Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1883-01-18

a = Ta
Il It was remembered that he knew
Of the secret place where his aanE
was accustomed 70 Keep the ley d
her secretary, which accounted for
its being uniockad instead Of broken
open.
/ To strepefhen the ciFcnmstanfi.I
EeTidence against him. lis foot prinEa
were Of just the size of those found
beneath the win1ow. while thswo0l.
en- threads found upon the nail vera
| pfeneaaced by halfa dozen 81 Esdn-
| sfituted judges 70 -eorrezroAd Wi
various dilapidated portions Of his
garHenfz. g 81 asg Sas seassa4
| But the most conclusive evidence
against him was that Of Stephen
Greer. who DECLARED That. having re-
named = village Inn till past b
o clock o. Me evening in question.
he had ths6 started for home. when he
had seen = man coming hastily down
through Miss Phoebe Rowel's orchard
from the direction Of the house.
tie had a good view Of him in the
moonlight, and conld take oath that
Robert Steel was the man; and fur
ther, that he had in his hand a small
bundle not found upon him when ar
rested and that on seeing him he
skulked in the bushes. apparently en-
deavoring to conceal himseli-two
circumstances which Robert positive
| ly denied.
1t was in the early April that this
tragical event occurred at the Hill
side farm. and the trial Of Robert
Steel would not come off for some
months. ugaa
Meanwhile the little red farmhouse
was deserted, except by David Barnes,
who retained charge Of the place !;
for Bessie had gone to live with her
aunt in the village.
She had not visited the Hillside
farm for many weeks since the fatal
event which had given it an evil name
in the country.
But one day a neighbor, having
some business with David Barnes. in
duced Bessie to accompany her back
to her old home.
The place had been bleak and bare
when she left it in April; but she
now found it in all the luxuriance of
early summer; the trees in full foil
age, Miss Phebe's favorite roses and
pinks in bloom and the garden-walks
and flower beds ehoked up with grass
and weeds. o
Beneath the window by which the
burglar had entered had sprung up
quite little wilderness of weeds.
sBessies companion approached this
spot. in order to get a glimpse of the
room within. AZ the same moment q
strong, spicy oder arose from the
trampled weeds beneath the win
dow.
Why, Bessie" she said. in surprise.
Il didn't know as you had sweet
alyssum here"
as that sweet alyssnm ?" Bessie
answered, indifferently, looking down
at the delicate little plant. II don't
know how it come here. never saw
it before.
That's odd. | never knew of a bit
of sweet alyssnm in this neighborhoo
except what Mrs. Winterby brought
from her sisters last spring. MeGbe
she gave Miss Phoebe some of the
seeds. AT any rate, I'll take away
sprout. Dear, dear, what lot of
EN- there is springing among the
grass (! and here's one growing in the
moss and dirt in the coraer of the
window SILL The wind must a blown
em here, I'm thinking" a4 5E
Bessie made no reply. and she was
unusually silent on their way home.
The circumstances had set her think
ing. She knew that Miss Phoebe had
never had any seed Of sweet alvssurn.
Hox, then, came it to be growing on
the place? From the scattered man
ner in which it grew the seeds
must have been dropped accidentally,
and on the sill Of that Very window
by which the burglar had entered the
house. She knew, she felt in her in
most heart, that Robert Steel had
never crossed that window-sill. Who.
Their, had left the mysterious trace to
rise up in silent accusation against
him p 81
Restless and agitated, Bessie slept
none that night. The next morning,
before the sun was fairly risen, found
her on her way to the Farmers Rest.
IL was a distance Of some FIVE or more
miles yet she thought not Of fatigue
as she steadily tramped along the
lonely road through the increasing
heat. She had invented little bus
mess errand to Mrs. Winterby, and
on her arrival, having dispatched this
she adroitly turned the subject to the
garden. Of which she knew the land
lady to be so proud. OF course she
was invited to see it, and 1t was not
long ere she deserted the plot Of
sweet alyssum of which she had
heard. se...-
That's the only sweet alyssum in
this part Of the country" Mrs. Win
terby observed. proudly. Its very
skeerse yarb and Powerfully sweet
smelling. dare say YOU never saw
any Of 1t before, Bessie p
only once, Bessie answered. al
suppose you never give away any of
the seeds ?"
We'll, ] hadn't any to spare in the
spring-not more'n thimbleful that
/ got from my sister Lambkin down
South. Mrs. Lawson wanted some
powerful rad, and / did send her a
Hffln ninch. hut r-hnr -