The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1888-02-02

Q room of considerable dimensions
beyond, 10 which tables aud
benches ranged about. The light
~as too brillsipt "a. .prpcced fsom q
tallow candle, for it lighted mp the
cellar without, revealing the forms
OF the three men distinctly; and had
they ohanced to have turned their
heads they must have seen me
crouching beneath tho stairs Bat
as luck would have it they did not,
bat passed OF once into the farther
apartment, closing the door behind
them, leaving me in darkness more
profound than ever.
Thrice was this repeated, aud 1
had seen ten men enter the secret
chamber Then came long inter-
, val, which convinced me at last, that
: they had all arrived who would be
there that night. / reflected upop
} what should be my next movo.
To attempt to pry any farther in
to thoir mystery that night, I thought
would avail me nothing, and it might
get me toto difficulties. | had learu-
ed enough already to forever lay tho
ghost 10 tho haunted house, and to
bring 4 pack Of williams to justice
That they were gang OF base coin
: ers or unteifeiters, | had not the
} doubt, aud l felt it would he my
D duty to unear,h them to the autholi-
D ties.
lftli considerable interest 10 The
3 discoveries | had made, aud l knew
! that l should be the lion Of Wick
/. low for tho next seven days, at least
/ People would say to ono another:
, There goes the mao who laid the
ghost and l should alsa be an object
Y Of interest TO tho young ladies in the
= church tho next Sihbith. At tha,
4 moment felt my self quite IA hero
] but it suddenly occurred to me that
l shonld romember tue oil adagC
a not to crow until you are out Of the
D woods had forgotten that.
D l now came back 10 my immediate
surroundings, aud reflected on what
J l should do next. Should l remain
I where ! was, and see tham emerge
q from their den and take their de-
parture, or shonld leave at once
r and return to TOMS mother, while
I the coast was clear ?
l decided upon the latter, and was
about to crawl ont from my biding>
: place, when heard footsteps again
Z in the kitchen. More Of them were
coming, so l shrank back into my
corner to witness their descent.
I The footsteps went around the
8 room, and at last cane to Tho cellar
door, where they pansed for mo-
: ment, while light, as from n Ian
tern, flashed down the stnirs. Then
J the footsteps began slowly to des.
J cend. l counted them one by on,
until they reached the bottom, ant
l the new conner stood close to, bu
1 with bis back toward me In on,
I hand be carried common lantern
t and as he moved way from the foo
y of the stairs, l thought that his fg.
l ure looked very familiar.
I He held the lantern mp as he wen
It around, aud from his motisns could
not help deciding thst-he--was :,
J. stranger to the spot, aud not mem.
d bsr Of tho gang beyond the wall
t At last his steps brought him close
Il to the door, through which l had
seen the members of the gang pass
I and at this instant his face was turn.
d ed by chance for moment toward
me, and 1 plainly saw his features
@ 1t was my friend, Tom Jones.
@ l hardly checked myself in time
Q to prevent giving utterance to an
t. exclamation of surprise at beholdine
g him, for had not supposed that be
: had returned. But here he was il
o flesh, and-l knew his errand at once
# His mother had told him where |
8 had gone, and he had come in search
J. of me.
a was about to call out to him in q
Z low tone, but before l could do &c
!. he had seen the door, and, evidently =
v with the intention of entering, be
r placed bis hand upon the latch, and
q finding it fastened he gave it a ,io.
lent shake. 1t produced no result
|, 80 he gave it another, and the nexl
n moment it flew open revealing moth
4 ing but dark void beyond.
q Taking step forward, despite th,
}. low warning gave him, he held h'l
..xk L