The Grand Haven news., 1865-04-26

then hastened back to. the inn in state
of excitement bard to describe. He could
not make up his mind to allow such ex-
traordinary condolences to pass unnoticed.
But how was he to obtain clue to the
awful mysteryG He went to the landlord
and asked him directly to whom the cot
tage belonged that was on the by-road,
near him.
81 wonder, sir" said he, what causes
you TO take such particular notice Of that
wrelched little howell II is Inhabited By
and old man and his wife who have the
character of being very unsocial. They
scarcely ever leave the house, see nobody,
and nobody goes to see them. Of late,
their very existence seems TO have been
forgotten, and | believe you are the first,
who, for years, has turned your steps to
the lonely spot"
These details, instead OF satisfying bis
curiosity, only aroused it the more. Break
fast was served, but he could eat none;
and be felt that if be presented himself to
the merchants in such state of excite
mcnt they would think him mad. He
walked up and down the room, and look
ed out of the window, endeavoring to in
terest himself in quarrel between two
men in the street.. but the garden and
cottage pre.occupied his mind; and, at
last snatching up his bat, he made bis
way to the street. Fastening 10 the near
est magistrate, be related the whole cir
cumstance briefly and clearly.
"It is very strange" said the officer,
"and after what had happened, / don't
think it would be right to leave the mat
ter without further investigation. / will
place two officers Of the police at your
command; you can then go to the hovel
and search ev&y part of it. You may,
perhaps, make some important discovery"
He allowed but very few minutes to
clapse before he was on his way, accom-
panied by two officers. After knocking
at the door, and waiting for some time,
the old man opened it. He received
them somewhat uncivily, but showed no
mark of suspicion when they told him
they wished to search the house.
"very well; as fast and as soon as yor
please" was the reply.
"Haye you a well here?"
"No, sir; we are obliged to get our wa
ter from spring about quarter Of
mile distant"
They searched the house but discover
ed nothing of any consequence. Mean
while the old man gazed upon them with
an impenetrable vacancy of look, as if be
could not understand why they were il-
truding on his property. Finally, they
forsook the cottage, without finding any
thing TO corroborate their suspicious
They, however, resolved to inspect the
garden. By this time quite number Of
persons had collected together outside,
having been drawn to the spot by the
sight of a. stranger with two policemen.
They were asked if they knew anything
Of well 10 those parts. They replied
they did not; the idea seemed to perplex
them. AT length an old woman came
forward, leaning on a crutch.
A WELL" said she, " Is it web you
are looking fori That has been gone for
these thirty years. ! remember il as If it
were yesterday; how ! used to throw
stoses in it just to hear the splash in the
water"
"Do you remember where the well
used to bel" asked the gentlemen.
& GAS near as / can recolleot," replied
the woman, cit is on the very spot where
you stand.'
He suddenly started as if he had trod-
den upon a serpent. They at once CON-
menced digging up the ground. AT
about twenty inches deep, they came to a
layer of bricks, which, being broken up,
revealed some rotten boards. These were
easily removed, when they beheld the
dark mouth of the well.
IL was quite certain il was the spot"
said the old woman. "What fool you
were to stop it up, and then to have TO
travel so far for water"
A sounding line, furnished with hooks,
was now let down into the well--the
crowd hard pressing around them, breath
lessly bepding over the black and fetid
hole, the secrets Of which seemed hidden
in impenetrabe obscurity. This was re-
peated several times without any result.
AZ length, penetrating below the mud.
the hooks caught in something Of consid-
able weight; and after much time and ef-
fort they succeeded in raising it from the
obscure hole. 1t was anold chest. The
sides andIid were decayed, and il needed
no locksmith TO open it. 'Within'it they
found what they were surs hoy would