The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1883-10-04

the secret place whore his aunt was &C
cust0med to keep the Keep the key Of
her secretary, which accounted Tor It's
being unlocked Instead Of broken open.
To strengthen the circumstantial evil
dence against him, his footprints were
Of just the size of those found beneath
the window, while the wooden threads
found upon the nail were pronounced
by half dozen self constituted judges
to correspond with various delapidated
portion Of his garments.
But the most conclusive evidence
against him was that of Stephen Greer,
who declared that, having remained at
tie village inn till past nine o'clock on
the evening in question, he had then
started for home, when he had seen q
man coming hastily down through Miss
Phoebe Rowell's orchard from the direc.
ton of the house. He had good view
of him in the moonlight, and could take
oath that Robert Steel was the man; and
further, that he had in his hand small
bundle not found upon him when arrest
ed; and that on seeing him he skulked
in the bushes, apparently endeavorinR
to conceal himself-two circumstances
which Robevt positively denied.
It was in the early Apr'l.tEat this trag.
zeal event occurred at the Hillside farm
and the trial of Robert Steel would not
come off for some months.
Meanwhile the little red farmhouse
was deserted, except by David Barnes,
who retained charge of the place; for
Bessie bad gone to live with her aunt
in the village.
She ha not visited the Hillside farm
for many weeks since that fatal event.
sRhsot, hor1 rvSu - S,,H hN
country,
But one day neigLbor, having so me
business with David Barnes, induced
Bessie to accompany her back to her
The place had been bleak AMI bare
when she left it in April; but she now
found 1t in all the luxuria ice OF early
summer; the trees in full foliage, Miss
Phgbe's tavorlte roses and pinks in
bloom, and the garden. walks and flow
er'be Is choked up with grass and
weeds
Beneath the window by which the
burglar had entered had sprung up quite
a little wilderness of weeds.
Bessie's companion approached this
spot, in order to get q glimpse of the
room within. At the same moment
strong, spicy odor arose from the tram
pied weeds beneath the window.
"Why, Bessie" she said, in surprise,
II didn't know as you had sweet alys'
sum here"
lis that sweet alyssum?" Bessie an
swered; indiderently, looking down at
the DELICATE little plant. l never saw i:
be 'ore."
'"That's odd. never knew of bit Of
sweet aIyssnm in this neighborhood ex
cept what Mrs. Wipterby brought from
her sister 8 last spring. Mebbe she gave
Miss Phoebe some OF the seeds. At any
rate, III take away q kprout. Dear.
dear, what lot of 'em there ls springiug
among the grass! and here's one
growing in the moss and dirt in the
corner of the window SILL The wind
must a'blown 'em here, I'm think.
ing"
Bessie made no reply, and she was
unusually silent on her way home. The
circumstance had set her thinking.
She knew that Miss Phoebe had never
had any seed of sweet aIyssum. How,
then, came 1t to b. growing on the
place? From the scattered manner in
which it grew the seed must have been
dropped acct 'enta ly, and on the sill of
that very window by which the burglar
had entered the house. She knew, She
ASiV 1A ACA AAAOCCAO uCdil, LlldI hiDUcIL
Steel had never crossed that window
sill. Who, then, had left that mysteri.
GUS trace to rise up in silent accusation
against him?"
Restless and agitated. Bessie slept
none that night. Tue next morning,
before the sun was fairly risen. found
her on her way to the Farmers r, st.
1t was distance of some five or more
miles, yet she thought not of fatigue as
she steadily tramped alol.g the lonely
road through the increasing heat. She
had invented a little business GRAND to
Mrs. Winterby, and on her arrival, hav-
ing dispatched this, she adroitiy turned
the subject to the garden, of which she
knew the landlady TO be 50 proud. OF
course she was invited to see it, and it
was not long ere she described:the plot Of
sweet alysSuln of which che had heard
"That's the only sweet asy lu,n in this
part OF the country, Mrs. Wlnterby OBJ
served proudly. It's very skeerce
yarb and p ,werful sweet smelling.
dare say you never saw any Of it be-
fore, Bessie?"
"Only once" Bessie saiG in answer. II
the seed?"
swell, I hadn't any to speak in the
spring-not more'n thimble full that
got from my sister La,npkin down
south. Mrs. Lawson wanted some DOW
erful bad, and did send her a little
pinch; but when asked her awhile ago
how it was growing she said she never
Kot 1t: I'll have plenty to give away
this fall, and you're welcome to some, II
you want it Bessie. its nice thing to
have in garden, smellin' so sweet of
an evening, and some folks like it put
away in clothes press. 1t keeps away
moths, I've heerd.
III be glad to have some, I'm sure"
said Bessie, adding: It's a pity Mrs.
Lawson didn't get her seeds. Who did
you send them by?"
by Stephen Greer, one evening
when he stopped inst outside the fence
here; while l vas fixing my flower beds.
He asked what L was planting, and
when ! said sweet alyssum, he said he'd
| never heard of it but once, when Mrs.
Lawson was wishing for some, because
it used to gov in her mothers garden.
So then l gave him pllch, and he
dropped 'em in his weskit pocket, care
lesslv like, instead OF tying 'em up in
paper; and that's the way, l take it..
they came to be lost.''
Brssie's heart was beating 80 fast as
nearly to choke her. To conceal her ag-
itation she stopped down to examine
the plant, as she said:
"That wasn't like Stephen Greer. He +
always careful and cautious. How Ion,
| ago since You saw him that timer"
"WeA, nigh about two months ago.
Stay-now rekilIect-'twas the even
Ing Robert Steel stopped here to get
supper. know it. because he hadn't
hardly cot out of sight when Stephen
came along and my old man got joking
him about him and you, Bessie. Poor
lad" she added, with sigh; "'twould
a been better if he'd never come back,
to be throwed into the way of SIGH aw-
a. temptation; for you can't convince
me that good natured, kind hearted
Iai such as Robert was could ever ha'
ulanned such q thing in cold blood. l.
his aunt hadn't been so hard on him
from child he'd ha' turned out as good
as anybody"
Robert never stole that money
never murdered Miss Phoebe" said Bes-
sic, standing erect, speaking with such
i g., -