Beverly banner. [volume] (Beverly, N.J.) 1877-1964, 1885-09-19

| light OF his eyes that appalled, MS niece,
even while she had opened her lips to
demonstrate still further. Without an
other word she glided out into the twi-
light tempest.
Everybody in Bakersfield remem-
bered that January storm for years
afterward. Young people dated back
to it; old inhabitants compared it with
the memorable storms of their youth
ful days. The snow lay for weeks full
six feet deep. Wild creatures, like
foxes, wolves and weasels, crept out of
the woods, and turning traitor to their
instincts, sought shelter near human
dwellings. Roads were impossible for
weeks; railways blocked up for days.
And not until the spring suns unlocked
the icy chain of Plimmit's Creek Gone
of the deepest and most dangerous
streams in the neighborhood) did they
discover the scarcely recognizable re-
mains of a human body, wedged among
the roots of a submerged tree. Had it
not been for the scarlet shawl which
Rosamond Foster had worn when she
left the farm house, her remains could
hardly have been identified.
But they brought her to the old
Foster home, and Uncle Phineas gave
her decent burial. From that moment
he never held his head up.
II know they couldn't convict me in
court of law" he said. "But it's
murder all the same-it's murder
And | never know afore how fond I'd
got to be of Rosamond. There amt
no hired help Pve had since as ever
done as she done. Poor Rosamond-
poor little girl And it was me.killed
her !"
They sent for the doctor; but the
doctor shook his head.
1T is not case for medicine" said
he. "The man is not sick. He has
something on his mind"
aye don't keep no medicine to make
man forget, do ye, squire ?" said
Uncle Phineas, with CHASTITY sort of
a smile.
eff we did, our fortunes would be
made, said the doctor. 'No, my friend
there's nothing in the Pharmacopeia
to meet your case, worse luck !"
So the solitary old man peaked and
pinned as the days went by, hanging
modify over his handful of fire, and
refusing to speak to the sympathetic
neighbors who came and went.
But one day, when the chestnut trees
were all in blossom, carriage drove
up to the door, through the weeds that
had grown knee deep.
Company !" said Uncle Phineas,
with side-long glance at the window.
Tell 'em to 60 away; | won't see no
body"
"But you will see me, Uncle Phin-
cas- ?" cried CHEEKY voice. "You will
see Rosamond ?"
Rosamond it was, alive and bloom
ing, with cheeks like her name flower,
and blue eyes shining. Uncle Phineas
looked at her with troubled face.
"Rosamond was drowned" said he.
elbow is this? Are there two Rosa
monds p
"Dear uncle, l am so sorry!' ex,
planned the girl. "But l never heard
until Yesterday of the girl who was
buried in my name. | met the poor
thing shivcring in the road she seem
ed to have lost her way, and | directed
her as we'll as could, and gave her my
little red shawl to tie around her neck.
| took the train to Scranton, and went
to Jared's. | didn't know what else
to do. And oh, uncle, my hundred
dollars has more than quadrupled itself
and Jared's patent steam-saw is sue
cess He is ii rich man, and we can
pay you now for all your kindness to
US when we were children"
81 reckon it won't take much to DO
that" said Uncle Phineas, with grim
sarcasm. But Rosamond, ' eve lifted
a thousand-pound weight off my heart
this dayl I've missed you every hour,
and every day! You'll come back to
ME, Rosamoud, won't you dear ?"
"For a little while, if you want me, "
the girl said blushing beautifully, "But
| saw George Hand at the depot when
| got off the Scranton train. He was
so rejoiced that l was not dead-and
/ don't quite know how it happened,
but l have promised to marry him in
August"
So Uncle Phineas did not keep his
niece, Rosamond, very long after all,
But the fact that she was alive and
near him was enough to give him a
new lease of life. And on her wedding
day, the old man actually relented so
far as to give her another hundred
dollar bill out of the old green chest
that he kept back of the cherry wood
hedstead.