, and 'burning with high hopes." sa'iled for the laud of 'The Stars and Stripes.' "Concerning my life. I will say nothing. My expectations wore not realised, and. bitterly disappointed. 1 returned after a few years" absence, all but penniless, to England. "How I managed to exist during the first few moii'iis after my return 1 do not know. "At length- after many weary tramps and much privation -I obtained a post at a boot depot in Kedgarth a small town in the extreme south. My work way neiiher very light nor xrvy remunerative but I was glad enough of it. 'T.y a strange and- for me-unfortun-ate coincidence, the \ovy next week after my arrival, the first of a series of startling and impudent burglaries took place. A shop was broken into and ransacked. Then, in rapid succession, no fewer titan four oilier burglaries were effected. The and tradespeople of Kedgarth and its immediate neighborhood became greatly excited and alarmed. The police redoubled their, vigilan.-e: new locks and bolts were titted on to the doors, but every precaution seemed futile "Well, gentlemen, it was my fate -and a cruel one. too- -to become entangled in those burglaries. Talk about a liar-' row squeak! Xo mm was ever nearer to irretrievable ruin than [ was at that time. "It was my practice, after business hours, to take a quiet stroll down the Maldon road. One eventful night, in accordance with (ids hain't. I was walking leisurely along when a young fellow suddenly darted out from the doorway of a large, substantially-built house. '* 'You don't happen to have such a thing as a latch-low about you. do youV he asked .abruptly. "1 stared at the speaker in amazement: the request was an unusual one. to say the least. " 'I know it's a. funny question to ask,' he continued, noticing my hesitation, and attributing it to the right cause, 'bet the fact is T've locked myself out of my own house. I was writing a letter in the library when somebody pulled the bell. I am alone in the house, and had to answer the bell myself, but there was no one at the door, and I stepped out to see if there was anyone about. In my hurry I forgot all about the latch, and pulled the door behind me. thus unwittingly locking myself out in the street.' " 'Rut are there no windows unfastened'/' I asked. "'Xo fear of that,' he replied, laughing: 'these wretched burglars have setlied all that sort of thing. My only hope is to borrow a. key on the off chance that if may tit the lock.' "I had a hunch of keys in my pocketnot that, they were of much use to me—but from the time of my father's death I had kept them in my possession—and among them w.as the latchkey which was used in opening the front door of the house in which I was lodging " 'l'm afraid it won't be of much use.' I said, singling out the key and handing the bunch to the unfortunate man. 'You are at liberty to try it. but ' "Ah! this will do very well—see.' he exclaimed, and sure enough the lock did click, and the door opened. "'Thanks, rory much.' he said warmly. 'Here are your—' but before be had finished the sentence the keys dropped out of his hands and fell with a jingle upon the pavement. He struck a match and began a search for them. In the dim light I caught a glimpse of his face-fortunate for me that I did though, of course, I did not attach very much importance to it at the time. He struck another match, and then another, but the keys seemed to have vanished altogether out of sight "'l'm afraid they've slipped through the cellar grating.' he said at length; 'and if so, it'll be well nigh impossible to recover them to-night. I'm awfully sorry: but if you don't mind giving me yum card. I'll bring them round to your place in the morning.' "It certainly was annoying, but I felt that it would bo worse than useless to waste any more time in searching for them. I had no cards—how could a man of all work at a boot shop 'sport' cards? —but T gave the fellow an envelope, which I happened to have in ray pocket, and upon which my address was written in full. " 'You shall have them —first thing to-morrow morning,' said the man, and with a sharp 'Good niarhf.' he went into the house. m.i&SSI

