The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1864-10-20

impulse to tear his hair and use bad Ian
guage, but he remembered that some one
had to be conciliated, and restrained MIN
] self.
1.-The same remarks apply to Don Este
ban de Santiago, though, Of course, his
claims to compensation are infinitely inferi
or to these of the Pole.
| Don Esteban smiled bitterly, bowed ele
gantly, drew himself up to his full height
and commenced twirling his moustaches.
The race now lay between Keziah Bug
gins and myself | do not know how
: looked, but my heart throbbed ct tremen
q dous pace, and there was look of insolent
triump h in the full and rosy (not to say
ploated'') face Of my opponent which
made me fear the worst.
i 'To my housekeeper Keziah Buggins' -
eyes sir, that's me; go on quick, please! y
Il bequeath all that she has robbed me
Of during the years thai she has been in my
service, SO that now she Can i'll truth call
herself an honorable woman; may she re-
main so! For any disappointment she may
now feel, she may thank herself; her sys-
tenn of intimidation drove me to deceive
her. She must have featnered her nest
comfortably; let her be content. Finally
In short was left sole heir. AL! the gold
silver, diamonds, emeralds sapphires, topazes
4 &C., were bequeathed to me. say ito me, "
because husband and wife are Que, more es
pecially in the case of property accruing to
1.-The latter.
i | sent off at once for my wife according to
agreement; and considering the great value
Of the property, and the public attention
which had been drawn TO that fact, and all
tie other singular circumstances Of the case
/ | applied to the authorities for a policeman
to remain i'll the house until | could get the
will proved, and the valuabes removed, and
[ determined not to leave myself before
could take them with me. So Sal up all
night in the room in which the old man had
lived aud died, with box of cigars and a
bottle Of whiskCy on the table, y bright hire,
and snmering kettle on the hearth and q
document which had been folded up with
the will in my hand | had had the bed re-
moved aud the door of the iron closet could
| lie seen from where sat. My wife, more
philosophical or weary than myself slept on
a sofa i'll an adjoining drawing room; tie pc.
| icenan was in the dining room down stairs
| Altogether, considering the watch that was
kept, aud the fact OF the house being ms
row in o frequonted quarter felt that my
property was pretty safe
| The difficulty threatened TO lie IN getting
| at it, for the paper which had been tied up
with the will and which Was III Sir Peters
| own handwriting ran thus; ''Ihe person
who opens the level closet must be careful
or he will be shot. | have always had
great taste for mechanical contrivances, and
some skill III locksmiths work; and for the
last ten year, | have devoted all my time and
genuifv IN the closet that the outward
INC -,1ent of the door for space Of more
than two inches should cause six pistol bar
rels to explode simultaneously: one upwards
one downwarCls, two laterally, and two
straight to the front. Tie iron rod which
connects the door with the trigger, any pres
sure upon which will fire the machine, was
to have been raised, and so rendered harm
less, by pulling wire, the end Of which l
intended to hang on a nail just inside the
left top corner Of the door, and easily got at
when the door was opened one inch for the
benefit of bunglers, as unless the door re-
wolves OH its hinges two uliinches; it is ut
terly impossible that the barrels should go
off. My later years have been rendered
wretched BY perpetual fear OF robbers. The
inirmities Of age crept upon me; felt my
self growing weaker and weaker; could not
trust my servant; and it was with feelings
Of delight and triumph that, not quite
year ago, ] completed a work which had
cost me as much time and labor and which
q skilled blacksmith could have done for
lie i'll few days, had known one whom
| dared to trust. l arranged the apparatus
and quietly closed the door until, when
there was only the exact gap Of two inches
left, heard the iron click into its place. l
vas standing on chair with the end OF
the wire, which when pulled would render
the instrument harmless, In my hand, and
now proceeded to hitch it by loop which l |
had twisted in the further end on to the an
pointed nail. At that momenV some one
came to the door of the room; | started and !
dropped the wire, which sprdng into the |
interior of the closet, and ratified down on
the gold and silver dishes.
1t is nine months and three days since | |
have seen my treasures. My diamonds, !
that a prince might covct my emeraids, |
that have sparkled in toe sword hilt ot the |
warrior; nay goblets carved by Benvenuto
Ceilini my loves, my Children to enjoy |
which, porpe!ualiy and undisturbed- have
separated myself from my kind, and become
a sort Of man!non hermit. are there sopara-
ted from me by mere plank and l cannot
sec them, cannot gioat over their gathering
beauties cannot touch them, cleanse them,
polish them :"
There was a good deal more +: the poor old
man had evidently thought of sending for
his niece and mysefto take care or him and
his treasures while he entrusted some work
man with the task Of extracting them for
him, but determined to wait until he was
worse or better before ne took this step. lie |
ameuted his illness and weakness, and
moraized bit taking himself for text.
But there was nothing new or original
about the composition, and Go not think
that it would be generally interesting IN *
teaSo The details which | 5have extracted
wero excessively interesting to my wife and
self though; and when | was fully entitled
to take possession, | sent for clever lock
smith. the lawyer and detective-the last
[ thought might be useful in suggesting
plans for the avoidance Of danger-and held
a grand consultation upon how to crack our
nut and get the kernel.
NV confidence in the detective was not
misplaced be listened to all our ingenious
devices in iudicious Silence and when we
had quite donc said: would it not be sim
pler 70 break in at the back of tho cup
boaTl?"
Oh course it would; we all saw that now.
1t was the old story of the leather portman
teau which can be ripped up with pen
knife, secured by Branah lock Of laby
rinthine intricacy, On examination, we
found that the closet was built against the
partition wall, so that the back could not be
- - ,,,i+l,out Toinor into the NEXT house |
4 citv clerk and his wife we soon learned;
Young people who had been there about a
month, and were not likely, one would
hope te prove cantankerous The police Of
ficer offered to square it, as he said, with
them, and having done SO in a remarkable
short time, we proceeded to the next house,