The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1875-10-20

right arm. The robbers hand tel
at my feet, and the bleeding stump
was quickly withdrawn.
Then, above the war of the
storm, which seemed to increase
every moment, heard words, and
3 noise rs if a person was forcing
his way through heavy drifts.
4 can never use my right hand
again. | heard man groan. 'Oh,
God I might have known that
that stripping was armed. Curse
my foll.:!'
I picked up the severed member,
and examined it at the light. 1t
looked as if it belonged to man
in the meridian of life, and the lit
tie finger was encircled by a heavy
gold ring, with solitary diamond
setting. 1t was right hand, and
the tip Of the thumb was missing.
l wrapped the hand in cotton and
laid it in the desk, and replenish
| ed the fire, watched the door until,
throug'. the fatal opening [ saw
limbs bending under their load Of
snow.
1 opened the door but saw no
tracks; it had showed all night,
covering up all tracks of the rob-
Der. When Devices came-he al
ways reached the store half an
hour bc},re Day did showed
him the hole and the hand. Of
course be was astonished.
by George, boy!' he exclaimed,
your fears were not groundlcss.
You may keep that old sabre till it
rusts, and from this hour your
wages Stand increased
Of course, boys, I was thankful,
because he knocked under to me,
and because my wages were in
creased. Great search was made
for the robber but be was not
found, and remained in possession
of the ring and the hand. Five
years later I left Dalton, which
| mad no: been disturbed by robbers
since that memorable night. I
kept tie robbers hand in spirits
for near fifteen years, when, neg
lectingi t, it spoiled, and I buried
it in my lot.
But that did you do with the
ring?' asked the traveller.
'Kcpt it. Nothing could have
induced me to part with it,
'Won!d you not return it to the
owner?'
Perhaps he did not come by it
honestly-he was a robber you
know?'
The travellers face flushed.
He cid SIR he said.
What do you know about the
ring and tho robber?' cried Mr..
Worden.
"A good deal. Look there = and
turning up his sleeve, he displayed
to our gaze a handless wrist.
'Roboer!' cried the ex.merchant
and half dozen Of our party.
Yes, SIR said the stranger; rob-
Der once, but thank God no long
er one. The loss of my right
hand reformed me. Oh, never
shall l forget that night-my
march through the drifts to my.
companions in the suburbs of Dial
ton; how I was compelled (to
save my life,) to hold snow on the
stump. While my comrades in
crime we're binding up the wound
cd member, I swore by my God
to forsake my calling. [ have
kept my. OATH he went on. I
Il sought employment when the
wound had healed, and learning to
use my eft hand, I was successful.
I have amassed wealth-wealth
enough to enable me to spend my
remaining days in travelling for
pleasure. And now my reformer,'
he smiled, Il would ask you to re-
turn my ring. Did I come by it
dishonesty I would not make the
| reques:; but as there is God, l
did not. 1t was my mothers.
| Upon her death bed, one year be-
fore l fell into bad company, she
gave it to me, and told me to wear
it always. She placed it on my fn-
ger aud I wore it through all my
burglarious operations. Give me
| the rir 9, sir, and name your price,
Mr.. ii-orden raised his hand-we
saw tie ring. It was very beauti-
full, an, must have cost nota small
sum OF money. The merchant
SLOWLY 'irew it from bis finger, up
on which it had glistened for twen-
tv vec.s and nassed IL over tn its