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The Seaforth News, 1940-06-27, Page 6PAGE SIX l's:"°, I.w.�,.S'li'l�: k t.3 dr N Y;cv1t'f,",. »tt*ti. r :if -0Sis f. ucs,„ 'Otherwise we should not breakfast segether this mowing." he answered. What difference would it make to this government if our private matter 'ad been dragged iu? Technically _.0 still would have been the spy. Lut I will say this, monsieur, to toe lou are a man better worth torture than death. "Do you ever gtop to think of how tnis may end for you " I asked quiet- y. He seemed pleased at the question, "I have thought it might be inter- esting," he answered; "else, as I said, 1t should long ago have left this ;,nglity world. Is it in your mind that we shall cross swords one day?' "I feel It in nay bones," said I, -'that I shall kill you," At that moment we stood at the en- trance to the citadel. where a good (ail' of horses and a sleigh awaited .:e, We gat in, the robes were piled :round us, and the horses started oft .at a Fong trot. I was muffled to the -ars. but I could see how white and eautiful was the world, how the trust glistened in the trees, how the '-alsams were weighted down with row. and how snug the chateaux coked with the smoke • curling up from their hunched chimney. Presently Doltaire replied to my get remark. "Conviction is the exe- -etioner of the stupid." said he. When a man is not great enough to ,.t change and chance guide slim he gets convictions and dies a fool," "Conviction has made men and ant- is .strong:" f rejoined, "Hats 105110 men and nations woes." Le retorted. "The Mohammedan has _cnvietian, so has the Christian: they fighting each other, and the phis- ,sopher sits by and laughs. Expedi- ency saved your life to -day; convic- t-, : would have sent you to a starry As he spoke a thought came in on re.e Here we Aver, in the: open world, r«'11i11g [eget e.•r, without a guard ,i any kind, Was it not possible to axis, a dash for freedom? The idea wee pet away from nae. and tet i( ' ft,s11 .,, : est of Dnitaire's sa-a:'tev that he tempted nae in this s. . As if he divine,! what I thought. .e n1e---tc ' I made 110 attempt a1sw P: his question: -Melt of senSotl- v': t' (11' 1I e i ^Ile ehoese the wrong time for then. ,0pns , F,. o. -r oay have ttawritl'-n ":"iiere was toe matt:1, a. nut- 1:11. if- t rt!1H. sess111r on eats 1 a1:'' 1ci'1i + th- la a. 114.1 .e is in toe Isar 1,101' ) u. 1 nr t .;;7 lifts en{! • .t wII:sr:Ana 1e had savod nth „n. 11 1-0+101 be aaeastili 0.7 -r rt. 010•11,y 1 0,'„ 11011to i.4 (41, with hila. --,_.(1y t10; 0)1''410 til' t11- t4,w11 4rc filling: for it was the flay 11,401'e '0i•istnlas, a11(1 it wnnid he the great sserketelay of the year. Pew noticed _s as wr sped along down Palate. Street, and I could not 00itceive whither we were going, until, pass - ng the Hotel Dieu, I saw in front of us the Intendance. I remembered the last time I was there and what had happened then, and a thought flashed through me that perhaps this was another trap. But I put it from me, and soon afterwards. Doltaire said: "3 have now a slice of the Intend- anee for my own, and we shall break- fast like squirrels in a loft." As we drove into the open space before the palace a company of sold- iers standing before the great door began marching up to the Toad by which we came. With them was a prisoner. I saw at once that he was a British officer, but I did not recognise his face. I asked his name of Doltaire and found it was one Lieutenant Ste- venson, of Rogers's Rangers, those brave New -Englanders. After an inter- view with Bigot he was being taken to the common jail. To my request that I might speak with him Doltaire assented, and at a sign from any com- panion: the soldiers stopped. Steven - son's eyes were fixed on me with a puzzled, disturbed expression. He was well built, of intrepid bearing, with a fine openness of manner joined 16 handsome features. But there was a recklessness in. his eye which seemed to me to eonce nearer the swash- buckling character of a young French seigneur than the wariness of a Brit- ish soldier: I sponte his name and introduced myself. His surprise and pleasure were pronounced, for he had thought (as he said) that by this time I should be dead. There was an im stunt's flash of his eye, as if a sus- picion of my loyalty had crossed his