North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1864-02-03

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left to young Martin Foyle.
Every one was surprised not at the first
part, for Amarillo had always been thought
rather favorite with the old woman but
all wondered that she had not left more mon
ey. "She never spent much, and she ought
to have made more out of the farm" Then
the strange legacy to Martin excited univers-
al astonishment no one could see any mean
ing it, except the freak of crazy old woman.
Kitty had known nothing of Martin had
hardly ever seen him and it could scarcely
be thought she intended a joke at his ex-
pense after she was dead; vet what else
could the bequest of the worthless old shan
ty be considered ? Martin laughed he had
expected nothing, and was not Disappointed
Some congratulated Amarylla, and some en-
We'd her; while old Mr.. Dollman went forth
with to inquire into the state of the fallows,
and to decide which were to be sown with
barley and which with wheat
VI
1t soon appeared that Mrs. Blake was
wrong in her calculations. Old Mr.. Dollman
evidently considered that it made great
difference whether Amarylla or Martin poss-
essed Kitty Clark's land. With the usual
blindness of fathers, he refused to see that
the marriage was more practicable now than
it had been before, and contended (and it
must be allowed with some reason)that the
inheritance of four log walls and crazy roof
had in no respect advanced Martins claim to
his daughter, who was now an heiress, and a
most desirable match for any one. The low
ers sued in vain the old man was not to be
moved either by reason or entreaties.-
Amarylla endeavored to comfort her betroth-
ed with the whispered assurance "that, as
soon as the farm was quite hers, she would
give it to him, and then"-But though there
was some consolation in this, it was not
much, for Amarylla was only nineteen, and
there were still two years of probation to be
gone through.
In the meantime the summer was advanc-
ne and Martins shanty was constant annoy
ance in Mr.. Dollman's eyes. It was blot
on the fair surface of the land, wretched-
rickety eyesore, and was, moreover, very
much in the way. During the slack time
between hay and harvest, he suggested to
Martin TO pull it down, Offering to perform
the work if he might use such of the logs as
were worth anything to mend the fence
Martin, who had almost forgotten that the
shanty was his, readily agreed to the dsmoli-
ton, but declined to part with the logs
most of them were rotton and of no use, bu
some would do for shed he was putting up
at home.
The next day he began the work of de-
struction. Great was the disturbance of in
sects and reptiles that had enjoyed secure re-
pose for thirty years great was the amount
of rubbish, worm eaten wood, cobwebs, and
dust, brought to light in the process of re-
moval and great was the smoke that arose
from the smouldering embers of the worth
less logs. Martin and his mann worked
two days, and but one side remained to be
pulled down-it was part of the north wall,
the only one which had been lined inside on
account, as people supposed, of its being most
exposed to the cold wind and as it would
be more trouble than the rest, it had been
left till the last. Martin was pulling off the
ragged smoky boards, when a blow of the
axe caused something to fall down inside
with rattling sound another blow and the
board gave way, and there came tumbling at
Martins feet what for moment made him
start, Being young man of stout nerves,
however, he examined the object, and found
it to be worn leather yalise, which had
broken open in the fall, and from which had
escaped paper parcel, addressed to himself,
a stained handkerchief marked " Jephthah
Murney," part of peddler's stock of old
fashioned jewelry, and quantity of human
bones.
The secret was discovered the mystery
which had puzzled Crocksvllle thirty years
before was explained. Sam and Kitty had
managed their murder with more discretion
Sh"AA ooSA oAO usually COuUuClcu
with, and had kept their secret well.-
How much they repented, or whether they
repented, at all, could never be known
Their ill-gotten gains had prospered little in
Clark's hands, and his death, and that of her
sons. had taken from Kitty all desire of en-
joying them. Her life's savings were con-
tanned in the parcel for Martin Foyle; they
amounted to seven hundred dollars and were
marked, Martin Foyle, in payment of a debt
to his mother" Kitty had made reparation,
though in strange and tardy fashion.
The discovery caused great excitement,
and furnished matter of talk and wonder for
a whole week. AT the end Of that time it
became known that Mr.. Dolman had recon-
sidered Martins suit, and that the wedding
was to take place as soon as a house could
be pu. on the farm.