Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-02-04

| The barrel of the pistol approached within
three inches Of the barman'S big head, as he
leaned over the writing-ta table. For once in
| his life he was taken by surprise. 1t had
/ never occurred to him that protested inter
| prefer Of cipherS might sometimes be trusted
with secrets which placed him in position
! OF danger, and might, therefore, have wisely
taken measures TO protect himself. Nopow-
er Of persuasion is comparable to the power
| possessed by a loaded pistol James left the
room, and expressed his sentiments in Ian
| guage which has not yet found its way into
! any English dictionary.
| But he had two merits when his temper
| was III a state of rep0se. He knew when he
! was beaten, and he thoroughly appreciated
/ the value Of the diamonds. When Mrs. West
| erheld saw him again, on the next day, he
! appeared with undeniable claims on her
| mercy. Notice of the marriage had been re-
| ceived at the church, and a cabin had been
secured for her on board the steamer.
Her prospects being thus settled, to her
| own satisfaction, Mrs. Westerfield was at lib
! erty to make her arrangements for the de-
sertion Of poor little sgd.
The person OH whose assistance she could
rely was an unmarried elder sister, distin-
| guiShed as prOprietreSs of q cheap girls
| school III one Of the suburbs Of London. This
| lady-BnOWn to local fame as Miss Wigger-
had already proposed to take sgd into train
ing as pupil teacher. I'll force the child
on" Miss Wigger promised, It'll she can
| earn her board and lodging by taking my
lowest class. When she gets older she Will
replace my regular gOveTnesS and shall save
the salary"
With this proposal waiting for reply Mrs
WeSteriield had only to inform her sister that
itwas accepted. ''COme here she wrote,
''on Friday next at any time before two
o'clock and sgd shall be ready for you. P
81 am to be married again on Thursday
and start for America with my husband and
my boy by next Saturdays steamer"
The letter was posted, and the mothers
anxious mind was, to use her own phrase, re-
GeYed Of another worry.
AS the hour Of drew near on Wednesday
evening Mrs. WesterfieId's anxiety forced
her to find relief in action Of some kind She
opened the door OF her sitting-roOm, and list
ened on the stairs. 1t still wanted few
minutes to S o'clock when there was ring
at the household. She ran down to open the
door. The servant happened to be in the
hall and answered the bell. The next mo-
ment the door was suddenly closed again.
''AnybOdy there?" Mrs. Westerfield asked.
'SNo, ma'am."
This seemed strange. Had the old wretch
deceived her, after all? 'LoOk in the letter
box" she called out. The servant obeyed
and found letter. Mrs. Westerield tore it
open, standing on the stairs. It contained
half sheet of common note paper The in
depreciation of the cipher was written on it
in these words:
olooY. NJ
Johns Wood. Go to the summer house in
the back garden. Count to the fourth plank
in the floor, reckoning from the side wall on
the right as you enter the summer house.
Prize up tie plank Look under the mold
and rubbish. Find the diamonds"
Not a word of explanation accompanied
these lines. Neither had the original cipher
been returned. The strange old man had
earned his money and had not attended to
receive it-had not even sent word where or
how it might be paid! Had he delivered his
letter himself? He Cor his messenger) had
gone before the house door could be opened.
a sudden suspicion Of him turned her cold.
Had he stolen the diamonds? She was on
the point Of sending for a cab, and driving to
his lodgings, when James came in, eager to
know If the Interpretation had arrived.
Keeping her suspicious to herself, she
merely informed him that the Interpretation
was in her hands. He at once asked to see
it. She refused to show it to him until he
had made her his wife. "Put a chisel in
your pocket when we go to church to-mOr-
row morning." was the one hint she gave
him. AS thoroughly worthy of each other as
ever, the betrothed lovers distrusted each
other to the last.
At IL o'clock next morning they were
united in the bonds of wedlock; the land
lord and landlady Of the public house i'll
which they had both served being the only
witnesses present The children were not
permitted TO see the ceremony. On leaving
the church door the married pair began their
honeymoon by driving to st. Johns Wood.
A dirty printed notice. in a broken window,
announced that the house was to let; and
sour-tempered woman informed them that
they were free to look at the rooms.
The bride was in the best of humors. She
set the bridegroom the example of keeping
up appearances by examining the dilapidated
house first. This done, she said sweetly to
the person in charge: MAY we look at the
garden?"
The woman made strange answer to this
request That's curious" she said.
James interfered for the first time. whats
curious?" he asked, roughly.
Among all the idle people who have come
here, at one time or another, to see this
house." the woman said, 'only two have
wanted to look at the garden"
James turned on his heel, and made for
the summer-house; leaving his wife to pur-
sue the subject or not as she pleased. She
did pursue the subject
II am one of the persons, of course" she
said. ''Who is the other?'
"An old man came on Monday"
The brides pleasant smile vanished.
what sort of person was hep she asked.
The sour-tempered woman became sourer
than ever. ''Oh, how can tell? s. brute.
ThereP'
"a brute?" The very words which the
new Mrs. Bellbridge had herself used when
the expert had irritated her. With serious
misgiyings, she too turned her steps in the
direction of the garden.
James had already followed her instruc-
tons and used his chiseI. The plank lay
loose on the floor. With both his hands he
rapidly cleared away the mold and the rub
Dish. In a few minutes the hiding place was
laid bare.
They looked into If They looked at each