The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1872-04-30

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coming down. Though l thought the
woman led him such termagsnt dance as
he wouldn't care to repeat.'
"What woman, Brady?''
"The mulatto-don't you recollect p
that he kept as housekeeper, and who ruled
the old wretch with rod of iron."
Impossible. He sold her a year before
he died to a Louisiana trader"
90 Ef he did, Mars John, " said Pine,
taking courage, when he found the converse
ton was reasonably un-diabolic, "she
coined back, Ole Kit you mean Fore old
Pierse died she was hangin round the
swamps, they say, an / heard got in an saw
him once when none knowed it but Jake.
After the rumpus bout dat box he wor
feared to tell"
The same thought struck us ALL Pine,
forgetting his fears and rheumatism, climb
ed up and peeped in. "It's Kit" he said,
descending. "She's sittin' in style there"
Mr.. Page said Brady, twill you ride
into town and bring out couple of police
men? will be better able to keep watch
if she have any accomplices." l
An hour after Kit and big strapping boy,
her son, were safe in custody The boy
was recognized as Beefsteak Jim, notori-
ous thief in the neighborhood. Under
cover of the reputation of the house as
haunted, the woman had now occupied it
for years unharmed.
While the magistrate was committing
them to Jail, Brady and held a short con-
sultation in my office, determining on what
course to pursue with the woman, to ascer-
tain if she were an accomplice of Sholter in
destroying the will.
Early the next morning we went to her
cell. She was an old negro, with high
cheek bones and sallow eyes, denoting
Indian blood, and more than Indian crafti-
ness
"BefoIe the death Of your Master
Pierse," ] said, (assuming the assertant
scheme for extracting eyidence), "you got
into his chamber alone, and terrified him
into confessing that his will was made and
hid in box under the mattress. You car
ried the box off and concealed yourself and
it somewhere in the house, until after the
funeral was over" ] saw by the woman's
face had guessed correctly, and despite
her oaths and curses persisted, threatening
her with tho utmost punishment of the law
if she refused to confess. Aided by Brady
and the magistrate, succeeded in eliciting
the truth. She had not acted as Shelters
agent. We had wronged him there. Part
ly to revenge herself on Hester for having
caused her dismissal, partly to ensure the
house as her own hiding place, she had de
vised and carried out the plan. Under the
granaries there was secret cellar, commu
nicating with the house by passage in the
wall. In this cellar, of which she only was
, cognizant, she had concealed herself, and
by means of the hidden passage had pro
duced the unnatural lights and noises thai
had brought upon the house the name o
"uncanny"
But the box ," said l, eagerly.
"What will you give me if tell you?'
she demanded, her beady eyes sharpening
Liberty, and pass to Ohio | re
piled.
=" couldn't burn or break it," she said
moodily 81 tried, Lord knows. IT.
there in the cellar"
1t was there safe enough; and when W,
opened the rusty lock with the key which
had always retained, there lay the yellow
! lnt hn,
again.
For reasons that we had, our discover!
was kept a secret from every one but Shol
) ter, and Friend Cox, who, for the first tim,
in her life, suppose, became partner il
conspiracy 1t was busy month 70
Brady, and Pine, and me- However, GU
work was accomplished in time. The wed
ding night arrived, clear and starlit, !
| quiet wedding, being at the house of
! friend, yet full of deep content. Littl
9 Hesters cheeks were paler, il might be
Q than five years before; but the grave smil,
, IN her eyes was more constant and pure
l AS for Bob, he had worked long years 70
g his Rachel, you saw the marks of that OF
l his face; but you saw, too, that Rachel sat
2 isfied the innermost want of his soul. s.
y we had happy, holy wedding; one which
/ doubted not, the God of the orphan gin
;. could smile on and bless.
| When il was over, when the tears an
t good wishes were past, and the supper
table (ah what cooks these Friends have
!, attended to, joined the group where tn
I,;lo o,I o,,on,,, otnoI