New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-12-24

tha matter with him, not bit OF 1t; bnt II
took him some time even to reply tnuS
much: and the strangenees OF ns msnne1
continued long after breakfast was nnlsnou,
and all the way to church, and was quitee
observable even in church; ana AnCG wou.
40 far as to nudge her brother several tImes
Snr;np the service. ~ much as to say, do
Won see how strange he is still7" And ION
would respond by raising his eye browe; ano
the child was caught by them both walton,
ing her father, and wondering what 1t couio
ali mean. For let it be clearly understood
there was no expression of unhappiness on
his face: on the contrary, there was almost
q smile playing over it ct times, as tnougn
he were thinking about semsthing NOT al
together unpleasant that ne couio no' io1'
get
were returning through the crisp clear ali
every body now little silent under the H.
fluence of Georges strange manner, ne MN
self suddenly stopped in the middle OF the
0uiet lane which was the short cut home
H. planted his umbrella firmly down IN
front of him, as if to gave addltionai Iorco
to something he was evidently about 10 cay,
and then, looking with the most seIlo-comlc
exnre ssion possible, first at his wife on the
left. and then at her brother, who was on
the right, began:
IL must tell you'll can't keep it any
longer. You will both laugh at me, per
haas. and feel inclined to laugh at 1t my.
self, and vet it is no laughing matter. a!
trst thought l would not tell you; but
can not shake it of, and so l must out Win
it. The fact is, saw grandfather last
aSaw grandfather! What do you mean''
from both sides.
"What say. saw grandfather. old Mr..
Matthew Hickman, as plainly as ever saw
him in my life"
"Why, yoa are dreaming, George" said
his wife.
"No, YOU acere dreaming" cried Tom.
well, you may choose to say SO, ana 10
think so,' went on the speaker, but there
he was. standing at the foot OF our BED;
aud if was dreamiDg-why, then all iiie
a dream. for l never saw anything more
real since was born"
George was SO earnest in bis assertion
that the listeners were distinctly impressed.
At least Tom was, for his siste. soon began
to laugh; but the brother, on the contrary,
grew graver and graver, and after fixing
his eyes on the ground for a minute looked
up inquiringly, saying
did ne speakY'
"Yes," answered George. seriously, "and
that's what seems so convincing. II had
dream; but heard HIM as plainly as saw
him"
"What did he sayl" asked the sailor, SOL
emily.
"Why," went on George Woodwyn, che
said these words, though what on earth
they meant l can't tell. but he said distinct.
", Shoot an arrow from the dolls nest. :"
Tom, giving perceptible start, looked at
his sister; che was grave now, and returned
l.: <nR m
seemed to be ON the same track of thought,
and the family likeness, always strong be-
tween them, appeared stronger than ever,
while the expression in eacn Of their faces
was Identical.
"How odd 7" at length they both ex-
claimed in breath. Alice continued:
Don't you remember, Tom, We used to
shoot with our bows and arrows down
among the old apple and pear trees9"
lever forgotten those days? And what's
more, don't you remember why We once
shot an arrow from the doll's nest itselfl'
Alice dropped her eyes in thought for q
second; then said, ITO be sure; when We
hid our money box"
Her brother nodded. Eyes, and father
saw US and laughed at our queer pranks."
Then there was another pause, when
George, moving down the lane, said, "Well,
WUdV uGS HI ILLS CIV ~ w Will Iuy
if you choose to call it dream!"
But he received no answer for several
moments during which Tom was murmur-
ing TO himself again and again, as if in deep
cogitation, "Can it be possible! can it be
fosslblei'
"Can what be possible9' he was asked.
just this he said; 1--WE had a com mon
money box, Alice and l, and We used to
hide it down at the bottom of the orchard,
in the thickest corner of the underwood
buried it in fact; and We decided on the
place We would hide it in first of all by
shooting an arrow as We sat one day in the
dolls nest and the spot where the arrow
fell was to be the spot where we were to
bury our box. Then. in order to find it
again because we never disturbed it till
We had something to put into it, and so it
was sometimes left for week or two to-
ge,her) l, with my sailOr-like turn of mind,
took the bearings; that is, we were to get
the old stack OF twisted chimneys On the
cottage exactly on line with the dolls
nest and then twenty yards straight away
was the exact spot where We should find
the box. Why, Alice, you must remember
all this, surely" urged the speaker warmly.
Certainly" she answered; cit all comes
back to me, now you speak of it, wildly
enough; still. don't quite see what it has
to do with Georges cream"
"No, nor ]" echoed the husband.
BE patient, and I'll tell you," went on
Tom. "what think it has got to do with
it. Life at sea may make people supersti-
tious. They say that sailors are so; perhaps
l am. have dreamed and seen many queer
things in my time not always quite easy to
make out; but let that pass; what occurs to
me now is simply this: As / said, father
knew of and saw our dodge about the
money box, and it may he just possible that
in his latter days, when he got little queer
and cranky, as we know he did, and with
his views about property and probate
bered what we used to do, and have done
something himself of the same kind. II was
this he was going to refer TO, perhaps, when
he began to write the words, That my
children only may understand how the
main bu-' Isay, it is just posslble-odd
men do odd things; who would ever have
thought of his having $4,000 OF gold slowed
away just under his Ded headl"
Toms reasoning SO excited him that he
stopped suddeBly, looking straight into
space, saying, II suppose it has never en-
about the garden to see if there were any
signs Of hiding places"
OF course it never had entered either of
their heads, and they said so.
Then it has mine," said Tom; land
what's more. Ill have q look before l am
An hour older. Dear heart! if should be
right after all! Come along"
They had reached by this time the end
of the lane where it passed round the
lower part of the old moss-grOwn wall sur
rounding the cottage and grounds. At one
Of the angles there was q heavy nailed door.
Cant we get in here2" said Tom, giving
it q poke impatiently with his stick. o,
dear, no; it hadn't been opened for years;
the path on the other side had been long
dieused and 0vergrown with bushes.
$50 much the BETTER" continued the
sailor; ''the less chance of the place having