mind; but it was gone on the instant, and immediately Doltaire, 'w'ho also had interpreted the lois, smiled, and said he had carried me oft to breakfast while the ftu'niture of my former prison was being shifted to toy new one. After a word or two more, wit Stevenson's assurance that the Brit ish had recovered from Braddaclea defeat and would presently be knock ing at the portals of the Chateau :t Louis, we parted, and 50011 Doltaire and 1 got out at the high stone steps of the palace. • - Standing there for a moment I looked round, In this space surround- ing the Intendauee Was gathered the history of New -France. This palace, large enough for the king of a Xu•op- ea0 country. with a population of n million. was the official residence of the commercial ruler of a province. It was the house of the miller, and across the way was 111? king's store- house, La Fripenne, where poor folk were ground between the stones. The great square was already filling with people who had come to trade. Here were barrels of malt being unloaded; .there, great sacks of grain, bags of dried fruits, bales of homemadecloth, and loads of fine -sawn boards 1111(1 timber. Moving about among the pP a. int= were regularsoldiers the � c' ers intheir white uniforms facets with blue, red. yellow, or violet. with black t111•ee-c-nrnered hats, and black gaiters from foot. to knee, and the militia in routs of white with black facings, Behind a great collar of dogskiu It flair of jc-t*i(luck eyes flashed out front under a pretty forehead; and present- ly elle saw these an1e eyes grown sorowful or dull under' heavy knotted 1,row05, which told of a life too vexed d,y care and labour to keep alive a spall of youth': romance. Now the 1,«.11 in the lower above ns rang a short peal, the Signal for the opening of Le Fripanme, and 1110 bits 1ling crowd moved t. wards its doors. As 1 stood there on the „teat 5(110, 1 a1� i act Melt ,1 n„ the plain, uare i:enr of the palace 1 an al1nex al 110' • 1J1. 14,1 0(:,10i(1)0 ill a doorway. optnt- inti- 01, a p:Sr 01 steps was Vnbaa..1 was n.,(Z,-c1 that he should be there --the man whr a lite had been spoil - '.o by Bigot. .1t the .stung moment !.1,1)111'0 n(uli011.-11 1 11 Mtn to 1.0111'11 inside: which he (lid. Doltaire laughed at my surprise. and, as he showed me. inside the pal- ace. said: "There is no barber it the world like 'Coban111 . Interesting! 11- eating! I love to watch his eye when he draws the razor down my throat. It would be so easy to fetch it across; but Voban. as you see, is not a man of absolute conviction. It will be sport, some day, to put Bigot's valet to bed with a broken leg or a fit of spleen, and send Voban to shave him," "Where is Mathilde?" I asked, as though I naught of her where- abouts. THE SEAFORTH NEWS able, and it was like a dream that I had just come froom the dismal chance of a miserable death. My cloak and eap and leggings had been taken frons me when I entered, as Courted -nab, as though I had been Ding Louis himself, and a great chair was drawn solicitously to the fire. All this was done by the servant, after one quick look from Doltaire. The man seemed to understand leis mas- ter perfectly, to read one look as though it were n volume—• "The constant service of the antique world," - Such was Doltah'e's influence, The closer you 011.1110 to him, the more compelling was lie --a devilish attrac- tion, notably selfish, yet capable of benevolence. Two years before this time I saw hint lift a load from the back of a peasant woman and (tarry it home for her, putting into her hand a gold piece on leaving. At another time, an old man had died of afoul disease in a miserable upper room of at warehouse. Doltaire was passing at the moment when the body should be carried to burial. The stricken widow Al of the dead an stood below, wait- ing, but no one would fetch forth the corpse. Doltaire stopped and question- ed her kindly, and in another minute lie was driving the carter and an- other upstairs at 111e point of his sword. Together they brought the body down, and Doltaire followed it to the burying ground, keeping the gravedigger at his task when he would have rim away',- I said to hive then, "You rail at the world and scoff at men and many de- cencies, and yet you do these things:" To this he replied—lie was in ma' own lodging at the