The DeSmet leader. (DeSmet, Kingsbury Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-10-06

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might now bc Of use 70 him.
She had not a-ked him TO remain oil
niglt-probably she feared his meeting
with Bessie in he norning-and, il he
ing IL mid. moonlight night, he had re-
sumed his Journey. e coping II while in
the shed of n waysiie blacksmith forge.
This was the pccount he gave OF him
self, in eXplanation of his possession Cf
the watch, which later Bessie identified.
Only one person believed him, and
that was Bes 10 herself. Tue rest Of the
stolen mon-y, people sa,d he must have
concealed Somewhere aiong the road.
1t was remembered that he knew OF
The secret place where ms aunt WAS aC-
custoned 10 keep the keep the key OF
her secretary. winch accounted Tor its
being unlocked instead OF broken open.
To strengthen the ,lfcumsiantial evi-
denre against him, his footprints were
Of just the size Of il 80 found beneath
the window, while the woOlen threads
found upon the nail were pronounced
by half dozen self constituted Judges
10 correspond with various delapidated
portion OF his garments.
But The most conclusive evidence
against hun was that OF stephen Greer,
who declared that, having remained at
tie village inn III! past nine o'clock on
The evening iii question, he had then
started for home, when he had seen
man coming hastily down throigh Mss
Phpbe Rowell's orchard from the ,iirec.
,inn of the house. IL had u go ID view
of ham in the moonlight, and could take
oath that Robert ; eel was the man; and
further, that he had in his nand Il small
bundle not founi upon him when arrest
ed; and that on seeing hlm he skulked
in the bushes, apparently endeavoring
to conceal hitnSef--two circumstances
winch kObcrt positively denied.
1t vas in he early Apr .iEat this trag.
cal event occurred at the Hillside farm
md thu trial Of Robert Steel would not
come of for some months.
Meanwhile the lt,le red farmhouse
was deserted, except by David Barnes,
who retained charge OF the place; Dr
Bessie had gone to live with her aunt
in the village.
She la not visited the Hillside farm
for many weeks since that fatal event.
whcn had given IL an evil name In the
country.
But one day neiglbor, having 80 me
business with David Barnes, induced
Bessie to accompany her back to her
old home.
The place had been bleak AM bare
when she left it IN April; hut she now
found it in all the luYuria ,ce OF early
summer; the trees in full foliage, Miss
Phmbe's iavorlte rns. AMI piuks in
bloom, and the gar ien-walks and flow
"rb be s choked up with grass and
weeds
Beneath the window by which the
burglar had entered hal sprung up quite
"a lit e wilderness of weeds.
Brssie's companion approached this
spot, in order TO yet glimpse of the
room within. At the same moment a
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"
"Is that sweet alvssum?" Bessie an
| swer.d, inditicrcntlv, looking down at
the delicate little plant. | never saw i:
| be ore"
"That's odd. never knew Of bit OF
| sweet aly,sun in ti,is n2ighDorhood ex
! cept v hat Mrs. WiDter5y brought from
| her sisters last spring. Mebbe she gave
| Miss Phoebe some % the seeds. At any
rate, III take away a tprout. Dear.
| dear, what Il lot Of 'em there ~ apriDgiug
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 NJ ent on her way home. The
| circumstance had ret her thinking.
| She knew that Miss Phoebe had never
| had any seed Of sweet ayssuni. How,
| then, came 1t TO b. growing on the
pac,? From the scattered manner in
| which il grew the seed must have been
| dropped acci enta ly, ant on the sill Of
| that very window by which the burglar
| had entered the house. She knew, she
| felt ia her innocent heat, that X bert
| Steel hal never crossed that window
| sill. Who, then. had left that mysteri-
Gus trace To rise up in silent accusation
against hiIn"."
Restless and agitated. Bessie slept
| none that night. Tue next mornink,
| before the sun WAS fairly risen. found
| her on her way t. tie Farmers X st..
| Ii was distance of some five or more
miles, yet she hought not OF fatigue a.
| .he t,adly tramped aloLg the lonely
road through the increasing heat. She
| had invented little business errand to
| Mrs. Wi1tcrby, and on her arrival, hav-
| ing dIspat he'd this, she adroit,y turned
the subject TO the garden, OF which she
| knew the iandlady 10 be 10 proud. OF
course she was invited to sre il. and IT
was not long ere sin. des:r,bed,the plot Of
| sweet alvs-nn Of which she had heard
That's the only sweet asy lutn in this
part OF the country. Mrs. WInterby ob.
| served proudly. It's v,ry skeerce
| dare say yon never saw any of 1t be.
tore, Bessie?"
"Only once," Bessie sais: in answer. "I
III pose v0u can never give away any Of
| the seed?"
"Well. | hahn't any to speak in the
| spring-not more'n Il inimble full that
got from my sister Lanpkin down
| south. Mrs. Lawson wanted some pow
| eriul bad, and | did send her little
i pinch; but when asked her awhile ago
| how II was growing she raid she never
got it. III have plenty to give away
| this fall, aud you're welcome to some, IL
| you want il Bessie. It's a nice thing TO
have in a garden, smellin' 80 sweet of
| an evening, and some fJiks like it put
away IN n clothes press. 1t keeps away
moths, I've heerd.
I'll be glad TO have some, I'm sure,"
| sad Bessie. adding: It's a pity Mrs.
yon send them by?"
"By stephen Greer, one evening
when he stopped just outside the fence
| here: while ~as fixing my flower beds.
| lie asked what ! was planning, and
| when ! said sweet alyssum, he said he'd
never heard Of il but once, when Mrs.
Lawson Was wishing for some, because
| it used % grow ia her mothers garden.
| So then ! gave him plich, and he
dropped 'em in his weskit pocket, care
lesslv like, instead OF tying 'em up in
| paper; and THAT'S the way, take it,
| they came To be lost"
B-ssie's heart was bea,in. 30 fast as
nearly to choke her. To conceal her ag-
itation she siOopei down to examine
the plant, as she said:
THAT wasn't like Stephen Greer. He s
| alwavs cai, ful and cautious. H~w Ion,
ago since YOU raw him that timer"
"Weli, nigh ahont two months ago.
Stay-now | rekiliect-'twas the even.
ing Robert steel stopped here to get