The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1873-07-01
UNCLE WINTHROP'S WATCH.
CONTINUED.

striking" said Miss Weston, "but of
course it was only a semblance."
"I am not so positive on that point" re-
marked Perham. care you sure that your
uncle was not on one of the trains at the
time of the disaster?"
Il am not absolutely certain. He wrote
me from Rockport, stating that he would
await my arrival there"
"He may have been called away you
know that he is not unfrequently subject
to sudden business calls"
cit is possible, but still very improb-
able" said Miss Weston, slight express
sion of alarm in her tones. "If he had
been on the train ours run into, should we
not have met with him if alive, or have
found him among the wounded or the
dead?"
"He certainly was not among those who
escaped was Perham's reply. "My in
jured foot prevented me from doing any
thing in the way of clearing the wreck and
rescuing the sufferers, and your attention
was principally devoted to the women !;
therefore, we may not have noticed him in
the general confusion that prevailed"
"If what you suggest is correct, and un-
Gle was on the train, what has that to do
with the watch in question asked Miss
Weston.
every much. You very we'll know, or
have read, that on all occasions of this
kind there are plenty of men ready to take
aIv, 80 Al
of assisting cover for pundering the
sufferers"
And you suspect that our late fellow
passenger to be one of those vile charac-
ters, those fiends in human shape ?" asked
Miss Weston, with not little warmth.
"If," rejoined Perham, "min nd you l
say If your uncle was unfortunately in
the train, and if the watch we saw was his,
to what other conclusion can we arriye?"
elf and il! What contemplate pol
troon is that if, Mr.. Perham - exclaimed
the lady, with spirit, revealing an entirely
new phase of character to her astonished
auditor. g say to you, if all your sup
positions should prove correct, nothing but
his own acknowledgment would convince
me that the gentleman would be guilty
of such an act !"
"You have great faith in one who is an
entire stranger to you, Miss Weston said
her companion, ironically. .a.,,.
81 have undoubted confidence in him."
said Miss Weston, ingenuously, her face
slightly flushing as she made the admission.
"But do you not see," she added, with
much acuteness, " that you are making
him out afool as well as a knave ?"
Chow so, pray?" asked Mr.. Perham.
"Would it not be the very height of folly
in man who had robbed another, to open
ly display his plunder in the very neigh
borhood Of his criminal act thus courting
detection2''
"He might have made the exposure
unwittingly," was the ready rejoinder.
But here we are at the hotel" he added,
looking out of the carriage window, "and
in short time our suspicious will be
strengthened or set at rest.'' "A
(" Your supicions are not ours" was the
pointed remark of Miss Weston, as the car
On entering the hotel Miss Weston i'm
mediately sought information of her uncle.
She had experienced an increasing anxiety
in regard to him since the watch had been
the object of conversation, and the sug-
gestion been made that possibly he might
have been on the train at the time Of the
disaster. She had fully expected that he
would have been in waiting for her at the
station; still, as she knew that he was
aware Of her having an escort, his absence
had not much surprised her. He would
surely, she thought, for he was very pune
tilious in such matters, be at the hotel to
receive her. But he was not there, andit
was with mind filled with painful appre-
tensions that she made inquiries in regard
to him. r fltf -lfIr.
The servant whom she had sent to the
office for that purpose had not been long
absent when the landlord made his appear
ance. They were well acquain ted, Miss
Weston being an old guest Of his. af.
ga telegram regarding your uncle, Miss
Weston" he said, tendedng her an envelop.
Regarding my uncle He is not here
them" exclaimed Miss Weston, as, with
trembling hands and pallid cheek, she
FASTENED TO open the despatch. ~
twas dated that morning. aud contained
but few words. The message read as fol-
lows u}lm,
Mr.. Winthrop has just been brought
home severely wounded. He is not con-