time—"The brain may call all men liars and fools, but the senses feel the shock of misery which we do not ourselves inflict, 11 Inflicting, we are prone to cruelty, as you have seen a schoolmaster begin punishment with tears, glow angry at - the shrinking back under his cane, and give way to a sudden lust of tor - "Mathilde is where none may touch her, monsieur even under the pro- tection of the daintiest lady of New France, It is her whim; and when a lady is charming, an Intendant, even, must not trouble her, caprice." He did not need to speak more plainly. It was he who had prevented Bigot from taking Mathilde away from Alixe and locking her up, or worse: I said nothing, however, and soon we were in a large room sump- tuously furnished, looking out on the great square, The morning sun stared in, some snowbirds twittered on the window -sill, and inside. a canary, 111 an alcove hung with plants and flow- ers, sang as if it were the heart of summer. All was warm and comfort - tune. 1 have little pity for those who can help themselves ---let then[ fight or eat the leek; but the child and the helpless and the sick it is a pleasure to aid. I love the poor as much as I love anything. I eould live their life, if 1 were put to it. As a gentleman, I hate squalor and the puddles of Wretchedness: but 1 could have work- ed at the plough or the anvil! I could have dug in the earth 011 any knuckles grew big and my shoulders hardened to a roundness, have eaten my beans and pork and pea -soup, and have been a healthy ax, munching the bread of industry and trailing the puissant pike, an obedient sell', 1 have no ethics, and yet 1 ant .on the side of the just when they (10 not put thorns in my bed to keep me awake at night!" l'pon the walls hung suits of arm - (1u1 swords of beautiful stake. spears, belts o1' wonderful workmanship, a tattered banner, sashes knit by lad- ies' fingers, pouches, bandoleers, and unary agreeable sketches of scenes that I knew well, Now and them wo- nuau's head in oils or 1)01(541 peeped out from the abundant ornaments. I recalled then another thing he said at that time of which 1 write; "I have never juggled with 017 conscience • never 'made believe' with it. lily will was always stronger than my wish for anything, always stranger than temptation, 1 have chosen this way or that deliberately. 1 51114 00.l' r,iedy to iaee (01510aln- o'l44ls, alai I never cry out, 1t is the ,.-s undeserving o1' chine11 reward or punishment win/ says that something eu1ried hint away, and, being weak, he fell. That 14 0 poor man who 10 no strongest than his passiun1. I can understood 111e devil figbtiug God, and taking the long punishment with- out repentance, like a powerful prince as he was. 1 could understand a peas- ant killing Iiiug Louis in the palate, and beiug ready, if he had a hundred lives. to give them all. having done the Gleed he set out to do. If a loan have cov'ietions of that sort, he can escape everlasting laughter—the final hell ----only by facing the rebound of his wild deeds." These mere strange sentiments in 11e mouth of a 'elan ,olio +was ever 01)0 mannered courtier, and as 1 •sant there alone, while he .was gone eilsewhere for some minutes, many such things he ',had said came hack to me, suggest- ed, no doubt, by this new, inexplicablettieude towards myself. I !could trace some of kis !sentiments, 1perhaps 'Wag- gly, to the 'fact 't'ha't—as I had come o know through !the Seigneur Duv- rney—his (pother ,was of ,peasant ,Io,M, the ibeautiful davlhter .of a fal- ter (3f Poictiers, nviho had idled soon fter giving birth to Doltaire. His poo - (liar nature has shown Itself in his re- usal rp accept a' tithe. Itwas'his,w•lhim o be the 'plain "Monsieur"; behind which was. perhaps, some native +ar- oganay that made him [prefer this to eing a noble whose origin, well :town, must interfere !with his ambit - ons. Then, too, maybe, the !peasant in im—never in his face or ,form, ,which 11cre patrician altogether—slpioke for mare truth and .manliness than he was apalble of, and so he chose to Ilse the yn'ical irresipensilble courtier nvthile a a n a b k h c r many of his instincts had urged 116111 to the peasant's 101107ruty, He 'had un- -disturbed dhow^ever one instinct of the ,peasant -tea ,good directness, evident mostly in the olearness of his thoughts. As 'these