Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-09-29


gting up.
ats all right" he said "The chests are
here; but the fool has tainted away. Quick
the lamp, and then the tools.
He bent down and took smoky oil lamp
that was handed to him, and drew a deep
breath, for the sound of his voice had
seemed familiar; but the light which shone
on his face made me sure, in spite Of his
rough clothes and the beard he had grown.
1t was Edward Cunning, our old servant,
who was discharged for being too fond of
drink, turned bricklayer once again.
As he took the lamp, he got up, held it
above his head, looked round, and then, with
a grin of satisfaction at the sight of the
chests, stepped softly toward the opening
into the outer cellar, where Sir John and
were watching.
1t didn't take many moments, and ! hardly
know now how it happened, but | just saw
young Mr., Barclay lying helpless on the saw
dust, another head appearing at the hole.
and then, with the light full upon it, Edward
Cummings face being thurst out of the open
ing into the cellar where we were, and his
eyes cleaning curiously before they seemed
to shut with snap. For, all at onee-per-
haps it was me being butler and So used TO
wine-mv hand closed upon the neck of one
of those bottles, which rose up sudden like
above my head. and came down with crash
upon that Of this wretched man.
There was a crash; the splash of wine; the
splintering of glass; the smell of sherry-fine
old sherry, yellow seal-and l stood for
moment with the bottle neck and some saw
dust in my hand startled by the yell the man
~ I,a fa1 h. ,3at~
ness which had come upon us.
Them suppose it was all like FASH
had rushed to the inner cellar and was drag
t ging the slab over the hole, listening the
, while TO hollow rustling noise, which ended
/ as got the slab across and sat on 1t to keep
/ it down,
Where are you, BurdonT' says Sir John.
Here, sirl-Quick! A light"
| | heard him hurry off; and it seemed an
hour before he came back, while sat listen
/ ing to a terrible moaning and smelling the
spilled sherry and the oily knocked out lamp
Then Sir John came in, quite pale but look
/ ing full of fight. and the first thing he did
was TO stoop down over Edward Cunning
and take a pistol from his breast You
take that, Burden, he said, land use it if we
are attacked"
(Which we sha'nt he Sir John, If Won help
me to get this stone back into its place.
He set the lamp on one of the chests and
lent hand, when the stone dropped tightly
into its place, and We dragged a couple Of
chests across, side by side. before turning to
young Mr. Barclay, who lay there on his side
as if asleep
Now says Sir John, as he laid his band
upon the young mans collar and dragged
him over on his back, Il think we had better
hand this fellow over to the police"
1.-THE doctor, you mean, sir. Look al
him"
needn't have babe him look, for Sir Johr
was already doing that.
1t was doctor that fetched and not tn,
police, for Mr.. Barclay lay there quite insen
sible, and smelling as if he had taken to eat
ing opium, while Ned Cunning had so awful
a cut across his temple that he would sooI
have bled TO death
The doctor came and dressed the rascal
wounds as be was laid in my pantry, but h
shook his head over Mr. Barclay, and witt
,, reason; for two months had passed away he
fore we got him down to Dorking, and saw
his pale face beginning to get something Xix
what it was with Miss Virginia, forgivin.
and gentle, always by his side
! But Pm taking very big jump, ant
saying nothing about our going across
to the house opposite as soon as it was day
light, to find the door open and no one there
while the state of that basement and what W,
| saw there, and the artfulness of the people
/ and the labor they had given in driving tina
t passage right under the road as true as a die
8 filed me with horror, and cost Sir Johl
D $500
Why, their measurements and calculation
= were as true as true; and If it hadn't been TO
me missing that paper-which, of course,
. was Edward Cunning who stole it-thos
8 scoundrels would have carried off that golde
Y incubus as sure as we were alive But the
didn't get it; and they had gone off scot free
r all but our late footman, who had concuSsio
OF the brain in the hospital where he wa
g took, Sir John saying that he would let tn
poor wretch get well before he handed hi
Y over to the police
e But, bless you, he never meant to. He ws
d 700 pleased to get Mr.. Barclay back, and I
r. find that he hadn't the least idea about tt
golden incubus being in the cellar; while
to the poor lads sorrow about his NADINE.
n and that wretched woman, who was NJ
% Cummings wife, it was pitiful to see
- The other scoundrels had got away, an
1t all at once we found that Cunning had di
charged himself from the hospital; and
Re that time the house over the way was pl
straight, the builder telling me in contident
Ne that he thought Sir John must have bee
ID mad to attempt to make such passage
that to connect his property without consul
ing regular business man That was ii
l morning when he got his check for the r
l pairs, and the passage, which he calls
'Drinkwater's Folly" had disappeared
is Time went on, and the golden incub
I'd went on, too-that is. to big bank in Il
N Strand, for we were at Dorking now, whe
those young people spent deal of time
lg the open air; and Mr.. Barclay used to say
could never forgive himself; but his faith
did, and so did some one else.
Who dido
Why, you don't want telling that Heav,
bless her sweet facet And bless him, to
,s for a fine young fellowi as strong-ay, al
10 as weak, too, of course-as any man.
:. Dear, dear. dearI I'm pretty handy to
- now, and Sir John just one year ahead; al
- l often say to myself, as | think of what m
will do for the sake of pretty face, likewi
for the sake Of gold: This is a very curio
- world"
THE END.
|
ne Mobile is to have an orphan asylum