The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-01-08

old bachelor, who was by trade not ex- !
actly a leweler, but diamond broker |
l tn1nk they call such person-a man
who buys and sells precious stones.
he used to go abroad once or twice q |
year for the purpose CT visiting pawn
brokers establishments and second
hand dealers in search of gems that
might be cheaply purchased, as well as
for the usual transactions of his bust.
ness. He was q grave. taciturn mar.
and never discussed his affairs with any-
one, not even with our grandfather. to
whom he was much attached. His pic
ture used to hang in the old Carr man
sion "a heavy browed, close-lipped.
stern-looking face, with nothing genial
or communicative about it.
Now, as regards the curious part
of the story, remember I only speak
from hearsay. I tell the tale as it cane
to me from the lips of our grandmother
when was quite child; and the old
family servants also were fond of dis
cussing this rather mysterious family
legend; but since our grandmothers
death and the breaking up of the old
establishment GALL of which happened
when was about nine years old) have
heard scarcely anything about it, ex-
cept few words which my father once.
let fall on the subject. But heard the
story SO often in my childhood that it
made deep impression on my memory.
"One year-about forty years ago. Il
should think, somewhere between 1880
and '35-my grand-uncle set out on his
annual pilgrimage to Europe. He took
with him ali his disposable funds, vary
ing by report from twenty to forty thou
sand dollars, but probably nearer the
former sum than the latter. Before he
sailed he signified to our grandfather
his intention of making somewhat ex-
tended tour, and also gave him to un-
derstand that he contemplated making
a purchase of unusual Importance and
magnitude. IF he had been a little
more explicit much trouble might have
been saved, but it was never his way to
talk much over his affairs with any one.
"He sailed early in the spring, and
reached the Old World in safety. I
have seen some of the letters he wrote
during that last journey-all brief, curt
epistles, telling little but the state. of
his health, the place from whence he
was writing, and the probable date of
his departure for another point. The
last country to which he went was Hol-
land. He stayed some time at Amster-
dam, and then went to Rotterdam,
where he remained several weeks but,
as usual, his letters contained no intel
|
tions. At length word was received of
his approaching return. He took pass
age direct from Rotterdam in a sailing
vessel, but he was not destined to reach
home alive. The cholera broke out on
board of the ship before she had been
many days out of sight of land, and
Stephen Carr was one of its earliest VIC
Tins. It was supposed that the viru-
lence of the disorder, and it's speedy
termination, prevented him from max
ing known anything respecting his
property. He was accustomed always
| to travel with his precious merchandise
carefully concealed in hooks and cor.
ners among his baggage and on this
last voyage his purchases must have
been of unusual value, and were either
stolen or so carefully concealed that
! they were never discovered. Nor have
| they ever been found from that day to
| this"
''How was it known that he had
brought anything of importance ?"
Grandfather went to Holland ex-
| the whereabouts of his brothers miss
| ing fortune. He found that the whole
of the large amount of money which
Stephen Carr had taken abroad with
him had been drawn out on one day about
! week before he sailed for home. He
also discovered that he had had dealings
with a man named Nicholas Leerjen, a
dealer in bric-a-brac and iewelry, who
had shop on the Boompjes but this
Leerjen, on being interrogated, sturdily
denied that any transaction of impor-
tance had ever taken place between him
self and Mr.. Carr, who had bought from
him, he averred, nothing but an antique
silver salver, which he described minute
ly and as such q salver had been found
among the effects of the deceased, there
seemed no reason to doubt to the Dutch
mans word. So, after spending some
weeks In fruitless inquiries and inveeti-
cations, our grandfather was forced to
return home no wiser and no richer than
when he had set out.
"Now comes the strangest part of
this strange story. A short time after
grandfather's return home, which was
very speedily accomplished. the vessel
he 1ame in being an American clipper
and the winds favorable all the way, he
was awakened one night by my grand.
mother, who declared she heard some
one breaking into the house. My grand
father listened, and was soon convinced
that her suspicious were correct so he
threw on dressing-gown, loaded his
pistols, and softly unbarring his door
slipped stealthily out into the passage.
ne neaF0 1OotstepS proceeding up the
stairs to an upper room which had been
his brothers. He followed with noise
less tread, and on reaching the door Of
the apartment, he saw, by the faint
glimmer of dark-lantern, man on his
knees before Stephen Carr trunk (Which
still contained all the articles which had
been brought from abroad), and en-
gagged in forcing the lock. Some sound
which he made attracted the attention
Of the robber, who sprang up and
rushed upon him but our grandfather.
who was not easily thrown of his guard,
presented his pistol full at his advanc-
ing assailant, fred, and the man fell to
the ground"
Was he killed outright ?''
!" Unfortunately, yes the bullet had
passed through his head. I say unfor-
tunately, as with him died the last hope
of discovering the missing property: for
on examination the would-be robber
proved to be no other than Nicholas
Leerjen, the Dutch shopkeeper."
q And his motive2 What could have
been his reason for committing such
crime p
'sDo you not see," said Patience.
ssk that rT1r cyrandrSnN1a vn,1o% 1,o~,o ,n-,,.