The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1870-11-29
"I told Won 40" said Mr.. Morris.

dear friend's-characte aspersed," SAID
young Grinby. "Humphries, | know you
love Ben Wade as do. Fancy imagin.
ing him connected with this robbery. As
we'll suspect my father or myselfor you"
"Hes missing" said Mr.. Morris, shut
ting the door upon us three. "He was
seen to return late in the evening. He
was one of band OF housebreakers when
we took him in. 1 believe he has been
won back to his old ways"
You will not express your belief to
Others" said Mr.. Grinby.
mot as yet, most certainly said MIR.
Morris.
Well, sir, that was bitter day to me
"A bitter day. We could learn nothing
of young Wade after eight o'clock on the
previous night. He had taken tea at q
little coffee-house, as he sometimes did
when he did not intend to return home
until quite late, and had said to some one
there, III must 60 back to the Office. L
have forgotten something
Half an hour afterwards Mike, the
porter, hass passed him in the steet, and
young Wade said:
Whats the time Mke?'
The porter told him.
Il shall be too late," he said. 81
have an engagement, and must 60 back
to our place for parcel have forgot
ten."
An apple woman Oh the corner had
seen him enter. He often bought fruit
from her for lunch, and she knew him
well by sight.
There the news ended, until Mike, go.
ing in to light the fires, found the place
a scene of confusion-desks and safes
rihed, papers strewn about, and every
mark ofsystematic burglary.
Later in the day Lucy Evans came
down. Her brother had sent her word Of
what had occurred She believed some
terrible accident had happened to Ben,
and begged the firm to spare no efforts to
discover him. She was almost distracted
and who can wonder. They had been
going together, it seemed, to see some
play the night before, and she had been
sufficiently alarmed by his failing to keep
the appointment to be in measure pre-
pared for worse. She knew he intended
to bring her q book That must have
been the parcel he went back for. Of
course she never doubted him. and no one
dared hint at what had been whispered
in her presence.
For weeks the authorities were ut work.
Immense rewards were offered for the
burglars, and for the recovery, alive or
dead, Of young Ben Wade, but without
the least effect
i We were notified of everybody washed
} ashore, and OF every unknown man found
} dead for months, and at last there were
few who did not laugh at poor Ben'i
friends for their credulity.
u 1t seemed plain to them-and may
! heaven not judge them as they judged
their brother-Ben Wade was guilty.
4 Poor Lucy never looked up. 1t wal
easy enough to see that her heart wa.
/, broken, and in year she died, just 6
, week too soon to hear what | shall tel
, you.
e One morning | was very busy at my
A desk in the Office when gentleman cam,
in and asked for Mr.. Morris or Mr.. Grin
= by. Old Mr.. Grinby was home with
e the gout, but Mr.. Morris and the younl
0 gentleman were in. saw the gentleman
was clergyman and fancied he hat
I, called to solicit, subscriptions for SOM
I Sunday school or church. But his frs
' words made me start. They were these
v You remember, Of course, burglar
D committed here year ago
l could not keep my seat then, bu
: went forward, trembling like leaf.
"You are agitated," said the clergy
t man; 9" fear you will be still more al
y fected by what you must soon hear.
person now in custody, condemned to ex
g ecution. has confession to make to yo
in regard to that atfair--a very horribl
9 one, l fear"
Il He took card from his pocket an
j. wrote few lines.
"If you will call at the prison an
r time to-day you will not be too late. Tc
morrow is Friday, and he is to suffer ez
l. ecution at dawn Present this, if 20
y please, and, implore you, ask no ques
:, tions now"
d Before they could say much he wa
t gone. Afraid | think, to be the first t
5, tell the story, and our gentleman called
cab and took me with them at my reques
d They seemed to expect US at the prison
and We were admitted. But in the nal
D. row corridor Morris stopped u.s.
e "Gentlemen," he said, you must nery
'e yourselves. Have you reflected that 20
may see Benjamin Wade when yonde
Sc door is opened p
vi Young Grinby put his hand upon h
Is heart, and seemed turning faint again.
was the first time the thought had entel
rs ed my mind, and it was blow. 1t sta.
ID gered me.
ID The next minute the turnkey flung th
At door open, and We were in the cell. q
the floor lay mana broad shouldere
e. fellow, in rough garments-who SCENE
h. to have cast himself down in grief or te
o. ror. 1t was not Ben Wade. At first
r, thought had never seen the lace
in lifted as he arose. In moment it can
ID to me.
1t was the leader of the gang who ha
d. been arrested for that old attempt at rol
berry, when We had found little Ben in Il
We stone vault.
you've come, have you?" said he ,si
)" ting down on the stone seat, 'and see ye
be know me. They've caught me again al
to its murder this time, and I've got
swing II it wasn't for that, no perss
Ak 'ud have got this out of me, But "
ed promised, and | always keep my word,
do. You remember young man call'
|r. Ben Wade ?"
What Of him ?" we all cried in OF
of breath.
an mot much-he didn't rob your plae