things hurried any mind, my body sunk in a kind of res'tiuiliness !before the great (fire. D,oiltaire Mine aback. - 'I will :not keep you !from ibroak- fast," said h'e, '"Velban most wait, 11 you .w'ilil +pass Iby .un'tidines's." A thought flashed ahrotugh any mind. Perhaps Vdlhan had some award •for me from Adixel So 'I said instanllly, "I ant nvt'hungry, Perhaps you will let me wait yonder ,while 'Vahan tends you. As you said, it should ire inter- esting." "Yon will not mind the .disorder of my - dressing -rooms 'Fitch, ;then, !this tray, a11111 ewe can talk ,while V'olhan plays lvitth temptation." So saying, be courteously led the way into another chamber where Vob- an stood wzliting. 1 spoke to him, and he hawed but did not speak; and then Doltaire said: "You sec, Voban. your la'b'our on monsieur '0511 ,wasted so 'far as con- cerns the world to come, Yon trim- med 'slim for the ,gtl0ri005 company of the apostles, and see, the Ibrea+lefas!ts with Monsieur Doltaire—in the In- sendance, too, my Voob,an, iwhioh, as you know,1is oveciked---a very nest of wasps!" 1 never saw more hate /than shot out of Valbau's eyes at that moment; but the aids dropped aver them at once, and he made ready 'for his work, as Doltaire, putting aside his coat, seated hintself, stunting. There was no little daring, as there +was cruelty, in thus torturing a stain .whose life had been broken by Doltaire'e associate. 1 wondered now and then if Doltaire were not really putting acid on the .barber's bare nerves for sonic other purpose than mere general cruelty. Even as he 'w,oudd have nrderst'ood the peasant's murder of King Louis, so ,he wouldhave seen a logical end to a terrible game in Bigot's death at the hand of Vahan. Possibly he wondered that Voban did not strike, and he himself took dellight in showing 111131 his own ,wrongs occasionally. Then, again, Doltaire Might wish fur Bigot's death, to succeed hint in his [places But this I scut impr(libable, for the In- tendant's post WM., MA his :ambition, or, favourite of La Pompadour as he be would. desiring, Have don:g ago ach- ieved ;that end, Moreover, every evid- ence eisosved that he would gladly 're- turn to France, for his clear 'brain. foresaw tie 'final ruin of the colony and 'the triumph of the British. IIe had cake said in my hearing: - "'Th.tsc awarggerinu Englishmen will keep coming on. They are too stupid to tarn lbaek. The eternal saneness of it all .will ao distress ua tvc shall awake one morning. find thein at our bed- aite .1 kick, and die front sheer 1(111151. 'They'll use our Manners 10 boil their fat puddings in, they'll roost uxeu in 111e highways, and after our girls have nlaaried thent they'll turn thein into kitchen weueltes with frowsy shirts and ankles like beeves!„ But, indeed, beneath his dangerous irony there was a strain of impish- ness, and he would, if need be, laugh at his own troubles, and torture himself as he' had tortured other's. This morning he was full of a car- bolic humour, As the razor(ante )e his 11ec'11 he suid: "Volau, it barber must have pad - rime, 11 is a saes thing to mistake fried for enemy. What is a -feud? is i1 one who ,10s w•eet words," There was 15 panne, in which the shaving 'went 00, and then he eon - tinned: - - "Is it lie who says, I have eaten Vnban's bread. and Voban shall there- fore go to prison or be hurried to Walhalla? ('Ir is it the who stays the iron hand, who puts nettles in Yu - ban's cold, cold bed, that he lnay rise early and go forth among the heroes?" I (l, not think Voban understood that, through some freak of purpose, Doltaire was telling hint thus oblique- ly he had saved him from Bigot's cruelty, from prison or death. Once or twice he glanced at 111e, but not meaningly, for Doltaire was seated opposite a mirror, and could see each motion made by either of us. Pres- ently Doltaire said to me idly: "I dine to -day at the Seigneur Du- varney's, You will be glad to hear that mademoiselle bids fair to rival the; charming Maclaine Cou'nal. Her followers are as many, so they say, and all in one short year she has sud- denly thrown out a thousand new fac- ulties and charms. Doubtless you re- member she was gifted, but who would have thought she could have blossomed so! She was all light and softness and air; she is now all fire and skill as well. Matelllessl match- less! Every