THE LOAFER'S LATEST DODGE.

Press, Volume XLV, Issue 7140, 30 August 1888, Page 6

THE LOAFER'S LATEST DODGE.

A week ago a tramp turned up late at a boarding-house in Kaiapoi, his only burden being a small square brown paper parcel* 9 x 4 x C inches, which he carried with extreme care, and set it down as if containing glass, or some other equally fragile contents. He bad his tea and bed, and on the following day after breakfast, was requested to settle for each meal as he got it.* " Well," seid he, with the air of an injured man, " my line is jewellery, on commission, I pay by the week, so that I can get a bill and show the receipt to my employer." "Just so," replied the landlady, "you can pay after each meal, and at the end. of the week I can give you a bill and a receipt for the whole." "All right, madam, I'll settle in that way. I placed ten of my crystal-faced, silent-movement, go-when-they-are-carried watches with one of your respected watchmakers yesterday, and to-day I expect to clear a lice of precious stones with the other watchmakers in this nice town. It's all riacht, I assure you." With this observation the loafer entered the street, carrying his parcel under hie arm, and got back in time for tea. At the tea-table his boast was anent his business. That day, according to his sales book, he had cleared a line of three score watches,' and was prepared to Sekfc, as per sample in his rest pocket, the: crystal-faced, silent-movement, comt>enaa-ting-balance, endless-spring, go-when-it-is-carried watch at 9a apiece, when others wanted 14s each. He had undertaken to sell a hundred inside a week. All the while this tramp was eating his meal as ravenously as if it was to be his last for a week. He slept another night in the house, got up early on Sunday and started off " to meet his brother," leaving his goods aad chattels in the care of the owner of the house. This sample loafer not returning, his parcel was examined in presence of the police,:in order to find a clue to the owner of the supposed jewellery and the composition thereof was found to be string, brown paper, newspaper, and a lady's bleached cotton stocking, containing three good sized pieces of road metal wrapped in silk paper. Should this meet the eye of — and he call at the house referred to he will hear of something, &c, &c.