The Cecil Whig., 1882-05-13

/ ItfnapS II was fortunate lof MN tnat he
was obliged to work very hard simply to
| keep the wolf from the door, for it pre-
vented him from brooding over his mis-
fortunes. As even 4 stronger man might
have done.
During the two years that elapsed after
the burning of the 7IdM Ware. Robert
Myron iabored industriously, but without
success, SO far as the accumulation Of
worldly goods was concerned; lie had
been able to pay the rent of rude cabin
three miles from the village of Tower
Hill, and to furnish it scantily. But the
expenses attendant upon the birth of two
children, and lis own severe illness. dur
two months. had exhausted the small
fund he had succeeded in saving to enable
him to remove to Cape Girardeau.
Then came time when he could no
longer find employment near his wretched
home, and he sought it some miles up the
river. going and returning each day in a
small boat. Even then it appeared that
misfortune was not wearied with pur-
suing him, for one night when returning
from his work Il storm came up, which
overturned his frail skiif, and, nearly ex-
hauSted, lie was thrown upon narrow
bar OF sand that made out from a bank
of the river at the spot where the Iiddl
ware was burned. On this frail and
treacherous toot-hold he managed to re-
main during the night, i'll full sight of the
town, but unable to attract attention to
his desperate condition.
The dawn Of day revealed still more
horrors, for close beside him, having evi-
IDENTIFY been unearthed by the waves. was
the skeleton Of human being. At first
Alyron felt that fear which seems to be
natural in man when he sees the deserted
tenement of one of his kind; but the
resting place which the waves gave to
lie was obliged to remain almost in actual
contact with the yellow bones. AS he sat
by the skeleton waiting for help from
shore, which seemed 50 tardy in coming
he saw about the ribs of the 1leshless
frame leather belt. Curiosity overcame
his horror, and, unfastening the belt, he
found within it gold coin to the amount
of five thousand dollars.
That Robert Myron was in fever of
excitement hardly needs to be told. He
had struggled to the full strength of man
MANY years. and was hardly more than a
pauper when he should have had at least
spot of Gods footstoo. he could call
his own. The dead had brought him
what the living had refused. To take
| the gold for his own purposes seemed Il
theft, and yet he who had fastened it
about his body could no longer use it.
The struggle between his conscience and
his necessity was long one; but when
those who came to rescue him arrived at
the sand bar they found him with Il skel-
| cton on which nothing could be seen, and
no one could have fancied that the half
drowned man had found Il treasure. That
the bones W re those of one of the pass
engcrs ofth Tidal Waco, no one doubted,
ami they were given resting place
among the rameiess graves OF those Who
had lost their lives i'll the disaster. No
one save Robert Myron and his wife
knew of the money belt, or that on the
inside of it, cut deep in the thick leather.
was the name Henry Parks
But Myron, having this money, did not
dare to use it openly lest people should
| question how he got it. He had agreed
with his wife that they should use the
gold for their own benefit, but 90 it with
Il view of returning it if they should ever
| find the dead man heirs. This he hoped
to do by making such investments as
could be readily realized upon, SO that
| they might show themselves to be good,
| even if seil-elccted, stewards.
The cabin they lived in, and the five
acres of land surrounding it, was for sale
at a price below its real value. Myron
| represented to the owner that, despite
| Appearances. lie had succeeded in saving
a small amount OF money-about half the
price asked--and offered to buy it if his
note would be accepted for the balance.
| The bargain Was made. and Myron still
| continued to work 10y the day for any one
who would hire him, tilling his own farm
when he could find 10 other work. Then
he invested in very small way in stock,
| buying when he could get decided bar
gains only. Year by year he added to
his possessions. and his neighbors called
hin. a " thrifty" man,
| Al his Investments were good ones,
since none were made save with the view
of converting everything into cash at a
moments notice il necessary, aud Robert
usual, with wealth came the respect of
his ncis shboIs. who, TO show their appre-
ciatiOn of money, elected him to the Of
lice of County Judge.
| During the year 1870 the inhabitants
| of Tower Hill witnessed the destruction
of another steamer by ire at almost the
exact place where thp 1Ma! ltute went
down. Among .,li those men who lahor-
ed to save life none was more active than
Robert Myron, aud his hunSe was con-
veited into hospital for the reception
of those who We're injured, but saved
| from death.
| Mrs. Myron was as earnest in her eff
forts to comfort the distressed people as
was her husband, and her labor Wag sig
nally rewardfa by Mnhing among the un=
fortunate ones whom she was nursing,
| her father, whom she had not heard fran
since the day she LETT i.i- hulne 10
found another with the one man she loved
| above all others. The daughter's heart
was made still more glad when the old
gentleman told her and her husband that
he had been searching for them several
months i'll the hope of inducing thpip ta
return 10 ms l"nely noAe, or allow him
to remain with them.
Then he told strange story, and one
which lifted load that had grown heav-
ier with each succeeding year from his
son-in-law's heart.
In 1861, Mrs. Myron's aunt had died,
bequeathing to her niece the sum of five
tho4saI9 dQllaF2. Judge he.ry, naii re
lenting that he had not looked with IA
vor upon his daughters marriage, had