The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1868-07-11

could be. Was it some one looking for thai
coat? And turning to where she had mechani
cally dropped it on chair, examined it by the
candle-light-it was not her fathers. 1t was 9
patched and faded, long-skirted camlet coat-the
coat she had seen worn by the peddler that eve
ming.
"He will come back for it, perhaps" the girl
thought, and she hung it carefully on nail in
the upper entry closet.
| But the peddler never came back for the lost
garment. And it was understood why, when on
Thursday Farmer Hatfield opened the bureau to
take out his hundred dollars for deposit in the
Logansville bank, and found the tin box and
| wallet safe, but the money all gone.
Search was made for the peddler, but no one
ton, unless it was pious Methodist preacher
who had passed hurriedly through Logansville
on journey to the west as missionary to the
Indians, and to suspect him would be shame.
Yet, some time after, neighbOr Burnweli,
reading In city paper description OF a noted
burglar who had broken prison, and for some
time past had baffied the detectives, remarked
that he and the peddler must be either the same
or twin brothers, SO exactly did the description
tally with the appearance OF the peddler SO
the old coat hung unseen and forgotten in the
back entry closet until fall, when Mrs. Hatheld
in her quarterly cleaning, espled it.
Jennie" said she, II wish you would take
that old scarecrow away from here. can't abide
the sight of it."
"What shall do with it, mother 2"
"Whatever you like. It's yours, I suppose,
as you found it, and nobody will ever claim it."
ats too good to throw away" said Jennie.
Suppose 1 take the long skirt and make petit.
coat for old Peggy Burns; it is lined with wool
en- and will make her q warm garment for
winter"
O. 1o-
down to rip and refashion the old garment.
She thought of Frank-she was always think
ing of him now-and wondered whether he
would ever make the five hundred dollars. Oh,
that five hundred dollars how it rang in her
head.
Rip! Rip! something stopped the progress of
the scissors in the wadding of the coat. Tearing
it open, she drew out what appeared to be a
soiled greenish rag. 1t was paper, however, and
she saw to her surprise it was a bank bill
another and another followed. Through all the
body of the old garment were carefully padded
those precious bits of paper; and Jennie Hat
field, sitting in her little room alone, counted
them all out upon her lap-ffteen hundred
dollars.
She kept her secret-at least from her family.
But some days after, she rode into Logansville
on horseback, alone, as she was accustomed to
do; and at the express office deposited little
package, addressed to Francis Duncan.
And by return mail came an anonymous letter
for Farmer Hatfield, enclosing one hundred dol
lars, ITO replace the money unlawfully taken
from him" which incident set all the neighbors
discoursng upon the force of conscience. And
before Christmas Frank Duncan made his ap.
pearance and boldly asked farmer Hatfield fol-
the hand of his daughter Jennie, mentioning, in
answer to the farmers inquiries that he had
more than $500 in hand.
The next thing was that Duncan purchased
the pretty place near the old church, and thither
in spring took his young bride, where they were
as happy as newly married people generally are
Jennie said that she and Frank had only Dor.
rowed the money, and that it should be restored
as soon as the owner appeared But we have as
yet heard of no claimant