Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1870-08-03

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one in the Office who didn't love that boy.
NJ grateful, and so trustworthy, and 50
ready to do everything foreVeryone. Young
Sor. Grinby had him taught. and well
taught, too. The lightning calculator nj al
that lad to forget to dot his is or Gro his
t's IN al my acquaintance with him after
he had learned to write at all.
At twenty he was one of the best clerks
in our establishment. besides being a fine
looking young fellow as one would wish to
see. On the whole, did not wonder that
Miss Lucy Evans took fancy to hlm-a
beat him, but doubt it; and [ never lew
sister, sir, of one of the young fellows at
our place, and girl who looked like a
queen, and was as good as she was hand
some.
l used to meet them walking on the bat
terry, where lovers used to walk in those
days. He was SO fond and proud of her,
and she had such tender way of looking
at him, that they made my old heart young
again, as [ often told Mrs. Hamphries, to
whom [ always confide everything And
how b reverenced her-why, ribbon or
i a faded flower that she had worn was
cherished by him as a miser cherishes his
gold.
At last he told me, in confdence-for her
name was sacred, and not to be spoken
before every one-that they were to be
married.
'And when | look back, sir" said he.
''and renembsr the miserable years of my
wretched childhood, and think how friend
less and forlorn l was, and how there was
nothing before me but prison or the GAL
lows, and think that now [ have everything
to make mans life blessed-the power to
win respectable livelihood by reputable
IoIa H. - L I
love of such girl as LUCY can never be
too grateful to the kind friend who saved
me from a life [ dare not contemplate. God
bless Mr. Grinbyr' said he, lifting his hat
reverently as he might IN church, and there
was prayer in his dark eyes as he looked
upward.
Those were the last words I ever heard
him speak, except Goodnight" All,
dear me, it should have been goodbye
Ten minutes after I went one way and he
the other. l took my way home, and he,
as it seemed afterward, walked just two
blocks, and came back here At 12 o'clock,
that night I awoke Mrs. Humphreys.
'tMy DEAR" said I, 81 must have had the
nightmare on something
Goodness v' said she '.it seems So
Your hands are like ice. What gave it to
you love? The lobster, I'll be bound /"
Perhaps, said I. II admit l ate a
hearty supper. And nothing else could
make me fancy young Wade at my bed
side, white as ghost with both his hands
on my breast"
'sAh, but the nightmare is always black,
not white, " said my wife, And then she
went to little cupboard and brought me q
glass of wine. After that I went asleep
again.
| I did not rise early, and was quite behind
my usual time. But when I reached our
place [ found it in great commotion. Clerks
running hither and thither, the heads of
the firm standing about in the most un-
business like manner, and three constables
on the premises.
"What is the matter sir p said address
ing Mr.. Grinby.
''Mstter enough. said he. "Weve been
very heavily robbed"
81 fancied that couldn't happen here, !"
said [. 81 really believed it would be i'm
possible for burglars to break into Morris,
Grinby & Sons, SIR"
'tAh, +" said he, 'they did not break in
The door has been quietly opened from the
inside"
"And I believe" began Mr.. Morris.
'Sir," cried young Mr.. Grinby, out of
breath, II beg as a gentleman, as man
of principle you will not give utterance to
your unfounded suspicious totally un-
| founded and unworthy OF you"
'tProve them SO, sir, said Morris coolly,
''and I'll apologize"
| [ looked an inquiry.
Don't ask explanations, beg, Mr.. Hum
phries, said Mr.. Grinby. Something has
been said which the speaker will regret. All,
there comes my messenger"
And in ran one of our BOYS.
"Well, Tom, said Mr. Grinby
'Mr. Wade aint't been home all night, sir. :"
said Tom.
| 81 told you So, said Mr.. Morris.
'And tell you even yet / will not hear
my dear friends-yes my very dear friends
character aspersed," said young Grinby
f'Humphries, know you love young Ben
| Wade as [ do. Fancy him connected with
this robbery. As well suspect my father or
myself, or you"
"He is missing, said Mr.. Morris, shutting
the Office door upon US three. 'He was
seen to return late in the evening. He was
one of the band of housebreakers when we
took him in, and many declare the charac-
ter to be formed at six years old. He was
nine. [ believe he has been won back to
his old ways"
"You will not express your belief to 9TH
mot as yet, most certainly said Mr.
Morris.
Well, sir, that was bitter cold day to
me-a bitter day. We could learn nothing
of young Wade after eight o'clock on the
previous night Then several had seen
him. He taken tea at a little coffee-house.
| as he sometimes did when he did not in
tend to return home until quite late, and
had said to some one there, 81 must go
go back to the Office, have forgotten some
thing"
Half an hour afterward Mike, the porter,
had passed him in tine street, and young
Wade had said:
whats the time, Mike?
| The porter told him.
81 shall be too late, he said. 81 have
an engagement, and must go back to our
place for parcel I've forgotten.
An apple woman on the corner had seen
him enter. He often bought fruit from her
! for lunch, and she knew him by sight.
There the news ded, until Mike, going
in to light the fires found the place scene
of confusion-de and safes rifed, papers
streved about, and every mark of systemar-
! ic burglary.
Lat in the day Lucy Evans came down.
Her brother had sent her word o, " nat had
occurred. She believed some 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 a meas
ure prepared for worse. She knew he in
tended to bring her book. He had spok-
en- of 1t. That must have been the parcel
he went back for. Of course, she never
doubted him, and no one dared to hint at
what had been whispered in her presence.
For weeks, sir, the authorities were at
work. Immense rewards were offered for
the burglars, and the recovery alive or
dead of young Benjamin Wade, but with
out the least effect.
! We were notified of everybody washed
ashore, and of every unknown man found
dead for months, and at last there were
few men who did not laugh at poor Bens
/ friends for their crad,.Itv