The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-10-13

trance. The happy, long wished-for mo-
ment arrived. Lo what came to sight
Nothing--literally nothingl
The police functionaries and the inn-
keeper started back IN amazement.
Then followed a long drawn breath
from the head over, head peeping band
of curious friends and relatives peeping
on the background. A genddrme drew
his sword, and valiantly rushed into the
apartments. But there was nothing to
encounter but two empty trunks and an
open letter. With these trophies he
hurried back. A new movement then
took place. The commissary then read
as follows
my DEAR VAN RysvooRT: Convinced that
you are rs we'll versed IN the chronicles of
| your town as you are in your ledger, OF whose
exactitude you have left us nothing to doubt,
| il may be useless to tell you that Ostend, in
the beginning of the seventeenth century, was
mixed up in the war then raging between
| Spain and Holland. Your town was, from the
year 1901 to 1904, exposed to those vicissitudes
that all 80 situated arc liable to, until the
Dutch garrison was forced to yield to the Span
ish General, Spinola. Among the defenders
who fought like heroes under the colors OF the
| United Provinces, were many Englishmen,
sons Of the first families OF our country. In
this baud was one of our ancestors, who was
| treasurer Of the expedition. Before the town
capitulated, he, with great caution, hid from
the capture OF the Spaniards the treasure
| box.
"soon after, he returned to England and
died. but not before he had given TO his family
some intelligence OF the concealed treasures.
This good fortune has devolved upon us; your
house and garden wore pointed out AZ the
spot. Once upon our track, we lost no time in
installing ourselves in your inn, and soon
found reason 20 be satisfied with our opera
| tons. We have succeeded, without giving rise
| to any suspicious, in obtaining the possession
OF the treasures 30 long and deeply buried in
obhsion and in appropriating them to our
| selves thtir right destination. How we oper-
ated need now no longer be a secret but,
| Herr Van Rysvoort we must premise our dis
closure by declaring, upon our honor rs gen.
tlemen, that we have fairly let you into one
ists, no inn keeper will have again such profit
abe guests. You have robbed us through
| thick and thin, as though we had fallen into
the hands OF a bandltt. You have not only
! doubIy, but hundred-fold chicaned us. We
were determined to shut our eyes to Your pro-
ceedines AS we promised, you have profted.
| In the furthest room you will find portion of
the floor broken up you will also find hole
/ ten feet deep. at the bottom of which lies an
iron chest We took our time Ia removing the
old ducats OF Charles V. The chest We be-
gueath to you with the recommendation that
you fill up the chssm again at your conven-
fence.
"Perhaps you will wish to know how the
mad Englishmen' are really named. W., are
very sorry III this respect to be unwir ing to
oblige you. The discovery would be of no
use as we firmly intend never 20 set foot
again in your memorable town, or in your inn.
Do not trouble yourself with any reflections
upon our conduct. The finance minister of
Queen FL zabeth can alone call us to account !;
and. he, good man, has already given up his
claims full 200 years ago. SO, upon this score,
we lightly trouble ourselves.
For the future, in laughing over the very
questionable conduct you have shown us, we
shall Away bear winners to the high esteem
with which we are impressed as to your charac-
ter as man and an inn-keoper. In the hope
OF never seeing you again, with our hearty
farewell, we give you leave to call I'd, and to
speak Of us, the MAD Establishment"
Van Rysvoort rolled his eyes and bit
his lips; but to what purpose The first
transport of rage having passed away,
the inn keeper ended the matter by an
observation which did honor to his per-
ception, "that these Englshmen, after
all, were not so mad as they seemed to
be-"