day sees her with sone new capacity, some fresh and delicate aplomb. She has set the town admir- ing, and jealous mothers prophesy Irish ending for her. Her swift mast- ery of the social arts is weird, they say. La! la! The social arts! A good brain, a gift of penetration, a man- ner—which is a grand necessity, and it must be with birth—and no heart to speak of, and the rest is easy, No heart—there is the thing; with a good brain and senses all warns with life—to feel, but never to have the arrow strike home. You must clever think to love and be loved, and be wise too. The emotions blind the judgment, Be heartless, be perfect with heavenly artifice, and, if you are a woman, have no vitriol on your tongue—and you may rule at Ver- sailles or Quebec. But with this diff- erence: in Quebec you may be virtu- ous: at Versailles you must not. It is a pity that you may not sleet Made- moiselle Dllvarney, She would as- tound you. She was a simple ballad a year ago; tomorrow she may be au epic." He nodded at me reflectively, and went 011: "'Mademoiselle,' said the Chevalier de la Demote to her at dinner, some weeps ago, 'it I were young, I should adore yon.' 'ltionsieur,' she answered, 'you use that "if" to shirk responsib- ility.' That put hint onhis mettle. 'Then, by the gods, I adore you now!' he answered. 'If - I were young, 1 should blush to hear you say so; Was her reply, '1 empty out my heart, and away trips the distainful nymph with a laugh,' he rejoined gaily, the rusty old courtier; 'there's nothing left but. to fall upon my sword l' 'Disdahnfal nymphs are the better scabbords for distinguished swords,' site said, with charming courtesy, Then, laughing softly, 'There is an. Egyptian proverb which runs thus: "If thou, Doi, son of Hoshti, hast emptied out thy heart, and it bring no fruit in exchange, curse not thy gods and die, but build a pyramid in the vineyard where they love was spent, and write upon it, Pride hath no conqueror."' It is a 011ad for a palace, is it not?" - I could see in the mirror facing him the provoking devilry, of his eyes. I renew that he was trying how much he could stir me. Ho guessed my love' for her, but I could see lie was sure that she no longer --if she ever bard -- thought of me, Besides, with a lover's understanding, I saw also that he liked to talk of her. His eyes. in the mirror, (did not meet mine, but. Were fixed, as (1n :tome disl11(1 and pleas- ing prospect, though there was, as al- ways, a slight disdain at his mouth. But the eyes were clear, resolute, and strong, never wavering --ani. I never Saw• them waver—yet in them some- thing distant and inscrutable, it was a candid eye, and he was candid in his evil; he niside no pretence; and though the means to his ends Were wicked, they were never low. Pre- sently, glancing 1'011lld the 1'naltl, 1 taw an easel on which 011145 at 1'14110115. Ile caughtmy glance. Monthly Dairy Report Exports of dairy products from Canada (luring April were almost twit, as large las in the correspond• int month a year ago, neeortling to the monthly dairy report of the On- tario Department or Agrirlal ince. Shipments of powdered milk show- ed a onnsidel•able inerea55, and cheese a very Norge increase. while bullet and evaporated mills exports were suhslnntl ash' lower. '1"11,, United King dont- took 2.026.6011 p0mul5 of c•hees, during April as compared with 10(1,905 pounds in April 1939. The Iil(•1'1,11SO ill the value of powdered mill; exports was clue in a large measure to a high- er selling price for the product. Shipments of evaporated 1011 le show• ed 11 considerable deepens, due to reduced exports to the Pulled King i•n1:s and butler exports were x150 111 11011 leaver en 1 11 same account. The production of r•r,•an tory loll lel In Ontario during May a(5 tinted to !1.125 Do pounds ,as compared with 9,401,1111. pounds in :flay 1919, 'rhe. cumulative output for the first five months w as slightly lower this year. (Steve,. 