Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1875-05-15
BRADFORD, VERMONT, SATURDAY, MAY I5 1875.

the key of the big chest"
"Don'r wake the baby |" entreat
ingly enjoined the wife. ale ha'
not slept the whole morning, and il
only just now dropped Off"
Course the child Y cried tn,
wrecker. "Thou thinkest of nothing
but the child Look to my dinner ?
He went into the next apartment
shut the door after him, and boltel
it. lie examined the jewels again
lie emptied the purse Of its contents
and counted them. lie opened the
rest of the pockets. The trowsers he
had taken from the bundle, and
thrown upon the floor of the Other
roOm-all contained riches. lie
placed them upon the ground, appli'
ed the key, and hastily began to de
pOsit them in the bottom of the
chest. In the progress of his work,
he started and stopped short. at
shutting of feet which he heard in
the outer apartment, accompanied
by the sound of voices, as of per-
sons speaking in Il low key. Nut
tering curse, he proceeded.
"Harry," whispered his wife at
the door,
He replied not, but went on.
"Harry," she whispered again.
"You are wanted"
He answered not, but listened
anxiously. All was silent.
"Harry"' she repeated.
"Silencc! and confound thee !"
was the rul1ian's reply.
~ can not help it, Harry y rejoin-
ell she, still whispering. "You are
wanted, husband! !! o, come! Do
come y
"Presently" he vociferated. The
last article was put in. He locked
the chest, and unbOlting the door,
threw it open.
"WeIl! Is my dinner ready " he
noisily demanded, entering the out
er apartment, and looking toward
she tablc-which had been con-
tructed out of the fraym ents of
wrcck-a corpse lay stretched upon
it at the head and at the foot was
a group of his neiglbors. He stood
for Il ni01urnt VI tuu tIaIls1Nco.
"What means this r. at length he
boldly inquired, with a loud voice,
striving to conceal cowerine heart.
"Merciful powers y exclaimed
one, lifting the ritled trowsers. which
the wrecker had thrown upon the
floor. "Merciful powers! if it is
not your fathers body, Harry, that
you have been stripping
"My fathers body" exclaimed
Dark Harry the blood utterly for
saking his cheeks.
"Yes There it is, stretched upon
the table "
Dark Harry did not attempt to
speak. He looked at the body-at
the bystanderS-at his wife-at the
body again-with all expression of
perfect vacuity in his cOuntenance,
He then approached the table, half
seated himself OH the corner Of it,
his back to the corpse and with
one leg upon the floor, kept swing
ing the other, looking vii dly
around him. His wife, who had
dropped upon the stool Oh which
she had been nursing her child, sat,
the image of horror. The rest kept
silence,
''It can't be helped !" at last ex-
claimed Dark Harry. ''The dead
nave no use for clothes. Well
Dury him tomorrow, and wake him
O-night."
His auditors looked at one an
,ther, but made no remark. Pipes.
,Obacco, and spirits were speedily
procured, and placed upon the
able with the corpse, which was
low covered with a sheet Dark
larry seated himself at the head.
lis neighbors, whose numbers
we're now increased by occasional
lroppers in, accommodated them
elves as they could with stools,
mpty kegs placed on end, and
'ieces of plank converted into tenn
'Orary forms, sat ranged around.
,he room waxcd merry, save where
he wrecker's wife sat crOuching
ear the fire, her head supported
y the wall. At length the first
uppIy of spirits was out.
He disappeared and after the
lpse of about ten or fifteen min- q
tes, returned with a fresh supply.
In onauoI xl,a 1Nor ,pnnhSarvoI |