University of Virginia Library

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61

BRITZER HIS OWN DETECTIVE

Old Jacob Britzer kept the village store in Bucksport. We say the
village store because it was the largest, and, in fact, the only store of any
consequence in the place. Like all country storekeepers, Jacob kept for
sale dry and moist goods of every description, and both village and
surburban gossips made his place their centre and tilting ground. To this
the trader did not object, because he was himself of a social turn and
because these hangers-on were all customers. Occasionally Jacob missed
certain articles from his shelves and counters which he knew had not been
sold and he could only imagine that they had been stolen. This thing
continued for more than a year, and Britzer with all his careful watching
was unable to detect the thief. There were several whom he deemed capable
of the deed, but he could not fix the crime upon any of them.

At length one Monday morning, Jacob Britzer entered the store, and
on removing the heavy wooden shutters from the front windows he discovered
that the large glass top show case near the main entrance had been robbed
of nearly all its contents. At least three hundred dollar's worth of fancy
goods had been stolen, a large amount for the country storekeeper to lose.
Jacob had locked up his store on Saturday night, and had not visited it
since, nor had the keys been out of his keeping. For a brief space he
was thunder-struck, then for another brief space he collected his thoughts
and reflected. His course of action was resolved upon. His first decided
movement was to lock the door by which he had entered, and draw the
curtains over the windows. Next he replenished the showcase from a fresh
stock which he chanced to have on hand, making it look so nearly as it
looked on Saturday evening that not even his clerk was likely to detect any
change. Thus the matter, so far as he and his store were concerned, was
locked in his own breast, and so he meant to keep it. Having ascertained
that the thief had gained entrance by a rear cellar window, and having so
covered the tracks of the guilty one that his clerk would not observe them,
he opened his store and prepared for business. Half an hour later the clerk
came, and detected nothing out of the way. (This clerk, we may remark,
was Jacob's own son).

The day passed, customers came and went as usual, the gossips chatted
over their beer and cheese, while old Jacob was attentive and affable, never
betraying by word or sign that anything had happened amiss. In the evening
Peter Hawks came in. This Peter Hawks was a farmer, owning quite
a place near the outskirts of the village, who had of late been leading a life
rather aimless and thriftless. It had been Peter's custom to spend a good part
of the day in the store, but on this Monday he had not put in an appearance
until after tea, and even when he did come he failed to talk with his usual
volubility, but remained for the most part silent watching what others had
to say.

At length the hour grew late, and one by one the gossips dropped
away until Peter was left alone with Jacob and his son. The solitary auctioneer
arose from his chair, and after a little previous hesitation he approached
the storekeeper with—

“Ah, Jacob, that was quite a loss you met with. Have ye any idee
who did it?”

“Who did what!” asked Jacob, dropping the piece of cloth which he
was folding and looking up.

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62

“Who robbed yer showcase last night?”

“Yes,” answered Jacob, with stern promptness; “I know exactly who
did it.”

“Eh, who?”

“You did it!”

“Me!” gasped Peter, quiveringly.

“Ay—you did it. I know you did it; and thus far the secret is entirely
between you and me. You are the only other living man besides myself
who knows that I have been robbed at all!”

And then Jacob went on to explain to his customer how he had managed
to detect the thief. Peter Hawks was forced to own up, and in consideration
of his returning the goods last stolen and paying for those stolen on
previous occasions, and also promising to steal no more, he was let off. But
he did not remain much longer in Bucksport, Having settled with Jacob
Britzer, he made all haste to sell his farm and remove to parts where the
story of his shortcomings was not known.