Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-09-30

nearly to choke her. To conceal her
agitation she stopped down to exam
inc the plant, and said:
Thai wasn't like Stephen Greer.
Hes always careful and cautious.
How long ago since you saw him
that times
Well, nigh upon two months ago.
Stay, now / recollect it, twas the
evening Robert Steel stopped here To
get supper. | know it because be
hadn't hardly got out of sight when
Stephen came along. and my old man
got TO joking him about him and you,
Bessie. Poor lad,n she added, with
sigh, 'twould ba' been better il
he'd never come back, to be throwed
into the way Of SIGH awful tempta.
ton; for you can't convince me that
. good-aaiured, kind hearted lad such
as Robert was could ha' planned such
thing in cold blood. Ii his aunt
hadn't been so hard on him from a
child, he'd ha' turned out as good as
anybody"
Robert never stole that money!
never murdered Miss phebel" said
Bessie, standing erect. and speaking
with such firm and almost exultant
emphasis that the landlady was really
startled.
Then she took q hasty leave and
hurried homewsrd, flushed, excited
and with an occasional sobbing cx-
clamati0n Of THANK Godw on her
trembling lips
Oh, bless d little plant, appearing
in that fatal window like an accusing
angel, to clear the innocent and point
out the guilty!
And with this thought in her heart
she hurried straight to the lawyer
who had been chosen as Robert Steefs
counsel.
We have but little more to add TO
this true story. Following up the
clew SO fortunately. 50 almost won
derfully offered. clearer case of cir
cumstaBtial evidence was made out
against StephenGreer than had served
against Robert Steel.
On hearing the array Of evidence
against him, Stephen, in order to de-
fend himself against the charge OF
murder. voluntarily pleaded guiltyto
that of burglary.
He had, he said, on that fatal even
ing, remained in the village with sOme
friends until about hine O'Clock, when,
starting homeward, he had been led
by jealousy to turn little out of his
way to satisfy himself whether his
rival. Robert Steel, was really at the
farmhouse.
He had seen light in the kitchen
window add another in that of Miss
Phebe's room. CHANGING through
the latter as he passed. his attention
was arrested by seeing the old lady
ut an open secretary drawer unrolling
. bill from large bundle of bs nix
notes, which she then proceeded to
replace 10 = little inner drawer. aud,
locking it, hung the key on nail be-
hind the secretary, and left the room.
Proceeding next to the kitchen win
dow, he saw her talking earnestly to
a young man, as the latter sat at the
table eating. and it instantly occurred
to him that here would be good Op-
portunity Of helping himself to the
money. the sight of which had excited
his cupidity.
Cautiously raising the sash, inch by
inch, he stepped through the window.
unlocked the drawer and possessed
himself of the roll of bank notes.
N the bod tokou onr,a M N o; Il ora ,, II,
time, and meanwhile Robert Steel
must have left; for. as Greer was 10
the act of shutting the drawer, Miss
Phoebe appeared at the open door
way, and instantly darted forward
and seized him rs he endeavored to
escape.
A struggle took place. and, to COM
pei her to relax her hold, he seized
her by the throat; but he firmly pro-
tested that he lad no thought or in
tention of injuring her. He wished
to escape unrec0gniZed, and when she
staggered toward the bed he had has.
lily effected his retreat through the
window, catching his clothing on a
nail as he sprang to the ground. l,
was In this way that the seeds were
scattered which had now arisen from
the ground In silent evidence against
him.
Stephen Greer was sentenced to q
long term In the State prison. When,
ut the end of those weary years, he
came forth free man, Hillside was
one of the most DrOsDerOtls farms in
the country, aud Farmer Steel and
his wife Bessie as happy.looking q
middIe-aged couple IS could be mel
with, while family Of stalwart sons
and comely daughters were growing
up around them.
There was fihs garden at Hillside
stocked with rare aud beautiful flow
ers, but 1t was observed that among
these the simple and unpretendinl
sweet alyssum seemed always the fa
vorite with Bessie.