Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1886-02-11

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"Good! Try TO get Miss Deafborns con-
sent to the examination, but without exeit-
ing her suspicious of foul play. You know
how reluctant women are Ia such matters.
In the meantime, shall neither say nor do
anything"
| promised, not doubling my ability to
bring Mabel ton proper consideration of
the subject, and the physician went away.
But in this was mistaken. Nothing that /
could say, or hint, or urge could induce
either Mabel or Miss Winslow to consent to
post n'ortem examination. Young Whar-
ton, to my surprise, supported me strongly
in my efforts to persuade them-though
with hypocritical over-eagerness, after
ward thought all to no purpose. Their
| feminine association OF such an examina-
| ton with the idea of desecration OF the
dead was inyincible. They even caused
DR.. L. to forego his insistance toward
the last; a certificate of death from natural
causes was given, and the remains of the old
theatrical manager were borne TO their last
resting-place without it being generally
known that anything mysterious had at
tended his death.
Now came another surprise for me. Col.
Dearborn had left no written will. In this
case Mabel was of course his sole
heiress, as, indeed, she would have
been without the injunction embodied
in her fathers dying words, and which
had likewise constituted me his ex-
ecutor. But to my own surprise, and that
OF nearly every one else, it proved that he
had left hardly anything available. He
had lived expensively, drawing from time
to time upon large sum of money which
he had deposited in two of the st. Louis
National Banks. OF this sum only twelve
hundred dollars now remained, and as his
farming lands about Glenyood had long
lain in neglect, it seemed that this modest
sum was, for some time at least, to con-
stitute Mabels sole fortune. However, she
continued to draw upon it with great COM
placency, after reducing her household
considerably, as though in anticipation of
a windfall of whose nature she would only
hint to me In a mysterious way; having
been pledged to secrecy, as she said, by
her father before my arrival with DIR.
l.. at his death-bed. I-was so deeply
/ IN IuN e. lmiJ r wodifu' Infve ciuetI nothing
for this if she would only have married
me without delay. But she had also
promised her father that she would put off
her marriage until she should once more
be established with safety as the mistress
of Glenwood.
Well, / had submitted with the best grace
l could, and now here ut last, having fin
| ished'my engagement with the - Theater
Stock Company, l was apparently on the
threshold of my reward.
1t was six months after Colonel Dear
born's death. The organized bands of
train robbers, bank breakers and horse
thieves were said to have been wholly
broken up or scattered, all the southern
counties were reported sufficiently safe and
quiet to warrant Mabel in resuming the
occupancy of Glenwood. Our wedding
day was fixed upon, and l was to set out
forthwith for the locality that bade fair to
see the frnition of my fondest hopes, as an
escort of my bethrothed and her aunt.
/ should have mentioned that Clifford
Wharton, who had been accustomed to alb
sent himself frequently and misteriously
from Mabel's house, in which he still had
his quarters, had latterly disappeared so
completely that nothing had heen heard of
him for several weeks.
Ordinarily, nothing would have been
thought of this. The fellow was fair
actor, especially in serio-comic, foppish
parts, If he had cared TO exert himself and
hold his opportunities, and had twice Sc
cured him good engagements at the -
Theater. He had sacrificed them success
ively through his Incidence and dissipated
habits, and / had grown to regard him as
worthless, ungrateful young man, unde-
serving of further countenance; but now
there came rumors of his having committed
downright forgery, in connection with the
signature of Mr.. Whitcombe, the Treasurer
of the - Theater. Ii was only to small
amount, indeed, but still sufficient to ex-
plain his continued absence, and to cause
both Mabel and her aunt modification and
distress, should they come to hear of it.
This, however, / took care to avoid, as
the wedding-day was near at hand, and |
was solicitous that no shadow of cloud
should interfere with our happiness; but it
was fated to be otherwise.
Early on the morning of the day we were
to set out for Glenwood, l was breakfasting
with Mabel and Miss Winslow, in high
spirits. Suddenly Mabel, who had been
the first to appropriate the morning news
paper, gave an alarmed exclamation.
"What is it?" cried.
She recovered herself, laughed nervous
ly, and, handing me the journal, pointed to
a telegram.
1t vas to the effect that recognized
band of mounted desperadoes, doubtless
composed of the scattered remains of the
Jesse James and other gangs, had just made
a final raid in the vicinity of Glenwood,
where they had robbed and despoiled right
and left, even digging up house grounds
and orchards, in the hope of unearthing
hidden treasure, before being once more
dispersed and driven back to the Arkansas
mountain line, with loss of many killed,
wounded and captured, by the combined
sheriffs posses of three counties.
"Why, this amounts to nothing" said /,
lightly. Glenwood mansion could offer lit
tie more to the rascals cupidity, after their
Nf o,,1 80.
treasure having been buried there, the idea
is absurd"
Mabel changed the topic, and, by the time
breakfast was finished, had quite recovered
her spirits.
But Just then the servant brought her
telegraphic dispatch, which she had no
sooner read than she seemed ready to faint.
"0h, OH read it," was all she could say,
as she threw me the dispatch.
1t was from Wharton, was dated Boone
Corners "a village near Glenwood,l and ran
as follows
"Robbers have ripped up everything at
Gienwood. Could your father have buried
any money there? Entire house grounds
spaded up. Not even your birthday laurel
escaped. All safe now. Shall investigate
more fully tomorrow.
"Oh, il is gone-gone!" sobbed Mabel, as
l looked inquiringly at her. "All the money
the fortune with which was to surprise
you on our wedding day."
besought her to calmness, when she at
last astounded me by an explanation.
"This was my fathers death bed revela-
ton 10 me-" she said. "He had morbid
distrust of banks as repositories of great
sums. Just before the first sacking of
Glenwood he had disposed of all his other
property for cash. The sum realized was
one hundred and seventy thousand dollars.