Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1880-08-06

tell you plainly what it is. There was
like 5000 in notes and gold in
that poor devils pocket-book. There is
nothing to show who he was to anybody
but me, who luckily can keep a secret,
so ] shall not tell you his name; besides
it does not signify. Not a soul but our
two selves knows how he came on my
premises; he can never be traced here.
l pass him off as my brother, and bury
him accordingly. No one hereabouts
knows who we are, so who is to say he
is not my brother? Had not good luck
brought him up to our hospitable gate at
the critical moment, had you been the
tar.seeing, clever woman you are, and
not let him in, why he would have fall
len down dead in the public highway
and his property been at the mercy of
the first person who found him. They
might have been honest or not. He
would have been taken to the hospital,
and, of course his friends would have
been duly informed of the sad loss they
had sustained. Now, as it is, they will
be spared the sorrow, because they will
never know what has become of him.
"Well, but 1 broke in, his friends
will make inquiries for him. He may be
traced to our gate. and we will be called
upon to explain
"We may be- continued my husband,
but it is sufficiently unlikely. 1t will
be cursed piece of ill-luck if he is.
Who is to trace him into this God-aban-
doned region? Under all the circum-
stances and by your own showing it is
most improbable-nay, it is impossible.
eyes, | again interposed, but he will
be advertised for and described
every likely he went on. but the
doctor and the undertaken are the only
people besides ourselves who have seen
him, and they will have nothing to iden-
tify him by, even if they ever know OIL
hear anything about the disappearance.
They will never recognize in my dea1
brother, poor John Smith, who died ol
apoplexy here in my house, under the
very eye of the doctor, the forlorn man
by the name of - (but l will keep that
to myself, who was last seen, ETC., ETC..
as the advertisement will run. No; they
will not know the name. 1t twill convey
nothing to their minds; how should it!
For remember the moment you so judic
iously let him in and closed our garder
door upon him, the lost man had ceased
to be. From that moment he became my
poor brother John; the real man was
gone as clean out of existence, had a.
clean parted with his identity, as if h
had never been. By heavens, it's strok'
of genius on my part! never guessed
l was half so clever a fellow added m.
husband triumphantly.
"'But,' cried / once more, this is
very dangerous game, as you call it, t.
play. 1t is absolutely theft, and worse
"'If you cannot use better language,
he said, hold your tongue. Don't insul
me. tell you the money might as wei
have fallen into my hands as into thos
of the first policeman or post-boy VIII
might have found him. | want it badl
enough, and if you don't betray our sc
cret, there is very little risk of my righ
to it being disputed
"'But,' | said, the watch and rings
as we'll as the money-they may lead t
your discovery
"'Not at all, he answered, if The
are carefully converted, and / will man
age that. The notes are the only diff
Guilty; but I can get over that, too.
90 straight to the Bank of England tC
morrow morning, directly it is opened
and change them into gold, l shall /
there long before their loss is known, O.
consequently, their numbers stopped
The young fellow perhaps will not /
missed for week; he comes long wa
from here; / have seen enough to te
me that. We do not know what h
: habits were; we do not even know tn;
any one was aware he had che mon6
about him. No; the more | think of
the safer the whole game looks. Yc
, have only to keep your own and N
counsel and our fortunes are retrieve
q for few months, and we have nothir
y to fear All! that's the undertaken, l
! doubt You get out of the way; lea
it all to me-
| "There was ring at the bell heI
which he went to answer.
"Ah, that was dreadful night, al
during the few days following l W
n nearly beside myself with terror.
d course the house was closed, as becar
the occasion. The funeral-a very qut
d one-took place in due course at Kens
is Green cemetery, my husband followi
as chief mourner in the coach, accomI
Il MED by the doctor.
IF mo remarks, no suspicion attend
10 so commonplace a circumstance, a
when the ground had closed over the l
d fortunate unknown man, and when
| week later modest tombstone record
is the decease of the imaginary 30
s Smith, aged 49, all trace of the dread
fraud, save that which he printed ind
at IDLY in my mind WIS gone"
10 Her husband utterly deserted her
ne less than six months afterwards, and
was left-well, what does that matt
lp To this day she knows nothing of "
I'd or what the unlucky fellow was, VIII
he came from, or whether he was e
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