LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1933, 5 May 1880, Page 3

LITERATURE.

“GOLD AND SILVER BOUGHT.”—A DETECTIVE’S STORY.

[Prom Link by Link.]

Blue Billv, a sly tout, became concerned in a rather smart jewellery robbery in the New Town. Whether ho was actually present and assisted in the shop-lifting does not appear, but hia usual practice was rather to advise or prompt than practically lend a hand. However, the burglary was successful; the plunder, amounting In value to r early £IOO, was safely buried in the Queen’s Park, and we were fairly at our wit’s end for a clue to it or the thieves. We searched the' broker’s shops and other known receiving houses sharply, and even narrowly watched suspected men to discover any undue recklessness in scattering their means, but every effort was put forth in vain ; and the cause of our failure requires a little explanation. There are, as every one knows, many kinds of jewellery in the market, even putting aside that which is pure brass, German silver, or brass plated to resemble gold. There is gold so mixed with copper or gonmetal as to be practically not gold at all, and there is silver, largely used in cheap jewellery, so adulterated with tin that it might more honestly bo called tin than silver. Now jewellery made up of these two mixtures, though a good marketable com modity, will not bear melting up, to be afterwards sold as old gold and silver ; and as the bulk of the £4OO worth taken by the associates of Blue Billy was made up of this swindling metal, the villains were as wroth ai if they had been cheated in open market. They could not molt the jewellery so as to destroy all hope of identification ; nor could they sell it as it stood without the risk of being traced and caught. Under these trying circumstances—so depressing to activity and genius —they turned

to the long headed Billy, who in torn looked about him for a suitable agent for hia unmeltable goods. Going down the High street and Canongate one day, Billy’s eye caught the words ‘ Gold and Silver Bought,' neatly gilded on framed glass and hung np in the shop window. Over the door of the shop were the words ’George Gunton, licensed broker,’ and Billy paused to examine the stock and speculate upon the character of the proprietor. The brokers with whom he generally traded had already been sounded in vain, but Gunton was a comparative stranger in the city. It is true, as Billy was aware, that he was always on familiar and friendly terms with the police, and extremely scrupulous in having his book of purchases correct to the smallest item, but Billy inclined to believe that Gunton would not oa that account refuse to do a little business privately if he were only aannded in a judicious manner and offered fair terms for his risk. Impressed with this idea, and convinced that none other in the whole city was better suited to conducted the dalicate negotiation than himself, Billy sauntered into hia shop, resolved to begin by playing the simpleton anxious for informa'ion. In his pocket Billy had a bit of melted silver, part of the plunder, weighing about three ounces ; and this he produced to Mr Gunton, with tho words—‘lf yon please, sir, could you tell me if that’s real silver ? I found it on the street and showed it to a man, who said it was only hard solder.’

Without a word, Gunton took the dirtylooking lump, doubtless noting at the same time that one side was exactly the shape of the bottom of an ordinary crucible, and, after testing it with a file and some_aoid, said very firmly—--1 Yes. it’s real silver ; want to sell it V

• That depends on how much you’ll gi’ me for it,’ said Blue Billy, with a stupid grin which he could assume to perfection when occasion required. ‘A shilling an ounce,’ said Gunton, after a pause; * its bought by weight, you know.’

* A shilling ? Silver’s worth more’n that, surely ?’ ‘ Yes, to a silversmith, but I am not one,’ coldly returned Ounton, retaining the silver, nevertheless, in his hand ; * I am only a dealer, and run a risk in buying such things. ’ * How, where’s the risk ?’ inquired Billy, with charming simplicity. ‘ Why, you might give me a false address or name, and when the police looked at my book and found that out, pr’ap?“oovit ive it me back.’

‘What I do you think I’m a thief ?’ exclaimed Billy, whose every feature was stamped with cunning and crime in lines that a baby could not have mistaken ; ‘ have I the look of one ?’ * Indeed you have not,’ said Q-unton, with a look of implicit faith, ‘ but rules are rules, and the police are very strict; if you had had a quantity to sell now, I might have allowed a little more for it. ’

‘Ab, what a pity,’ said Billy, sorrowfully dropping his eyes; and then there occurred one of those peculiar pauses and abrupt silences, which, however startling, at least show that if tongues are still, thoughts are swift in motion. ‘ I see some nice things in your window,’ said Blue Biily, at length breaking the silence and alluding to the second-hand watches, brooches, and chains which filled Gunton’s window. *1 s’pose you sell a good deal of them things, one way or another ?’

‘ Nothing to speak of,’ was Gunton’s ready reply ; ‘ but I’ve a brother who travels over the most of England with jewellery, and he has an outlet for a good deal of my stuff, when it’s not so battered to look secondhand. I send him all the good stuff that comes in, and keeps the rubbish for my own counter. ’

All this was said with an apparent artlessness and ingenuous simplicity that Blue Billy himself might have envied, and it conveyed a plain hint to that gentleman’s mind which was too good and welcome to be passed over in silence.

