The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-03-16

are Lne DeSI JuuBe. oucH pereohs are
capable OF all manner Of tricks. 1t Is,
OF course, your duty to make certain.
Only, in case you are wrong, be gentle
with the wretched wife and mother.
Come in"
We entered. The room was almost
1 devoid of furniture, and barely supplied
A with the commonest necessaries OF ex-
| istence.
At one side was miserable mattress,
laid on the floor, and stretched ON 1t was
/! the dying man.
| Kneeling by him, her head bowed
| down to his, her black hair streaming
over the tattered patchwork covering,
was the young wife, weeping bitterly,
as she pressed her baby to her bosom.
Pm not hard hearted, and the sight
took me back, especially the counte-
nance of the husband, upon which the
hue OF death had already settled.
| / was following the doctor, when alb
ruptly, he leaned forward, then draw
ing back, placed mis- hand on my arm.
II thought as much," he whispered,
| "all is oVerV
The words were scarcely audible, yet
| they reached the wile's ears.
l shall never forget the scream she
gave. Starting up on her knees, she
gazed wildly in the face of. the dead,
then shrleked, turning appealingly to
the doctor.
"Oh, no, no; not deadl Don't tell me
thatl Not deadl Oh, Tom, Tom-dear
| Tom, speak to me--speak to L!zzleP
And casting herself on the body, she
went off into violent Mysteries.
| "Poor thing" said the doctor, raising
her. "Pray, my good fellow, take her
to chair, while close the poor mans
eyes,"
That done, he rejoined me.
| "You want to search the room," he
said, sIps pity that this should have
happened at such time, but duty is
duty. Pray, do yours quietly before
this poor woman RECEIVERS. Her trouble
| is enough without any addition"
Duty was duty; yet felt like hard
hearted, mean-spirited cur as l per-
formed mine, and protessed to have
lacked my usual acuteness, for more
than once the disciple Of Galen aided
me in my suggestions.
| Nothing, however, came OF 1t. could
not find trace.
.Yet," l said, "Pd take my oath the
dies are in this house, and IT'S one hun.
dred pounds in my pocket II nna
| them."
"Then most decidedly should try"
said the doctor. "rhat sum is not to be
got every day."
"No; and Pll keep a watch in this
house till find them"
sin the roomW he asked.
| ono. l amt quite made Of stone,"
rejoined, bit hurt. "But l shall in
spect ali who 60 out or come in"
"Quite right; and wish you success,
for there is no telling the suferings
these coiners OCCASION"
| We then descended and the doctor
left, after telling the old Irish woman
he would call as he went home on the
parish undertaken and give the neces-
sary orders for the funeral.
| Well, needn't lengthen out my story.
| Irented the parlor (by compulsion) of
the landlady, and established watch
night and day upon who and what went
out of and entered the house.
Jim Bradley came and went, of course,
unmolested, and chatfed me considera-
| bly when we met, while without the
slightest demur he let me visit his room
whenever pleased.
l. What did it mean?
| also made call now and then on the
| widow.
and SO meek and full of grief as she
moved about the room where her coffined
husband was, for she wouldn't leave it,
| that the sight was pitlable.
The medical attendant dropped in
once to inquire how 1 got on, and shook
his head on hearing OF my want Of sue
cess.
81 fear if the dies are really here" he
saiG, "the fellow you call Bradley is too
deep Tor YOU"
"Not il / know it," l said;" have ap-
Piled at headquarters for permission to
make better search, and I'll take up
the flooring"
II fancy that's the most likely place.
What is thatW he asked.
"Only the undertaker's men," l said,
putting the door open. "lfS the poor
fellows funeral to-day"
"Indeed! An, they hasten these mat
ters with the poor"
Just at this moment the wretched
coffin and its bearers passed along the
passage, followed by the weeping widow,
leaning on the old Irish woman. They
were the sole mourners.
The doctor respectfully removed his
hat, and we stood in silence until it had
gone by.
"Poor-poor thingW my companion re.
his card, and asking me to call If
proved successful, he went away.
Well, the hours crept by. and the 81.
lence OF the house begun to surprise me.
Bradley had gone out early, and hadn't
been home since. My assistant came in
about O'Clock; but neither the widow
nor the landlady returned.
: l waited aud waited; II O'clock
[ struck.
L begun to get suspicious.
Had l been done?
turned hot and then cold; then, seiz.
ing the candle, darted up stairs. Brad
, ley's room was as usual, but the attic
the sight of it made me feel ready tt
} drop.
'Done-cleverly donel' cried, wav
, ing my candle around.
. Yes; bitter the humiliation-I haC
| been dupedl had been the victim O
sensibliUy and clever trick!
There was the mattress; ripped up
and there, where the coffin had stood
: was a hole in the floor, wnere the PLANK
, had been removed. That had been the
/ place OF oOncealment.
3 But where were the dies? Where
} why, in the coffin, OF which, no doubt
, the dead man had been one OF tht
bearers.
"NonsenseW calculated. "The maj
l Lnxy hnA t. l.I.