Johnny Ludlow, Second Series

cleared up, but remains a mystery to the end. One of these losses happened to us, and the circumstances were so curiou

lived with the Todhetleys. Mrs. Todhetley, the Squire's present wife, was my stepmother, my father having married her after my own mother's death. After my father's death-which took place speedily-she became the second wife of Squire Todhetley, and the stepmother of his only son and heir, Joseph. Two children were subsequently born to them, Hugh and Lena, to whom Joseph was of course half-brother. Joseph, unlike myself, had been old enough to resent the advent of a stepmother when she came. Indulged and haughty, he did not like the gen

you had better send me a five-pound

," replied

quire was going to Worcester, and was taking Tod and myself with him. It was a fine morning in April, and Mrs. Todhetley and little Hugh had come with us throug

cage for my thrush, and a pot of

you like, sir?" r

ing 'em

say!"

nds. We saw him throw his cap at the train, and Mrs

chool," remarked the Squire. "I'm afraid yo

er were-to draw some money from the bank, and to negotiate with Mr. Prothero, a corn-dealer, for the sale of a load of wheat. Mr. Prothero was a close man to deal with: he wan

The first thing the Squire did was to go to the Old Bank. At the door he turned round and said there was

ey were talking together in private for a minute or two, and then the

take it?" as

e-pound

: and of course the market to walk through. You wouldn't get the Squire to keep himself out of the market-house, when in Worcester on market-day: he'd go about

r o'clock sharp. He means to hold out against my price; that's

ore he should have it at all," sa

e, Joe," was the

ble than all the rest of the buyers put to

rothero is a respectable man, Joe

began to fume a little: if he hated one thin

ng out his pocket-book. "There's not much chance of our going home t

aac had handed to him, he gave it to me to put u

ink it matt

n't suppose I am more cautious than other people. In my pocket was a l

" growled the Squire, forgetting that it could not be

tter to Mrs. Todhetley at Crabb Cot. Tod and I went out to post it, and

talking with him, not ten minutes elapsed before we were back again. And behold in that short time there was a change in the programme. Old Prothero

ce-or whatever they call the thing-on electro-bi

o home instead. Prothero has bought the wheat: a

e!" cried Tod, r

. Joe;

d. "It's not so often we get a night at Worces

d should most likely have gone home, whether Prothero

oke: once he caught one, he would be downright ill; laid up for

old, and was feverish. At breakfast Mrs. Todhetley said one of us

hates doctors!

r his colds in time, they would not be so bad as they usually are, Joseph. Who's that?"

an: so I opened

g me the letter we had posted at

e sooner had we brought it with us. Looking to see that the bank-

ng it to Tod as we were going out, "and then I need not disturb your

to be posted to her if we stayed at Worcester. You are often run short of money in

e doctor coming out at his door. Tod to

will only be reasonable and keep himself w

rom the corner: a double shop, grocer's and draper's. The savings' bank was at Salmon's, and the post-office: he was the busiest trad

id Tod, laying the note down on the grocer's counter, on the left of the door,

l, where he kept his gold. He was counting out the five sovereigns when he paused;

this note from, sir

ld Bank at

ning to turn over the leaves of a small account-book that he fetched from the post-office desk. "Ay, I thought I was rig

ed Tod, in his defiant way. "That note was pai

think it

ent. I saw Mr. Isaac count the notes out

unted out this note

it that it was not the note I had put into the envelope at Worcester. That was a new, crisp note; this was not

swear that this note was one given with the other

. As much as to say h

saac of dealing in stolen

here. That's what it is. Mr. Isaac would be too glad to get this note into his possessi

dently not knowing which side to take. I spoke then, saying that the note did not appear to be the same as the one I had enclosed in the let

the thing is so, it is. And it can soon be proved. I say

, I could remember what they were; so would any

were. But I do seem to remem

had direct from the bank. As to its not being the same note, he scouted it utterly. Had it dropped through

was robbed in Tewkesbury-the till carried off in open day. It had gold and silver in it and two five-pound notes. The numb

en notes written down in his book, and comparing the one with the bank-n

od, coming round the least bit in the world, as

e them," acknowledged Salmon. "But here's the proof

notes with the same

in his assumption o

was yet, Mr

se mistakes are not impossible to those w

their system. The note has

e!" reto

e five sovereigns-which Salmon offered. We could send over another note at leisure, he said. I examined the envelope

to Tod. The numbers were quite different from the note's. He stared like on

is beats bu

-for myst

pied the figures cor

! Of cour

o up to t

up to his coat. He had a fire in his room and his white night-cap on. I told him abou

of those stolen from the butcher at Tewkesbury! How da

t on at me, stamping his slippers and nodding his head, the big white tassel of the night-cap bobbing up and down. If Salmon

and I got a hearing: showing him the numbers I had taken down outside Anna'

