cident had occupied but a minute, Mrs. Clifford and
Franklin, engaged in conversation, had not perceived it, and had gone
several paces on. The old gentleman smiled, bowed, and disappeared
around a corner.

At this moment a man stepped up, and laying his hand roughly on
Caroline's arm, said,

"Young woman, you must come with me!"

And a second iron-hand grasped her other arm.

Shocked and affrighted, she saw they were policemen.

Then the voice of a person very much out of breath, cried,

"This is the one!--I can swear to her! And look!--there is the very
lace in her hand!"

Pale as death, bewildered with terror, the poor girl could only
attempt to say, "Ma'ma! ma'ma!" but her tongue clove to the roof of
her mouth, and her voice refused its office. A crowd had already
collected, and the words, "Lady been a stealing!" and, "They've nabbed
a thief!" were audible enough.

"Come, my beauty!" said the man, pulling her forward, "we've no time
to lose."

"Scoundrel!" cried the voice of Franklin, as he grasped him by the
throat, "who are you?"

"You see who we are;" was the stern reply; "we're policemen, in the
execution of our duty. Take your band off my throat."

Franklin recognized their uniform, and relaxed his hold.

"Policemen! and what have policemen to do with this lady? You have
made some stupid blunder. This is a lady. She is under my protection.
Take your hand off her arm!"

"If she's under your protection, the best thing you can do is to
accompany us," replied the man, bluntly; and he made another attempt
to drag her away.

Franklin restrained himself with an effort which did him honor,
conscious that violence would be here out of place, and perceiving
that it would be utterly useless. He strove a moment to collect his
thoughts as one stunned by a thunderbolt.

"What is the meaning of this?" he demanded.

"If you ask for information," remarked the man, impressed by his
agonized astonishment, "I will tell you; but wont the young woman get
into a hack, out of the crowd?"

An empty carriage happened to be passing, into which, like a man in a
dream, Franklin handed the ladies. One police officer entered with
them--the other took his seat on the box with the coachman. Caroline,
although still colorless, had partly regained her courage, and
endeavored to smile. Mrs. Clifford, in a most distressing state of
agitation, only found breath to say, "Well, this is a pretty
adventure, upon my word!"

As