Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1878-07-15

best thing we could do was to take 'un
back to the pike, which was done, in the
gig, as quick as possible. Then I sends
my boy to Meresdene for the doctor and
he's with 'un now, and then he sends
me on here to tell you. I've spliced the
reins up bit, and we got through, and
very sad it all bees, bain't it? And
now what bees best to be done ?''
This was puzzling question, truly,
but | went and woke up the police, and
two or three of our clerks, and then we
had some more talk with Joe Muzzle.
Joe is quite a character in his way. and
ifyou give him start, he'll run on,
clacklng like clock. did give him
a start, and then he said: "Searching
about the place where we found the poor
young gen'lman, as well as we could
with the lanterns, we finds the cushions
pitched out and the whip broke in two
-'fraid | left that at the pike; but
here bees some proper mardrous weep
ons," and he produced from his capa-
cious pockets pair of small fint-lock
pistols ''there warn't nothin' else to
show what had happn'd but the off gig
step seems to have got a twist-like, and
the off lamp be stove in-that, [ reckon,
was comm agin the pike with ne'er a
driver"
Here we adjourned to the stable, to
examine the gig, and you'll understand
that all this time my mind was running
on the cash. Was that safe, / wondered.
To my dismay there was not a sign
of it in the driving seat. This led to
more questioning of Muzzle, but he
swore there was nothing else found on
the road, except what he had produced.
1t seemed as if he were about right, for,
to cut this part of my story short, we
could not come on any trace of it, though
we knew pretty we'll to a penny how
much young Chase had, and what shape
it was in. Afterwards sort of suspi-
cion did fall on Muzzle, and the man
who helped him; their belongings were
all overhauled, but with no result.
need not tell you that this affair made
great commotion for miles round. 1t
got into the London papers. We had a
host of inspectors and detectives down
our bank offered reward, and so did
the government, for the apprehension Of
the thief.
Young Chase lay at the little turn.
PIKE Ior over torTnIgut, quite lnsensi.
BILE like log. He had received con-
cussion of the brain, the doctors said
but beyond this there was no injury ap
parent. They couldn't quite make i
out; no more could anybody, for the
matter of that; and even when he hac
shown signs of life and opened his eyes
he was for a month or two unable tx
speak coherently, or understand wha
was said to him. All this while, yol
can guess that enquiries and examina
tions were going on in all directions
but there was no clue to the robbery
for robbery there had been, no doubt, o.
where was the money? One of the pis
tolls was discovered to be loaded, willis
the other, though the hammer was down
did not appear to have been fired; boil
pan and barrel were quite empty ant
clean /; clearly he had not been shot at
Then to whom did the pistols belong
He was never known to possess any ant
they bore no makers name; at leas
there were signs that it had been erased
The keenest wits of Scotland Yard wer
baf1ed we could make nothing of it
not person was apprehended, even o.
suspicion.
| l must now tell you, however, as ill
luck would have it, the news ofsthe poo
young fellows mischance was such a sc
we're shock to his aged mother, the on
| ly relative he had, that we knew ol
that she died two days after she hear
it. Hence | was deputed privately b
our directors to look over young Chase
room and effects This led to our gel
ting sort of clue-at least it made
link in the chain, though perhaps o
the whole, it rather added to the myste
ry, as you will say, when you have rea
this paper. | found it in an envelop
inscribed with these words: ITO be giv
en- to my mother, if I do not return thi
night from Meresdene.-Nov. Is, 1916.
And this is what the paper contained
"Years have passed since the fir
faint shadow of the dream fell acros
my life. l have put it aside again an
again, as an idle and vain imagining
but it has always returned; sooner {
J later, the vision has always revisited m
pillow. Still, how could 1, sensib
man, with nv faculties about me, col
ceive that it should mean anything MOI
than one of those curious freaks of OIL
uncontrolled sleeping thoughts commc
| to all? How could | imagine that
} pointed to a reality? Yet, when 81
months ago, l found that circumstanc
; beyond my control had brought me in
) the sort of country that made the bacl