The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1876-01-20
A BOX OF DIAMONDS.

illustrated Sporting aud Dramatic News,I
Well, as l said before, as it's Christmas
eve, don't mind telling you the story.
It'sa good many years ago now since it
happened, before the days of the mail
companies, and Glasgow clippers, when
a man had to make his will and set his
house in order before putting his foot on
board ship; and when once you had
passed the Eddystone, it was almost a
hundred to one against you ever setting
foot again in old England. However, here
l am, laid up like an old hulk f.r the re-
mainder of my days, with nothing to
fall back upon but my memories of the
past; and sad memories some of them are,
you may stake your life. was young
man then, and had been knocking about
in the Brazils and the West Indias-
everywhere in South America, may say,
for 1 believe l made one of the first
parties of Englishmen to cross the Andes
from Valparaiso to Buenos Ayres, no
light feat in those days, l can tell you. l
was doctor by profession, and many
time, by the exercise of my professional
skill, l have saved my own scalp among
the savage Indians of the Pampas. am
not going, however, to tell you anything
about the Indians now-some other
time, perhaps-a slice of lemon? Thank
you-and sugar; that'll do. Now formy
story:
As said before, l had been knocking
around a good deal in South America,
and shipped as doctor on board of an old
tub of a trader leaving Rio Janeiro,
homeward bound for Bristol, with full
cargo and couple of cabin passengers.
The Good Hope was commanded by
Captain McFarlane, a hard-headed old
Scotchman. John Williamson first mate,
and crew of thirteen, all told, made up
of Englishmen, Dutchmen. Swedes, and
a couple of niggers, one of whom was the
stewards mate. We sailed on the 18th
of December, blazing hot day, with
scarcely breath of wind to fill the
sails; but the captain was anxious to get
away, as Yellow Jack was in port. and
he had no mind to keep knocking his
heels in quarantine any longer than he
could help. We had, however, hardly
got clear of Raza Island when breeze
sprung up, and we were soon bowling
along as fast as the old ship could be
made to step along, all studding sails set,
and, so far, clean bill of health on
board
On the 21st, however, 1 was sitting
forward getting breath of air and smok-
ing my pipe when Bette, the stewards
mate, came up and summoned me aft to
see one of cur two cabin passengers, Mr..
William Grierson, who had been very
unwell during the night, and began to
be afraid that he was in for a touch of
the fever. went aft and saw him, but
there did not appear to be any very
alarming symptoms just at present, so |
prescribed some cooling medicine and
left him.
He was. however, worse the next day,
and the next, yet it was not case OF
yellow fever, and there was something
in the symptoms that, am not ashamed
to say, fairly bafled me. On the 9th he
was so much worse that | began to be
seriously alarmed, and communicated my
fears to the captain.
at is not yellow fever, of that l am
sure"
"What is it then, Doctor?"
"Well, to tell the truth, | can hardly
say. Nothing that I can administer
seems to do him any, good, and he is evi,
IDENTIFY sinking rapidly"
Humph? p said the captain. "mys'
terious, to say the least of it. Does he
know of his condition?"
The conversation was cut short by the
arrival of Pete, who informed us that
Mr.. Grierson had been seized with a
sudden and alarming access of pain, and
was apparently dying, adding that the
patient wanted to see me at once and
alone. In obedience to the summons
went below, and having shut the cabin
door and administered the necessary
remedies, asked the dying man (for there
could be little doubt he was dying) the
reason for his wishing to see me.
az wish to see you because | feel that
1 am dying, and can put off no Longer
what wish to say;if it is to be said al
all, )" responded the patient feebly.
"Fetch me that box from off the tol
of my sea-chest and listen -"
l brought it, a small oblong mahogan!
box, and laid it by his side upon th'
coyerlet, and Mr.. Grierson laying hi
hand upon it and at the same time de
taching key from chain by which it wa
suspended around his neck, with which
his fingers played nervously during hi
recital, continued:
"I am murderer. Ay! you ma.
stare, and think that my mind is wander
ing, but it is the truth. twenty-five
years ags-twenty-fve years of misery
1 committed the deed which am noI
in the presence of my Maker about t
confess. was clerk in banking-hOus
in London, and the facilities and oppol
tunities for peculation offered me wer
too much for me to withstand, but Gil
cumstances occurred which convince
me that discovery could hardly be muc
longer delayed, and l was casting abou
how to make my escape while there wa
yet time. Just at this juncture one {
the senior clerks in the house had to b
sent down to Bristol in charge of yer
large sum of money in gold, and | Wa
! deputed to accompany him to guard tn
) treasure. In those times matters wei
differently conducted from what they al
in the present day, and we had to tax
the money in box, strongly secured an
sealed with us by the mail-coach, whic
4 started from one of the old inns in tt
city for the west of England. There WI