The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1881-09-15
Aunt Sabrina's Treasure.


There was a great disappointment
among the heirs at Law when Aunt
Sabrina died suddenly, for she had
been reputed rich but in the light
of legal investigation her posses
sions had dwindled down to few
thousands and the house and
grounds inherited from her father
Why she was reputed flch twas
difficult to say. for she had lived
simply and held herself aloof from
society. Her father, Colonel Hen
derson. had been a staunch patriot
in time of the revolution, but his
brother Boyd was Tory, and be-
took himself to England when the
first hostile gun was fired, where he
was afterward knighted.
Strange to say, Sabrina, who was
at that time young and beautiful,
sympathized with her uncle, though
some said this was not so much
from loyalty to King George as
from loyalty to one Of his officers,
Very certain it is that she was
once arrested for giving aid and
comfort to the enemy by means of
secret information, and was only re-
leased out of respect to her father,
who promised to deliver her up with
his own hands if she ever sinned in
Ike manner again.
In process of time the war came
to an end, and so did Colonel Hen
derson and his contemporaries,
The British officer never appeared
to claim his bride, and Aunt Sabri-
ma grew old in single hlessedness.
And now, she too, was dead, and
another headstone of slate was ad-
ded to the row in the family lot.
As | said, there was disappoint-
ment among the heirs, chief OF
whom was Sabrina's fayorite neph-
ew Arson, to whom fell the house
and most Of the money. He shared
the general impression concerning
Aunt Sabrina's wealth. He knew
she had received letters from the
Tory uncle, Sir Boyd, while he lived
and believed he had bequeathed her
something at his death.
He moreover believed that the
title to this inheritance, if not the
inheritance, itself, was con-
tanned in a certain cabinet which
Aunt Sabrina had always guarded
with jealous care.
1t was not known that any mortal
eye beside her own had ever looked
inside it, and he had once seen hel
defend it with absolute fierceness
from the inspection of her father
the Colonel.
The key was found tied round
her neck with black cord after hel
death, and was Immediately captur
ed; but the cabinet was nowhere tt
be found although the house wa'
ransacked from top to bottom.
Then, after much the usual eXpe
riences of life, Anson died and wa'
gathered to his fathers and hi!
aunts He left widow and a SOD
"a. second Anson, who was at tn,
same time the pride and the tor
ment of his mothers life; her prid'
because he was a bright, strong
and handsome boy; her torment
because he was as headstrong an(
unmanageable little sprite as eve
lived. What he wanted to do, h,
did; what it did not suit him to do
he left undone.
| Unfortunately, the story of Aun
Sabrina's lost cabinet had takel
strong hold OF his Imagination
which is not greatly to be wondered
at, since he had heard it repeatet
from his earliest infancy with sucl
additions and emendations as tim
and tradition are sure to effect.
The probability that IT. containe,
a treasure became to his .mind
certainty. When he was four year
old, he was one day missed, great,
Ito the alarm of his parents, ant