I "When I reached the shop next moroI ing my master remarked that I looked | pale, haggard and generally out of sorts. " 'Been out all night?" he asked, half jokingly. " 'No, sir," I replied, with a feeble attempt at a smile. 'But I don't feel altogether up to the mark; perhaps ' "At that moment some one came into the shop, and I began taking down the shutters. " 'Robert.' said my master, coining out to me. just as I was about to carry | the last shutter to its place; 'will you come into the shop, please?' I "I did as directed. " 'This is Inspector Roundway,' said my master, indicating a man I had seen enter the shop. ' 'Now. young man,' said the officer, harshly; 'what explanation have you to offer concerning your movements last night?' "'Last night?' I echoed, faintly, the blood, despite myself, rushing into my f a co. " 'Yes—come—don't pretend to be green—the game's played out.' exclaimed the officer, sharply. 'I suppose you don't know anything about these keys, do you?' and he held up a bunch for my Inspection. "'Yes.' I gasped: 'they are mine.' I held out my hand to take them, but he drew them back with a sudden jerk. " 'lt's a rum go when a young fellow in your position carries skeleton keys about with him.' he exclaimed, drily. "'Skeleton keys?' I echoed, faintly. 'Skeleton keys?' " 'Of course.' he said. 'Here they be —as large as life. You'd forgotten they were on the ring, perhaps; but we have you nailed to them in any ease: your landlady identified them before T came round here, and then there's this 'ere bit of paper, with your name and address on it -maybe you'll own up to that as well.' "I am afraid that my manner was I against me. I went red and white by twins, stammered, hesitated, and made just about the worst impression that 1 could. But. somehow. T managed to struggle through the history of my adventure of the preceding night. "'An extraordinary statement" exclaimed the officer—a world of sarcasm j in both tone and manner. 'Perhaps' you may succeed in making a jury believe it. but extraordinary—oh. yescertainly most extraordinary. Are you aware, young man. that an extensive robbery was committed in Maldon road last night?' "The next evening the town rang with the account of my capture. The police were congratulated on every side. Tuit the strangest, and. for me. most \\nluckv part of the whole business was that- the burglaries ceased from that uia'hd. •■The case against me was a si rung one. i had come a stranger to Kedgarth.: soon after my arrival the burglaries had commenced- with my <hi parture they had ceased. The evidence of the keys seemed irresistible, and I had no one to plead for me. The result you have already foreseen. The verdict of the jury was 'guilty.' and not a soul in allthat crowded court pitied me. The judge delivered a short addressbearing on the necessity of protecting society from such daring, debased and hardened criminals, and passed upon me a sentence of ten years' penal servitude. "Then suddenly a new feeling took possession of me. The living, active' conscience of innocence rushed upon me. 'You are condemning an innocent man." I exclaimed, loudly, "and"- but at this moment T turned hastily around and caught a glimpse of :t face in the front row of the gallery behind me. I had seen that face before. I recognised it —I knew if. I gave a tierce, wild cry. of triumph. '• 'He is yonder! lie is yonder:' 1 shouted, pointing with my linger to the fellow, who turned ghastly white and cowered beneath my gaze, "there is the scoundrel who borrowed my latch key.' "The terrible earnestness of my words and manner--no less than the fearful aspect of the man T denounced made a great impression upon the com'':. The uu]::-r ordered my removal from the dock, and 1 was taken to the cells below; but his lordship, evidently greatly .affected, ordered the inquiry to be renewed. The result, gentlemen, was that eventually I received her most gracious Majesty's \'voi-> pardon. "The real thief, it turned out. was Ihe son of a highly-respected and wellknown resident of Kedgarth. That he had been in desperate circumstances, hut had subsequently been known to spend money freely, was soon proved. A good deal of the spoil was traced, and some of it recovered. The keys had r really been lost. The two 'skeletons' he himself Ikhl placed upon the ring. lie had left them—together with the envelope I had adven him—upon the hall floor, as though I hey had bean dropped and forgotten in the hurry of clearing off with the booty. Had I not seen his f;)<-t< T know not what the issue might have been. "The young fellow subsequently made a full confession, and. to save himself from the shame and ignominy of an appearance in the prisoner's dock, committed suicide."—"Tit-Bits."