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
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