! How can they have

mbers. They were all consecutive, the nine of them; and so was the tenth

esterday and drop the lett

to the post, sir, a

's no knowing who might pick it up, or what tricks might be played with it. Hold your tongues,

Mrs. Todhetley quite implored him not to go; as good as went down on her knees: he would increase his cold, and perhaps be laid up. But he wouldn't listen. "Hang the cold

nto!" laughed Tod, when he ha

y else who does

it present

about a dozen rugs and comforters, sitting beside him. The groom, Dwarf Giles, was behind with me: h

e matter there, gathering half the house about him. The post-office was taken next. They seemed to know nothing whatever about the letter-and I don't think they did-had not particularly noticed it in sorting: could not have see

ne so cheerfully calm. Taking the roll of five-pound notes in his hand, he pronounced them to be the same he had

s that were advertised?" demanded the Sq

nd came back saying that it was the note. So there we were: the matter laid, so far, to rest. N

this," cried the Squire, in a sort of hope

pon one of the old clerks, and went over the mat

been changed, Mr.

d in th

ed som

who d

the qu

t-office at our end, Timberdale: and at that the Squire fired up. Each would have held out for the good faith of his respective post-office to the death. It put Tod and me in mind

uire had an awful cold, though he wouldn't admit it. At nine o'clock he virtually gave in, went up t

Worcester office, was brought out at night by the late train, and dropped at the Timberdale

p at Timberdale. Then he added other things: stationery, Christmas cards, valentines, boys' marbles, purses, and such like, which his wife attended to. In time he had the post-office. As to suspecting Rymer of doing anything wrong with the note, it was not to b

talk that our two houses-the Squire's and old Coney's-ought not to be put in the Timberdale district of delivery, and why it was originally done nobody could make out; seeing that we were ever

d where was the use of his prescribing remedies if they were not attended to? Upon that, the Squire (after retorting that he should do as he pleased in spi

e, when he had turned the news over in

e had a theory that I saw more clearly than others, just as Duffham at Church Dyke

ostman; "so is Rymer. It could have been i

say it was not tampere

estioned Rym

Squire. "I meant to h

e was one of those stolen ones, if I were you: not even Rymer. No one likes to be mixed up in robberies. You'd put f

ake him. "I would

ut it," said Tod. "What'

en route for another one: that the numbers di

and ordered Tod to do as was suggested. He was unable to go to Timberdale himself, but

king the way of the Ravine. It was a fine spring day: the trees were coming into leaf, the thorns and other bushes were budding: violets

y's and the other straggling cottages, and came to the village

oor clothes and his white apron and the obscure shop he had served in for twenty years, his face had "gentleman" plainly stamped

miscellaneous wares on the other. Horse and cattle medicines were kept with the drugs: and other things too numerous to mention, such as pearl barley, pickles,

rlour, at one end of which was the

at a nice face he had. It was getting very careworn. A stranger would have given him more than his forty-five years: though the bright brown hair was a

h the post!" he exclaimed. "But, Mr. Josep

s just as unwilling to believe i

Why should one bank-note be taken out of

was a stolen note, and was no doubt put in to

loss to understand that a thief had helped himself to it; but a thief w

trammelled and having to tell so lame a tale. "One bank-note was taken out of the

" was Rymer's answer. "But-are you sure you

e between Worcester post-office and our house.

it into the post-office: when we delivered the letter at Crabb Cot yesterday morning, you

ohnny Ludlow. The Worcester office disclaims all knowledge of the matter, and so we are throw

in the morning. I used to sort all the letters in the morning, London and others: but lately I've do

noticing the let

there's often something or other for you, so that it's

have got to it

t such a question should be put. "No, certainly not. The lette

m as usual to Lee

hought that Tod's pursuing these questions reflected some suspicion o

s usual in one of the deep drawers of the desk. I never unlocked it again until the last thing in the morning, when the other letters that had come in were ready to go out, and the two men were waiting for them. The letter would be in Lee'

tters?" called out a voice at this juncture, as

en days' wonder. She had a nose as long as from Timberdale to Crabb Ravine; and her hair and face were red, and her flounces gaudy. As common a woman as you'd see in a summer's day

