Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-09-15
WHY EDWARD CUNNING LEFT.


It's curious how things get forgotten by
busy people. In few weeks left off think
ing about the hiding place of all that golden
plate; and after a time used 10 go into that
first cellar for wine with my half-dozen bas-
ket in one hand, my cellar candfestick in the
other. and never once think about there being
a farther cellar; while, though there was the
strong room in my pantry with quite a thou
sand pounds worth of silver in it-perhaps |
more-I never fancied anybody would come
for that
Master Barclay came, and went back to |
school, and Sir John grew more strange; and |
then an old friend of his died and left one |
little child, Miss Virginia, and Sir John took
her and brought her TO the old house in
Bloomsbury, and she became-bless her sweet
face-just like his own
Then, all at once | found that ten years
had slipped by, and it set me thinking about
being ten years nearer the end, and that the
years were rolling on, and some sday an
other butler would sleep in my pantry, while
| was sleeping-well, you know where-cold
and still-and that then Sir John would be
taking his last sleep too, and Master Barclay
be, as it says in the Scriptures, reigning in
his stead
And then it was that all in flash something
seemed TO say to me: Suppose Sir John has
never told his lawyers about that buried
gold plate and left no writing TO show where
it is l felt quite startled, and didn't know
what to think. As far as could tell nobody
but Sir John and knew the secret. Young
Master Barclay certainly didn't, or else,
when | let him carry the basket for q
treat and went into the cellar to fetch his
fathers port, he, being a talking, lively,
thoughtless boy, would have been sure to say
something. His father ought certainly to
tell him some day; but suppose the master
was taken bad suddenly with apOpleSy and
died without being able-what thena
| didn't sleep much that night, for once
more that gold plate was being an incubus,
and determined to speak to Sir John as an
old family servant should the very next 0ay.
Next day came, and daren't, and for days
and days the incubus seemed to swell and
trouble me till l felt as if was haunted.
But couldn't make up my mind what to do
till one night just before going TO bed, and
then it came like flash, and l laughed at
myself for not thinking of it before didn't
waste any time, but getting down my ink
| bottle and pens. l took sheet of paper and
! wrote as plainly as could about how Sir
| John Drinkwater and his butler, James Bur-
| don, had hidden all the chests Of valuable
| old gold cups and salyers in the inner wine
! cellar where the entrance was bricked up,
and to make all sure put down the date as
near as could remember, in 1851, and the
\ number Of the house, 10 Great Grandon
street, bloomsbury, because, though it was
not likely, Sir John might move and if that
paper was found after | was dead, people
might 60 on false scent, find nothing, and
think l was mad.
locked that paper up in my old desk, feel
ing all the while as if ought to have had il
witnessed, but people don't like to put theil
names to documents unless they know wha
they're about, and of course l couldn't tel
ANYBODY the contents of that.
felt satisfied as man should who feel
be has done his duty; and perhaps that
what made the time glide away so fast with
out anything particular happening. 81
John bought the six old houses like ours op
posite. and gave twice as much for them a
they were worth, because some one was goin
to build an institution there, which migt
very likely prove to be nuisance.
l don't remember anything else In partil
ular, only that the houses would not let wei
because Sir John grew close and refused
spend money in doing them ". But thel
was the trouble with Edward Cunning, Il
footman, o clever, good looking young fe
low, who had been apprenticed to brio
layer and contractor, but took TO service i
stead. Ee did no good in that; for, in spi
of all l could say, he would take more ths
was good for him, and then Sir John -four
him out
l Miss Virginia got him forgiven at lea
. twenty times and Mr.. Barclay spoke up I
him too; but when it came to smell of &
in the house, and me being woke up by s
John and Mr. Barclay at 2 in the NOR
ing, and we all went and found Edwa
dead drunk in the servants hall, where
had been reading in bed, and the clothes
u srnoldering on the floor, there was 70
IL Sir John said he didn't mind about hims
who had had our day, and smothering v
3 an easy death, while being afterward bul
le to ashes was good Roman kind of an Ell
but be wasn't going to have his sons
q. shortened, and he'd hang any man sool
N than harm should happen TO his darlil
Z Miss Virginia.
- So Edward Cunning had to go, ant
breathed more freely, and felt less nervo
81 though must say thought Sir Johns
Ill marks about me anything but kind, see
how had served him well, and being o
n, with good deal of work in me yet