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


marriage under the old rooftree, when /
was to have il unearthed In the presence of
my husband, and present il 10 him as my
unexpected dowry.I He feared that 1might
Otherwise bo wooed and won solely for my
fortune. This unlooked-for wealth was to
reward the true man who should have
loved and married me for myself alone.
But now 1t is gone, gonel Oh, who could
have guessed or betrayed the buried treas
ures secret? 4 alone was with my father
when he revealed ii. never talk lin my
sleep, nor have / for a single instant for
gotten his injunction to secrecy. 1t is In
comprehensiblel" tI
During Mabel's recital, my mind was
alert and busy, as you may we'll believe,
and I had gradually recurred to the sus-
picious circumstances attending Colonel
Dearboris death which had almost escaped
my memory.
"Well, there's no use repining,s said / at
last, with a cheerfulness that surprised both
Mabel and her aunt. Remember, my
darling. that the dowry you were 10 have
brought me is not hopelessly lost until we
shall altogether have failed to find its pur-
loiner. Come, hasten with your prepara-
tions, and We will be off by the forenoon
train, instead of later. as we had intended.
w
ready, / will take look through the house.
My decision of manner proved infectious.
While they were preparing for the Journey
pretended to visit a guest-room had oc-
casionally occupied, but in reality devoted
myself to thoroughly searching the one adj
joining, which had been Clifford Whartons
when at home, and was still filled with his
belongings
found that for which L searched, and,
eXcusing myself TO the ladies, hurried off to
DIR. LIS Office, which was not far dis
tant. II was with feeling Of vet greater
satisfaction that returned TO Mabels house
a little later, and we set out upon our Jour
ney without further delay.
We arrived at Boone Corners early in the
afternoon. Here, while waiting for a con-
veyance to Glenwood, three miles distart
l sought an interview with Sheriff b,
whom l Glanced TO know personally, and
obtained permission from him to converse
with the prisoners captured on the preced-
ing day.. But a brief interview with them.
had nothing to do with digging up the
grounds at Glenwood. t,m n.
"We only ripped up two or three gardens
nearer town, said one Of the fellows, @and
gained nothing by even that. 1T stands to
reason we wouldn't have bothered with
Glenwood. It was out of our plan, and we
knew it to have already been cleaned out
years before"
When we set out for Glenwood, an hour
later, we were accompaniedby Sheriff B
and several of his men.
The house and grounds were found less
devastated than l had expected, though
both Mabel and her aunt shed tears at the
havoc that had disfgured the stately old
place.
Wharton met us in the garden. He had
two or three friends with him, young men
of the neighborhood, and / noticed that he
was haggard and ill-at-ease; though he
strove to dissipate this impression, and at
first seemed unaffeetedly miserable over
the way in which the grounds had been dug
up.
"Just look, Mabell" said he at last, after
conducting us to where the laurel lay up
routed. dwhat On uurrageT Tne Villains
have not even spared your birthday laurell"
Having already made certain observa-
tions, L signed Mabel to let me reply TO
him.
cit does seem odd, Wharton" said /,
"that the villain or villains should have up
rooted this shrub over all others"
at is odd," he admitted.
"Yes," went on; "for / noticed else
where that the grounds have only been
comparatively SCARED, without so much as
tree or plant having been seriously dis
tubed. One would suppose the villain or
villains had expected to unearth something
particularly valuable from under this par
ticular laurel"
"What do you mean?" he cried, for my
tone was significant.
Villain-murdererl shouted in a voice
of thunder-no stage thunder at that; 81
mean that you are the villian-that you are
the thief of the golden treasure that was
concealed under that laurel bush!"
Changing from white to red in flash,
he drew his revolver with hoarse cry, but
was quickly disarmed by the sheriff's men.
"Oh, you have wrought cunningly, but
in vain, Clifford Wharton" went on; "for
the evidence that has come to light, point
ing you out as your uncles murderer, will
be equally une1Ting in tracking you down
as the purloiner of his daughters buried
dowry from under the roots of that laurel
bush! Deny the charge, if you can, forger
murderer-poisonerw
Mabel and her aunt suddenly clung to
each other, with exclamations of horror.
while Wharton's companions and others
were scarcely less affected by these Startling
accusations.
"Murderer! poisoner!" echoed Wharton,
in q faltering voice. at is false! You can
not prove it! What mean you?"
Look! One of the proofs, at least, is
here!" l cried, displaying phial of almost
colorless liquid which i had found among
other bottles and phials in a small closet in
his room, aud whose contents had subse-
quently submitted to DIR. Is critical
analysis. Behold the poison-the hydro
cyanic acid--with which you adulterated
Colonel Dearborn's composing draught,
when you secretly saw him reel into his
room under the partial apoplectic stroke
which, but for your tampering with the
draught, might not have proved fatal"
All this was mere induction and bold con-
lecture on my part, but, from the frightful
change that had taken place in the accused,
saw had hit the mark, and hastened to
push my advantage.
"Dare you deny the trGth of my charger"
1 went on. "Dare you deny, either, that,
after witnessing the effect of the deadly
draught, you hid behind the headboard of
your victims bed, where you overheard the
secret of the buried treasure impaired by
Colonel Dearborn TO his daughter with his
dying words? What will You then say when
have convinced you that recent examin-
alton of your victims remains has revealed
the presence of poison identical with the
contents of this phial, and that only this
morning the druggist was found who sold
you this poison, and is willing to identify
you as the purchaser? Speak, wretch! dare
you deny aught that have charged upon
your"
His knees were now knocking together,
and his conscience stricken agony was pitt
able to witness.
"Mercyl mercy!" he gasped. at is the
retribution of Heavenl"
''It is not 1, or even this poor girl, whom
Won have so ruthlessly orphaned and