Letting the door stand ajar, she asked again if anything was amiss, and went on with her work at the same time: which sounded like chopping suet. Mr. Rymer replied in a curt word or two, as if he felt annoyed she should i

n out

it may be

you call it

t, in one sense, been stolen; since another o

Mrs. Rymer had beg

of such a story as that," she called out p

u, Susannah: a

oom, chopping-knife in hand, and requested further enlightenment. We told her

y this took pla

rning. When the letter reached us a

d chopped faster than ever. Tod and I h

me value," cried she. "I never heard of such a thing as that

ng so under the circumstances, Mr. T

Tod, hotly-and all but sa

t?" ask

not ours; ther

senting Tod's manner. "That the note found in the letter was the one put

-" her husband

u had a grain of sense beyond a gander's. And now good-morning,

ies in what you see a man is, by mind and nature, whether he is your equal, and you feel proud to think he is so-not in the fact

he said, turning to Tod-"but indeed I think there must be some mistake. Mrs.

eve at first, he had so fully adopted now, that any other op

there like two fools, Johnny! Closing our m

arts believes it. H

stion of that precious calf, Cole. Johnny, I think I shall act on my

r told us

mself before he had been with Rymer two minutes. The man's

won't t

goes. And the Squire w

he shop was empty, and there were no ea

the letter for ours, was one of those two lost by the bu

e two!" excl

nized it yesterday when we were a

told me this at

ought it might be better not to let that get abroad: it would put people on the

uiet way. "But it is very unaccountable.

: "The letter appears to have passed throug

ed at Worcester. Or-in the railway train," h

nsel at present as to th

to assist in the discovery is heartily at Squire Todhet

could not have been, effected on the Timberdale side, unless

ster office exonerated itself from suspicion, as did the railway letter-van. The van let off its resentment in a little private sneering: but the office waxe

aviour had seemed almost curious throughout. Not at that first interview-as I said, h

een the past day. I could have staked my life, if necessary, that the man believed what he said-that news must be looked for elsewhere, not at Timberdale. I am sure that he thought it impossible that the theft could have been effected after the lett

od and growing fat upon it. It caught the Squire's eye. Whilst he stopped to read the advertisement, I went in. The moment Rymer saw

he would like to come a

stooped to put some jars closer together under the counter;

ood, he noticed nothing. Rymer was very nearly himself then, and sa

face I can hardly tell. That had made me notice him. He spoke in a low, timid voice, saying no more than he was obliged to say, as if the subject fright

lour, and certainly listening. The Squire caught sight of her gown, and called out, "How d'ye do, Mrs. Rymer?" upon which she came forward. There was

d the Squire, as he was leaving. "It would never do to let the thief get off. W

stily interr

all you can. I should like to bring the lot to trial

the door. Then the Squire went back to

ts somehow. It's hard for a man to be in a shop all day long, f

s if the subject gave him some terrible pain. Nobody but myself noticed it; and I only because I looked out fo

evening, when it was getting towards dusk, he came over to Crabb Cot to see the Sq

found?" crie

onscience-being postmaster here-that such a loss should have taken place. With three parts of the public, and more, it is the Timberdale side that gets the cre

r awhile, and then p

, "you don't suppose I'd take the money from you! What in the wo

said poor Rymer, in his subdued

it up; put it up. Why, my good fellow, don't, for mercy's sake, let this bother take your senses away. It's n

mad, to think of such a thing. I happened to go into the room in the middle of it, but they had not leisure to look at me. It ended in Rymer's takin

port wine

bumper and made him drink it: telling him he believed it was something of the kind his head wanted

me, and went back to the room. He had in his hand a little thin not

in putting it into his pocket. The note

was light enough yet, but no one was in view, so I guessed he was taking the short-cut through the Ravi

bbing with all his might: sobs that had prevented his hearing me. There was no time for me to draw

re in some great t

ce. "The best of us have trou

n I do f

n me giving way. It was very foolish of me: but th

he case opened, and the bank-note fluttered out. I pick

u know," he

aid: no one else does: and I'll

ok it as it was meant, and wrung it in answer. Had we been o

ed. "Heaven knows I was not prepared f

r him. I am older now than I was then: and I have learnt to think that God sends these d

got the keys of the desk for him, that he might open it in the night: he made the excuse to her that there was a letter in the Worcester bag for himself under a false direction, which he must secure, unsuspected. To do Madam Rymer justice, she thought no worse: and it was she who in her fright, when the commotion arose about the Tewkesbury note, confessed to her husband that she had let Ben h

own pocket twice over, to have prevente