1'aelories reported their make of Cheddar cheese during linty' showed a substantial gain. The (•11(0(1 lative production of cheese now amounts to 10,161 Je5 p01111(15 as cons pared with 13,665 ""'o pounds in the period January 10 Stay a year ago. Steeps of creamery butter in ware, houses in. the City of Toronto at June i:st, were reported at 1,1147,101 pounds as compared with 1,313,267 pounds at the first of tine previous month, and 1,206,225 pounds at .lune 1st, 1939, Stocks held in dairy fact- ories are large. Stocks of cheese in warehouses in the City of Toronto were much lower than a year ago, but practically the same in cheese factories throughout the province. Butter stocks declined (luring May and the average wholesale quotation for this month at Toronto was 23,0 cents as compared with 26.4 cents in the previous month. Cheese prices declined slightly horn an average of 14.3 cents per pound in April to 14.0 cents 3n May. The sales of fluid milk by conlmer• Hal dairies during the mouth of April are estimated at 22,153,000 quarts having a sales value of $2,5110,600. They were late, 511(1 very conscious of it. Two of them found seats, the other two, a sergeant and.a private,' walked up the centre aisle, .51 the moment, the preacher announced his text: "Paul I know, Cephos I know, but who are these?" The sergeant paused in his stride, then sang out: "Glad to have the pleasure, your reverence. This is .Tock MacDuff from Glasgow and I'm Willie Hope from Belfast." THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 1940 PROFESSIONAL CARDS MEDICAL SEAFORTH CLINIC Dr, E. A. McMaster, MB., Graduate of University of Toronto. J, D. Colguhoun, M.D., O.K. Grad- uate of Dalhousie University, Halifax. The Clinlc is fully equipped with complete and modern x-ray and other Up-to-date diagnostic and thereuptic equipment. Dr. Margaret X. Campbell, M.D., L.A.B.P., Specialist in Diseases in Infants and Children, will be at the Clinic last Thursday in every month from 3 to 6 p,m. Dr. F. 7. R. Forster, Specialist in Diseases of the Ear, Eye, Nose and Throat, will be at the Clinic the first Tuesday in every month from 4 to 6 p,m, Free well -baby clinic will be held on the second and last Thursday in every month from 1 to 2 p.m. JOHN A. GORWILL, B.A,,M.D, Physician and Surgeon In Dr. H. H. Ross' office. Phone 5 J W. G. SPROAT, M,D., F.A.C.S. Surgery Phone 90-W. Office John St„ Seaforth DR. F..1. R. FORSTER Eye, Ear, Nose aud Throat Graduate in Medicine, University of Toronto. Late Assistant New York Ophthalmic and Aural Institute, Moorefield's Eye, and Golden Square throat hospitals, London, Eng, At Commercial Hotel, Seaforth, third Wednesday in each month from 2 to 4 p.m. Also at Seaforth Clinic first Tuesday in each month. -53 Waterloo St., Stratford. Telephone 267. MARGARET K. CAMPBELL, M.D. London, Ontario Graduate Toronto University Licentiate of American Board 01 Pedi- atrics, Diseases of Children At Seaforth Clinic, last Thursday af- ternoon, each month, AUCTIONEER GEORGE ELLIOTT, Licensed Auctioneer for the County of Huron, Arrangements can be made for Sale Elate at The Seaforth News, Charges moderate and satisfaction guaranteed F. W. AHRENS, Licensed Auction eer for Perth and Huron Counties Sales Solicited. Terms on Application. Farm Stuck, chattels and real estate property, R. R. No. 4, Mitchell. Phone 634 r 6. Apply at this office. HAROLD JACKSON Licensed in Iiuren and Perth Coun- ties. Prices reasonable; satisfaction guaranteed, For information, write or 11110110 Harold Jackson, 6581712, Sea - forth central; Hrucetield 11,8.1. Watson & Reid REAL ESTATE AND INSURANCE AGENCY (Successors to James Watson) MAIN ST., SEAFORTH, ONT. All kinds of Insurance risks effect- ed at lowest rates in First -Class Companies. The McKillop Mu' teal Fire Insurance Co. HEAD OFFICE—SEAFORTH, Ont. OFFICERS President, Wm, Ifnox, Londesboro; Vice President, W. R. Archibald, Seaforth; Secretary Treasurer, M. A. Reid, Seaforth. AGENTS F. McKercher, R.R.1, Dublin; John E. Pepper, R.R.1, Brucefleld; E. R. G. Jarmouth, Brodhagen; James Watt, Blyth; C. F. Hewitt, Kincardine; Wm. Yeo, Holmesville. DIRECTORS Alex Broadfoot, Seaforth; William Knox, Londesboro; Chris Leonhardt, Dublin; James Connolly, Goderich; Thomas Moylan, Seaforth; W. R. Archibald, Seaforth; Alex McEwing, Blyth; Frank McGregor, Clinton; Hugh Alexander, Walton, Parties desirous to effect insurance or transact other business, will be promptly attended to by applications • to any of the above named officers addressed to their respective post- offices. The Conviot—"Look here, warder, somebody has stolen one of 1117 blankets." Warder—"Good' heavens! You don't suggest we have any thieves in the p1'ison,. do you?"