Middletown transcript., 1870-03-26
MDDEOWN NEW CASTLE COUNTY,

e some pressing crrand. Then the doc
t opened, and Harry Houghton ran in-h
curls wet with the fog of the morning hi
cheeks rosy as from rapid ride, his eye
dancing with excitement.
| His father and mother stood speechles
; and bewildered, filled with a new alarm
But the boy was too busy with his ow
thoughts to observe his reception. Thicl
and fast came his words, questions waitin
for no answers, and narrative never paus
ing for comment.
What is this Bixby shouted to IN
when | met him about robbers? An,
what is there such crowd at the banl
about? Did I come sooner than you cx
pected me? We had glorious time a
Tinborough, you know, and when W,
were through dancing decided to drive
home at once. And few miles out me-
Silas in his gig driving like mad, and h,
shouted at me till he was out of hearing
but could not catch one word in dozen
But before anything else, [ want to beg
your pardon for my roughness last night
L am old enough to know better, bnt l was
angry when | spoke and | have been
thoroughly ashamed of myself ever since.
You will forgive and forget, father, won't
you?- Halo, | didn't suppose you felt so
badly about it, mother darling"
Mary Houghton was clasping her sons
neck, crying as she had not cried that
night. But the cashier, slower in seeing
his way as usual, stood passing his hand
across his brows for moment. Then he
spoke -
Henry, where is your grandfather S
watch 2"
"Thorc, did you miss it so quickly? I
meant to get it back before you discovered
it was gone. | will have it after break
fast The fact is, | was not myself when
| left the house last light, with temper,
and Harrison Fry offered me two hundred
dollars for it, to be paid next week, and in
my temper let him take it, to bind the
bargain. l was crazy for money, and |
sold him my pistol too. I regretted about
the watch before 1 had fairly quit the vii
lage; but he broke his engagement and
did not go with us to Tinborough after all,
so | have had no chance to get it back a.
gain till now"
q" Harrison Fry!' exclaimed Foster
Houghton; and his hands claspcd and his
lips moved in thankful prayer.
-" But if you don't tell me what is all
this excitement in the village, l shall run
out and find out for myself" cried the boy,
impatiently. You never would stand
here asking mo questions about trihes, if
the bank had been broken open in the
night"
Foster Houghton put his hands on his
boys shoulders and kissed him, as he had
not done since his sons childhood. Then
he took from its hiding place the watch
and hung it on Elarry's neck, his manifest
emotion checking the expression of the
lads astonishment.
"There is much to tell you, Harry" he
said, F'and perhaps you will think | have
to ask your forgiveness rather than you
mine. But my heart is too full for word
till after prayers. Let us go down"
Then the three went down the stairs,
the mother clinging to the boys hand,
which she had never relinquished since
her first embrace. Foster Houghton took
the massive Bible, as was his daily Gus
tom, and read the chapter upon which
rested the mark left the morning before
but his voice choked and his eyes filled
again when he came to the lines =
=" For this my son was dead and is alive
'gain; he was lost and is found"
Silas Bixby galloped into Tinborough
iwo minutes late for the owl train; and
he fugitive was too sharp to be caught by
he detectives who were put on the watch
or him by telegraphic messages. In
ew hours all Elmfeld had discovered that
Harrison Fry was missing, and had made
up its mind that he was the escaped con-
ederate in the burglary. The Blue Riv-
II National Bank offered reward for
lin, but he has never yet been found.
The jealous constable found compensation
or the loss of one prisoner in the discov-
'ry that the other two were couple of
he most skillful and slippery of the me-
ropolitan cracksmen, known among other
lliases as Gentleman Graves and Toffey
Ben. Silas Bixby's courage and discre-
ion received due tribute from counsel,
'sess, and public, during the trial that en-
ucd the next month in the Tinborough
Courthouse; and by some influence it
vas so managed that Mrs. Houghton was
lot called to the stand, nor was Foster
Ioughton closely questioned in regard to
he manner in which the third robber had
scaped flom his custody on the steps of
he bank ,,
Harry Houghton went to Lake George .
hat summer, starting day after the de- :
arturo of Grace Chamberlaine but this
car they go together, and the pro- :
of the tour includes Niagara :
nd Quebec.