Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-09-22

though | often wondered how he would |
manage for want of money, when one night,
as | sat nursing Tom, | thought I'd look
through my desk, that hadn't opened for
three or four years, and have look at few
old things I'd got there-a watch Sir John
gave me, but which | never wore; six spade
ace guineas, and an old gold pin, besides a
few odds and ends that I'd had for many
years. and some cash. Tom didn't seem to
like it, and he stared hard at the desk as l
took it on nv knees opened it, lifted one of
the flaps and put my hand upon the old paper
which contained the statement about the old
| gold plate No, | did not | put riy hand
| on the place where it ought to have been;
| but II wasn't there.
81 must have put it In the other side," /
said to myself, and opened the other lid.
Then turned cold, and ran my hand here
| and there, wild like, to stop at last with my
mouth open, staring The paper was gonei
So was the money, and every article of value
that had boarded up
For few minutes | was too much stunned
even to think, and when at last could get
my brain to work, sat there feeling a poor
broken, weak old man, and | covered my
face with my hands and cried like child.
ITO think of it," groaned at length-"him
so handsome and so youpg-him whom I'd
always felt so proud of-proud as if he'd
been my own son. Why, it would break his
fathers heart il he knew. It's that cursed
womans doing" | cried savagely ''She
turned his head, or he'd never have done
such cruel, base, bad act as to rob a poor
old man like me- For I'd recollected lend
ing Mr.. Barclay my keys, and felt that
sooner than ask his father for money, he had
taken what he could find, and gone Let
himl" l said s,lvagely at last But he
needn't have stolen them. I'd have given
him everything skigot I'd have sold out
the hundred pona kre got in the bank and
lent him that Bot he didn't know what he
was doing, poor boy. That cursed woman
has turned his brain"
"Ah welln said at last bitterly, ''it's my
secret Sir John shall never know. He
trusted me with one, and now his som
l stopped short there, for / recollected the
paper, and fell all of tremble, thinking Of
that gold plate, and that some one else knew
of its hiding place now; and asked myself
what ought to do For long time strug
gled; but at last felt that much as want
ed to hide Mr. Barclays cruelty mean act,
must not keep this thing secret ITS IN,
! duty to tell my master" | said at last, ''ant
| must" So l went up to where Sir JOIN
was sitting alone, pretending TO enjoy hi
wine, but looking very yellow and old ant
sunken of face. Hes fretting about Master
Barclay" said to myself and felt that
could not tell him that tine lad had taken my
little treasure, but that he must know abou
the paper, so l up and told him only this a
once; end that's why he said | was an oil,
fool, and that il was all my fault
''Good heavensi you old fool" he cried ex
citsdly, what made You write such paper
1t was like telling all the world"
t Il thought it would be so shocking, 81
John, if we were both to die and the thing
d were forgotten"
% shocking! Re good jolt" he cried "l
), man who has a lot of gold in his care is AWAY
10 miserable. Taken out of your desk, you say
:, WhenF
IS ''Ah, that I can't tell, Sir John. 1t nigh
& have been done years ago, for ausht know
y And the old gold plate all stolen an
melted down and spent Good heaven
y Burden! and here have l been thinking yo
re a trustworthy man. There; we must see
Id it at once. | shan't rest till know it is safe
70 1t seemed to me then that he snatched
ly the chance of finding something to do to tai
ig his attention off his trouble, for when l askt
Ut him if | should get a bricklayer to come il
ID he turned upon NE like Il lion. Burden"
g, said, well get this job done, and then
ig shall have to make arrangements for you
at 60 into an imbecile ward
lp avery good, Sir John | said patiently.
every goodN he cried, laughing noy
Sc ''There; Do oil and get together what toe
you have, and as soon as the servants ha'
yet gone to bed we'll 90 and open the old cell
at ourselves