Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1852-09-29
CHAPTER I.


] avarlclous master he was geneially shut up in
his room, which he kept as secluded as a nun
cry, admitting no one in fact within its door,
4 except the chamber maid, and when he was
away the door was always found securely lock-
ed. lie was extremely cautious and laconic
he rarely INDUCED in any unnecessary con-
versatIon and when absolutely necessary that
he should speak 10 those he met about the house.
and even 10 A Dan himself, his manner was
impetuous aDd his words aconic. He was
stranges scregture, and much as ALLAN was
fosIeed u for his services he-SSid not feel
wiling to 1T from him on any consideration
His salary vas punctually paid according to
the stipulatn ns entered into by them in the be-
ginning, ali f which the little Frenchman care
fully laid away, never spending single dol
lar unless al plutely necessary; intact it seemed
as if he wasas avaricious as his master.
Allan was basely avaricious and some of
those who Witnessed his daily walk were bold
in saying, on rather giving it as their opinion,
that he was not any too good to commit MUIR
der if the reward was heavy and golden enough
for the wicked deed. This was hard saving
OF Allan, q man who stood fair in society, but
It was no dopbt the honest conviction of those
who entertained this opinion of him. his ava
rice and unq quenchable thirst for gold seemed
to drown every other consideration and set
him daily toI oIthinking how to accumulate more
wealth. circumstance that occurred some
time after levere commenced the duties of a
servant to him will 60 to show how far Allan
was willing to sin in order to gain gold
One morning LeYere was up before it was
fairly light, and upon opening the street door
he found nice willow basket with clean cloth
81 IL tefe step Iexere took
the basket in the house and examined its con-
tents and then hastened to his masters Office and
gently tapped the door He was bid come in
and he found Allan up at this early hour and
busy In the examination of his books and pa
pers. 1t seemed that Allan was engaged thus
early in plotting out means of wealth, the pa
Pers and bonds were hastily thrown into draw
er as the servant entered with the basket ON his
arm, saying at the same time:
"Pardonnez, Monsieur, but my business is ur-
gent-here's present sent you last night"
Allan eagerly removed the covering from the bas-
ket and to his surprise a newly born baby's face
greeted him Allan staggered back, surprised at
what he saw, and the little Frenchman laughed i'm
moderately and then in few words told him the
circumstance of finding it his steps where it had
been left during the night. Allan examined further
and found hid in the folds of the cloth note drec-
ted to the 6 finder, which he opened and read as
follows:
'The finder of this wretched offspring will con-
ter fay2g upon is miserable @ metheE and at tbs
, the accompanying funds. Signed
/ BETRAYED INNoCENCE."
The eyes of Allan sparkled, the little Trenchman
laughed and the helpless babe whined out pite-
Gus cry while Allan sought for the funds and found
in the bottom of the basket heavy bags Of gold
enough in all question give the helpless creature
a handsome maintenance until it could fight the
battles of life for itself Alans eyes sparkled with
the exuberance of delight as he poured the yellow
gold from its purses and counted and weighed in his
fingers piece after piece 1t what he Worshiped
and dreamed of, and coveted it ali for himself Al
Ian counted and the little Frenchman laughed, and
f when he saw his ayaricious master return the sh
ming pieces Of the babys money back to the purses
again, he shouted in his masters car his old cry in
! the same shlll, piping key:
! " Gold GOLD !"
! eve mus; keep it, said Allan.
+ 'And the innocent added Levere:
d "Pshaw = said Allan, it will be a trouble more
! than the gold is worth p
) bat it is the babys gold, argued the laconi
:, Levere.
Hundreds! Hundreds!" solloquised Allan.
0t E'Of GoEd! Of GoLD!" interposed Rudolph.
1t <Se bags Of gold in his hond and fel
h of Their EIGHT and then would let them fall heavi
at " on the table and listen to their chinking music
. The fire of Avarice burning intensely IN his be
J som and he sWore the gold should be his; and h
u confronted the little Frenchman and looking hir
stern1y in his laughing face, while his keen gra
of eve flashed with the fire that rolled its bollin
el lava in his bosom he bid LeYere take the child
III way
- And the Gold! the GoLD y screamed the French
3 man. and then fell to laughing most immoderatel.
IN "What do you mean vile mocker?" said ALA
m in an abusive tone. Why don't you obey my con
ad mands and carry the wretched founding away,
er way?
N 'The Gold! The baby's GOLD !" shouted Il
French servant at the top Of his voice.
ol See here Rudolph" said Allan, his mann
IN somewhat softened, ''you pledged yourself to OBJ
De- me in everything short of doing bodily injury
ad yourself; have you forgotten this Levere
or " Necer, Monsieur Wingfeld
a.. "Then bid you take away the founding; do
- you see this is too much gold to lose! My co
mand is that you take the foundling away d.
ton hear Levere? Can you conceal it from the pole
ter Dost know of any secret hiding place Whefe
av could safely"
"y ..THE CAVE OF THE SKULLS " shouted Leve
ue- while his little eyes sparkled with some mischi
ely Gus deligk-
est Allan started back, as if terrified at the We
tin mence with which the little Freedman shouted tn
of mysterious words and clutched the bags OF gold
his hands as if fearful that some supernatural p
- er would snatch them from him. Meanwhile
- d servant covered the foundling in the willow bas
OF with its cloth and shut down its lid, lndulglng
and the time III his strange, chuckling laugh He
ready to start and looking Allan sternly in his fl
for said:
go! Co." Exclaimed Allan.
y sWhere y said the servant.
lor "To-the-Cave-of- -the-Skuls! = said
had in low careful voice, with pause between e
En- word, with a distracted, suspicious, enquirlng 4
)red as if he was fearful he.was overheard.
and The servant whisted and then laughed an
- the same time advanced to where his master $
Oat and with busness-ike air took hold of the bag
zone gold saying at the same time
g One half Of this for special occasions =
arn. "Whatw Exclaimed Allan.
orod tYour terms p said Leyere
''o0 s.To carry it away and safely-
All! Monsieur, special occasion'
Bar 81 will never be imposed on in this manner,
seen vere.e said Allan impatiently.
In answer to this the invincible Frenchman
Ian ply laid his slender finger his lips and shool
and head. .
"iio 1t seepaetlthat Allan understood these s1gnlh
uor; gestures; for he threw oae half OF the gold
lenty feet of his servant and bid him hasten away
grog Levere took the gold and the founding and La
re- his ing at the frenzy of his master he went away
miy, pose OF ns charge IN some seetf t Tr
keeping of our pages is to answer two things
tano we wished to show tho reader to what exteT
omer lans avarieious disposition ruled him. sutcle
? stop it has been shown, to rob helpless, speee
r Yrefcled mOthe