Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-08-01

bulst had not finished his nights work
Having safely put away the keys, lie lifted
his candle and again went down stairs, carry
ing the notes in his hand. Trail followed
him through the kitchen and out into tho
courtyard behind. With the same purpose
like deliberation that he had shown at the
safe, he now marched to-the unvarnished
truth, o romantic reader, must be recorded
to the pigsty Arrived there, he lifted n
loose fold of thatch that rested ON a slab Of
stone in the rickety roof, secreted the bundle
of notes there, replaced the thatch carefully
and then turned with an air Of relief and went
in doors.
Trail did not disturb him, did not even
take the trouble TO follow his partner to see
if he reached his bed safely, but sprang ca
gery to the loose thatch. in which, snugly
lying, he found the comfortable sum of one
thousand nine hundred pounds in bank-notes (!
He could not help laughing as he stood there
in the dim gray morning, hardly half clad
for the pursuit had not been without excite
mont. AN expensive roofing for Dufi's
pigs, ho murmured, gathering the various
dusty bundles together and retrcating indoors
from the cold morning air.
II think, Duff, said Traill seriously when
they met in the office after breakfast-"I
think, to make certain that no thief, or WITCH
or ghost las been tampcring with the cash
during the night, We had better count the
cash henccfoIth in the morning as well Ms at
night that will make certain whether the
money disappears by night or during the
day
Mr.. DUG asscut,d.
Suppose you begin this morning"
Again Mr.. Dun assentod, and with reluctant
fingers, at his partners suggestion, counted
the money. Powers Of darknels!' he ox-
glgfrtt,l 81. h. l.,. u,
house The cash is again five hundred pounds
short" Had not Mr.. Duff been n remarkably
bald man, be would probably have torn his
hair in agony.
"llow much do you reckon your pigs cost
you annually, Dun = Trail asked with appar-
ont irrcleyance and as Mr.. Duff thought, flip
pancy.
Pigs Hang the pigs! Hang the bank /.
and Yes mean to resign my Office. I'm
not going to remain here TO be robbed and
ruined"
II see you are putting new roof on your
sly, and papering it, Trail went on senten-
tiously. "Sparing no expense ON it. Doing
the thing stylishly, eh -
Are you mad, Traill"
well, let me see. At the rate Of two
thousand pounds, say, in three months, that
pig-sty viii cost you and me just about eight
thousand pounds year Traill was appar-
emily in his gravest mood "That's pretty
moderate. ell Z"
Poor Trail the loss of his money has
taken his brain. What demon has entered
this house = sighed Mr. Duff in the presence
Of "A despair more tragic even than his own.
Look here, old fellow said Trail, sud
denly bursting into laughter-"look here.
found these in the roof Of your pig-sty this
morning; and, what is more, law you put
them there yourself
"Prodigious ,'
Yes, all the missing money was there.
The banker gave "A champagne dinner TO his
delighted clerks on the evening of that day
His own health, however, was in rather bad
way. In month or two he resigned his
office, retiring on liberal pension to his
farm and, in order to compensate James
Hamilton for all his recent trouble and misery
MIR. Duff requested, as a personal and final
favor, that the directors might appoint him to
the position Of assistant agent with George
Trail, a proposal which the directors favora-
bly, entertained. These Offices both of the
gentlemen hold with honor to this day. 1t
may be mentioned, too. that George Trail
and James Hamilton are brothers-in-law, each
having in due time welded one of Mr.. DufT's
daughters. The bank is James Hamilton's
home while George Trail has rented farm
adjoining Mr.. Duf's. The fresh country air,
and fishing and unlimited golfng-all en-
forced on him by the doctor as the best med
icine-have put an end to the old bankers
somnambulistic rambles- CHamBtrs's JDur-
nal