The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1874-02-12

the shop"
While talking he consulted his large
silver watch, which, for antiquity and
re, might have been the patriarch OF
the entire race of watches.
shall be bask before nina. Polly.
and perhaps Tom Bartlett may drop in
and spend an hour with yOu."
him"
"Ah that's the p arverse way of girls;
but never mind, 1 dare say thou wilt
look much higher than Tom now {" and
be chuckled as he kissed her round.
dlmpled cheek, leaving her 10 take care
OF the feathered songsters and herself
the brightest thing that the place could
show.
'' Missing, since the 23d inst, an Old
Man, named Birch, dressed in black;
height, about five feet three inches.
gray hair thin. He left home with the
intention of visi ing friend at Ful-
ham, and has not since been heard of.
A reward Of Twenty Pounds will be
paid to any one giving information that
may lead to his discovery"
30 ran the advertisement which was
going the rounds of the leading papers,
and being repeated in large printed
| placards on the walls of polica stations.
In the immediate neighborhood of the
bird-shCp there was much excitement
and CONSERVATION at the old mans
mysterious disappearance, Mingled with
/ lively sympathy for the distress of his
| granddaughter, whose pale face and
! swollen eyelids told how she had watched
! and wept. None were more demonstra-
tive than Tom Bartlett, who kept hoy
/ ering about her in spite of her visible
/ shrinking from him, persistinglY press
ing his services as though he alone had
the right to act for her. Meantime, the
| day appointed by the lawyers for enter
! ing into arrangements wit their client
| respecting the fortune of which he had
unexpectedly come into possession by
| the death of a brother abroad, had
come and gose. The perpleEed legal
! firm, acting in the interest of their
client, instituted rigorous search, but
without success. The friend, Jacob
Moss, feeble old man, had been duly
Communicated with and keenly cross
examined. David Birch had paid his
visit on the day named, arriving, as far
as the old man could recollect, about
half-past two, and starting on his re-
turn journey about dusk. Here the |
clue was lost. Thus the days went by |
without throwing any ght on the old |
mans fate, and poor Polly, worn with |
grief and anxiety, often cried herself to |
sleep.
ooh Nellie-Nellie You don't |
know what has happened I!
It was with these words that John /
Birch had suddenly presented himself
to his sister, tall, dark eyed girl who /
might have been taken as a softened
likeness of himself. She was busily at
work when he came in, but on the first
glance at his agitated face she dropped
her needle and rose huIriedly.
"Oh, John what is the matter p
"Unele David has been missing from
home since the 23d of last month, and
no one can tell what has become of
him -
e missing from home, John Why,
it was only last week that we heard
he had fortune left him by his broth
er."
q Yes, that's true es ough, Nellie
and I hear that it comes to me after his
death. The lawyers are seeking him
everywhere. But think of poor Polly
being in all this trouble, and us never
to know it. 1t Just seems as If that old
job of work in the country came on
purpose TO take me out of her way
and you're so moped up here that you
never hear anything" he added, fret
fully
"John, I'll put on my things and 90
to her at once, if you think can do any
" Yes, Nell, 1 think you may. 1
know always like to have you by me
when I'm in trouble. / would go my
self, but I'm forbidden the house. You
remember what told you about my
quarrel with the old man. wish to
heaven those i'll words had not passed
between us"
At that moment there was a sound of
heavy footsteps on the stairs, followed
by smart rap at the door. Nellie went
to open it, but started back at the sight
of two policemen on the threshold.
"Does John Birch live here?"
Yes, I am John Birch. the young |
man called out fwhRt do you want
with me?
Come this way and I'll tell you"
No, tell me here"
The officer glanced compassionately
at Nellie's white face as he answered,
=" Well, if you don't MUD the young
woman hearing, you're our prisoner.
Your prisoner Impossible on |
what charge ?"
81 dare say you know well enough.
There's been a body found by the river,
snd it's thought there's been some foul 1
play"
81 Whose body p
David Birch's, the bird fancier,
that's been missing lately"
My uncle ?" gasped John.
Exactly. You're our man. You've
had quarrel with him, and you're ar
rested on suspicion, We got the clue
from Thomas Bartlett"
A ET-GA -
repeated the name with a groan, and
staggered against the wall, adding,
:" May God forgive him this wicked
ness p
At the same moment his sister threw
herself on his neck with a cry that
thrilled those who heard it.
Yes, it was true a body haG been
found and therewas evidence that iden-
titled it as that of the old man WI o was
The story went that it had
first been seen by some workmen on
their way home one wet evening. lt
had loated mp with the tide, and been
toyed with as a CHASTITY plaything, then
beating against one OF the low-lying
river banks, and flung out, a piteous
sight for men to shudder at, s it lay
with the defiling river-slime elotted
among its tangled gray hair, and its
dead, bruised face turned upward to
the sky. From examination of the body,
it was found there had been a struggle.
The motive had clearly not been rob
berry, for q purse containing q sovereign
and some silver was found in one OF the
pockets, together with 8 very remarkable
antique silver watch, on which we're en-
graved the initials I'D. B.. !" which were
readily translated into David Birch.
When the watch and purse, with the
old fashioned coat found on the body,
were shown to the bereaved grand-i
daughter, and tearfulIy recognized by
the trembling girl ss belonging to her
grandfather, the evidence of identity
was complete. How had the old man
come by his death? There was no cause
to suspect him of suicidal intentions
and it was proved that he was sober
when he parted from Jacob Moss. Then