Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1876-02-11

lued suSSeolCu iISeAA w my hiih" .1'''
if I could become master of such a
sum could get clear away by some
ship leaving Bristol for foreign parts
before the bank could become aware
of the fact of my escape. But how
to get rid Of my companion. Briefly
for l feel my strength sinking and
I must hurry forward to the end of
what have to tell you'll procured
poison, which I poured into the leath-
ern bottle in which I carried my re-
freshment on the road, and, watching
my opportunity, offered it to him to
drink. He sank back IN corner of
the coach, and in few minutes was
a corpse. Emptyiug the remaining
contents of the bottle out of the win
dow, and placing the dead man in
such an attitude as would lead people
to suppose that he died naturally in
his sleep, hailed the guard with ev,
cry stimulation of trepidation, and
stopped the coach The outside pas,
sengers got down, and a scene OF
great excitement occurred. At the
next village the local doctor, who. as
1t happened, was man of no great
skill, was sent for, and dexterously
insinuating to him that | had known
my companion to have suffered from
heart disease of some years standing.
with many compliments to the pro
fessional acumen of the doctor him,
self, that worthy was not long in
pronouncing it case of sudden
death from disease of the heart; and
| was suffered, in view of my repre-
sentations as to the urgency of my
business to Bristol, to proceed on my
journey. This is the bare outline OF
my crime; the details would only
weary you, and my time is short.
succeeded in leaving England and
reaching Brazil, where l have amass
ed fortune. That fortune is within
the box which now lies beneath my
hand"
He paused, for a violent spasm
seized him, and 1t was some time be
fore l could recover him sufficiently
to enable him to proceed.
Raising himself in bed with diff
Guilty, he unlocked the box and dis
closed an array of unset diamonds
whose brilliancy fairly dazzled me.
"Here are 100000 worth of dia
monds," proceeded Mr.. Grierson. 90
have converted all my fortune into
these gems, and these intend to i'll
trust to your care. Take this box a
once to your own cabin and return tc
me for instructions as to the disposa
of the contents"
l hesitated, but he was impera
tive.
"Not word. I am dying fast an(
| implore you to accede to my las
request"
took the box, locked 1t and lcf
the cabin.
AS l opened the door l ran VI
against Pete.
"What the devil are you doing
here"
"Nothing, massa."
l passed on along the main decl
toward my cabin forward, and on my
way l met Capt. McFarlane.
GLOW is your patient now, doc
tor?"
"Dying, I fear. He cannot las
long"
I passed along, and depositing the
box in place of safety returned
Mr.. Grierson was rapidly sinking
and III a feW broken sentences he i'll
structed me as to the disposal of his
property. Ten thousand pounds was
to 60 to the bankers, Messrs. Holt 4
Wardley, of Lombard street, and the
balance to the family of the murder
ed man. whose name was given me
and whose representative l pledged
my word to use my best efforts to
discover
Finally, binding me over not tt
disclose what | had just been
told, except to the parties named by
him in his dying request, Griersor
relapsed into a state of partial insen
sibility, from which I'm vain attempt
ed to arouse him, and before an houl
had el psed the unhappy man was nc
more.
Going on deck | communicated
the fact to the Captain, who gave the
necessary directions as to the funeral
which took place next day; and once
more we were plowing our way
through the blue water as if nothing
had happened.
was an altered man. The strange
commission with which | had been
intrusted weighed on my mind. Over
and over again in the stiffness of the
night I opened the box of diamonds
and gazed on the brilliancy of the
gems. What proof was there that
they were not mine; the box with the
brass plate bearing the owners name
could be destroyed in a moment, and
then Over and over again the
devil whispered to me, but, thank
God, l resisted the temptation.
WOulu lulllll Jnc ITuSI CollHucu w luS.
and l prayed fervently for strength
to resist the evil promptings of my
baser self.
One day l sat alone, the box un
locked on my table, gazing with an
irrepressible curiosity, which l was
unable to control, on the jewel,
which .cintillated with a devilish
luster before my dazed vision. The
door suddenly opened and Capt. Nc
Farlane entered.
IL beg your pardon, doctor; didn't
know you were engaged" But be
fore could close the box or reply his
eye had caught the simmer of the
brilliants.
"Halloo! what's here?"
With firm hand he closed the lid
and read the name on the plate. In
nocent rs 1 was, involuntarily stung
by the remembrance of what my
thoughts had been but a moment be
fore. 1 quailed before his eye.
81 know all now-that man was
poisoned-consider yourself my pris
oner."
l endeavorcd to explain. l told
him everything as it had occurred
and l appealed to the Captain to be
lieve the story, or at least to await its
reasonable confirmation before actinu