Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1867-10-25

remainder aside in gold, and that 1t prop
erly belonged to her. and she must have
i, told her that it was not hers, and
perhaps never would be--that so long ar
lived she should never touch penny of it.
She flew into violent rage, prayed heaven
to'curse me, and took solemn oath that.
in case she should die first. she would
haunt me personally or destroy my treas
are.
THAT secret gold, which rightly belongs
to me shall be devil curse to You yet ="
were her fearful parting words.
We never met again; she died about n
year ago; and now comes the straLgest
part of my story.
About six months after my husbands
death visited the vault for the first time,
to sec that all was safe. went down
alone. and counted the bags. performing
my task with fear and trembling. There
was he said just ninety nine. all number
I'd and packed together in regular order.
put them hack exactly as J found them.
and carefully locked the safe and vault.
After that. disagrecablc MS was the task. ]
visited INV treasure once week. till the
death of my motllcr.in law. always find
ling everything just as had left it. After
her death. somehow had such n supers,i
tious dread of the place. remembering her
words, that for nearly six months l could
not summon sufficient courage to visit
that vault alone, and would not take =
companion with me.
.At last one day, when no one was in
the house but myself, ventured down
again, with good deal Of anxiety. fancy
ing all sorts OF strange things-amOng the
rest that there was an invisible spirit nc
companying me. opened the vault and
safe with trembling hand. aud found to
my horror, that twenty three bags were
missng. in the regular order Of numbers.
from one to tw snty three. and what seemed
more startling and strange coincidence,
it was Just twenty-thrce weeks after the
death Of my husbands mother. Could it
be that che in spirit was carrying out the
threat she had made while living! L,
would seen, so, aud does seem SO to me
still: for. Mr.. Sargent, have lost just one
bag of yuinpas each week ever since, and
only fifty one are now remaining out Of
ninety -nine. Now, sir, what do you think
of tlli. singular case! What can you
make of it!''
TWAS singular case. indeed, and Ibe-
gan my questioning.
"Of how many does your family consist.
Mrs. Conway"
"Four, sir, including myself. . nephew,
twenty -one years OF age, fine, noble.
yaun" man; a niece. his sister. aged ten;
and domestic, a woman ten years older
than myself, who has been in the family
seven years. and who was never married.
~. 81, tt.an nll tnn
est !" ...
II would he willing to stake my life oil
it, Mr. Sargent. Besides. the only tw'
keys which can open the sale have neve
been out Of my possession."
GLOW do YOU know that!"
"Because keep them in secret draw.
or which il only known to myself"
After some further questions and ans
wers on various minor points. l told the
lady should like to drop in upon her when
all her household were at home, and per
haps dine with her; that she must recog-
nzc me as an old acquaintance, a country
tradesman by the name Of Jones. and tina,
no mention be made Of her ever having
consulted any member of the police, to all
of which she readily agreed. promising
also to keep secret watch upon every
body that should come into it while the
mystery should remain unsolved. This
ended our first interview. In few days
called upon her in .he manner indicated
and saw all the inmates. My daily avoca
ton and long experience enabled me to
note many things that would not have
been seen by the ordinary observer, but
failed to detect ANYTHING to confirm my
| If thu in IN nj tao nf III, vvn lli,, ,
were not strictly and religiOusly honest
then their faces and manners greatly be.
lied them. was perplexed, more espcc
iallv us Mrs. Conway informed me tina
since our first interview another bag U
gold had been taken from the safe.
"And what makes the affair NOR
strange" she said. ''it occurs just ono,
every week At this rate another yea
will see my hidden treasure gone. Sure
ly Mr.. Sargent, it is the act Of some su
pcrnatural power"
II do not think so. Mrs. Conway" I re
piled; IL am no believer in the power o
ghosts to run off with gold. Pray let M
have charge of your keys for the next tcl
DAYS. and say nothing to any one, but d
not relax Your vigilance"
She COZ" l'''u VIZ" ~! 'I"'e'. "'" u
the end ot ten days called AGAIN S'i
happened to bs alone that day. and ! re
qucsted her 10 so down al once look II
her gold ana report 10 me; She in'itr'
me to accompany her' whc, ana i
acr surprise no bag had b,en remove,
since her last visit
You see me ghost cana"t get III with
out the Keys !a"shea L. Truly u YER