‘ But I s’pose he’ll give ye a mere trifle for ths things V inquiringly remarked Billy; ‘ scarcely enough to make it worth your while sending them ?’ ‘There your wrong—he give me the full value—same as you buy ’em wholesale for, as he often gets fancy prices from the bumpkins in selling over again,’ temptingly returned Qunton; ‘if you had any such stuff—of course I am only supposing a case—if yon had any and wanted ready cash for it, why you would bring it to me to buy for him on commission—that is with a profit of two shillings on each pound ; and I would send them straight off the moment I paid you for them. ’

Billy expressed himself as enraptured by the business system of the brothers, and even hinted that he would certainly patronise them it he had ever any such articles to dispose of, and concluded by asking again what Gunton would cave fcr the melted silver.

Gunton now became confidential—alluded to Billy as an old and esteemed friend, though ha he had never spoken to him before, and, after the manner of more pretentions business men, said he would favor him so far as to give him eighteenpence an ounce for the silver, and ‘no questions-asked. ’ Thus, mollified by a present bait, and the promise of prompt settlement and liberal prices in future transactions, Silly took leave of his new agent, and after many consultations with his sleeping partners and as many deep cogitations on his own account, he resolved to trust Gunton. and try to dipose of the buried plunder through that inestimable agent. With this end in view he caused about an eighth of the plunder to be unearthed, and then, after many consultations and careful fencing on both sides, It was arranged that Billy should bring the jewellery to Gunton’a house in the Pleasance that they might settle as to its value. The value to the unfortunate loser of the property, as I have indioated, was about fifty pounds; but Hilly was not surprised or offended when his new agent, after a close inspection, offered him a fifth of that sum. Cln the contrary, he agreed to the terms, and eagerly stretched out his paw to clutch the bank notes which the broker had counted out, when a new idea seemed to strike Gunton. ‘You’re sure thit is all you have by yon at present V he enquiringly remarked, ‘ because it’ll have to be sent off soon, and if you have more you may as well dispose of it at the same time. Not that I have any suspicion but it's all right, but only there’s no good making two bites [of a cherry, and it will save the cost of carriage.’

What offer could have bee i more considerate ? Truly, it seemed as if Gunton and Billy had been created for each other’s happiness and well-being. Billy admitted that he had more, retired to consult with his partner’s without receiving the ten pounds offered, which the broker, in his thoughtlessness of the moment, had returned to hia pocket, and the result was that the night was spent in unearthing the treasure and conveying it to Gunton’s house. When this task was accomplished Gunton discovered that he had not fifty pounds in his pot session and could not possibly pay his esteemed friend till he drew the required sum next morning from the bank, This being thought satisfactory, though unusual. Blue Billy retired, and he and bis friends drank themselves blind with a crown which the _ broker had been good enough to give them in part payment, and to dream of a surfoit of such joys on the coming morrow. Prompt at noon next day, according to appointment, and with a head splitting with the orgies of the previous night, Bine Billy presented himself at Gnnton’s place of business. It struck him that Gunton did not receive him with his usual warmth, bat that he attributed to the appearance the broker was forced to keep up to the world. They conversed for some time upon subjects of no deep interest to Billy, and at last, finding the broker strangely obtuse to the broadest of hints, Billy ventured to say — ‘ I s’pose you’ve been to tho bank ?’ ‘ The bank V echoed Gunton, with a surprised stare; ‘what do yon mean ! What should I do at the bank ?’

‘ Why, draw the fifty quid you’re owin’ to me, to be sure T’ said Billy, with the first dreadful pang of mistrust flashing through his mind, only to be dismissed, however, as too monstrous to be entertained for a moment.

• Fifty pounds ? Good heavens I are you mad ?’ exclaimed the broker, starting back with the most lively amazement; ‘ 1 don’t believe I have such a sum in the world, if I was sold to the door, far less in the bank. Who told yon I was owing you fifty pounds ? ’ Billy stared at the masterly scoundrcd for some moments in mute astonishment, and

I during that brief interval must have suffered . aa anguish and humiliation which happily falls to the lot of but few in this world. . ‘ Look here ! ’ he gasped, as soon aa hia i breath had returned, ‘ that’s all good t enough for a joke, you know, but I’m not im , a temper for that. My head’s like to split, i and it’s not safe to meddle wi’ mee too much 1 So, once for all—fork over !' ‘I will, with pleasure, if you’ll tell me what I’m to fork,’ was the cool reply, given with an apparent frankness that made Billy madly ask himself If he were dreaming, or out of his senses, or drunk. ‘ Why, for the things I brought to your house last night!’ he wrathfnlly burst forth, after vainly trying to stare the other out of countenance. Gunton looked at his visitor, scanned him slowly from head to foot, stared at hia own hands and all round the shop, as if petrefied with astonishment, and then said, * either yon or I must be mad, and I don’t think it’s me. What things do yon mean ?’ ‘ Why, the brooches, and earrings, and chains, and watches, to be sure, ’ gasped Billy; ‘yon can’t have forgot, ete'ng that you went over every one on ’em before you agreed as to the price you’d give.’ There was a blank silence for a full minute, after which the broker drew himself up and said, with the greatest coolneis— ‘ My good fellow yon are labouring under some strange delusion. I neither saw you last night nor spoke to yon, nor re eived an article from your hands ; and unless you wish to be handed over to the police aa a bullying scoundrel and an annoyance, I would advise you to leave my shop instantly,’ Po he continued,}