Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-01-24


 | about half full of uniforms and old clothes. which he bundled unceremoniously on to the | floor. This done, he shot the bagful of shin- ing gold, as bright and uncorrupted now as when it was packed aray two and a half centuries ago, into the chest, and returned for another load.
 Twenty times did he make this journey. At the tenth something happened.
 Heres writing, sir, with this lot" shouted George "lt was packed away in the money"
 He took the writing" or rather parch- nlent, out of the mouth of the bag and put it | in his pocket unread. At last the store, enormous as 1t was, was exhausted.
 That's the lot, sir" shouted George, as he sent up the twentieth bagful "If you'll kindly let down that there rope, I'll come up, too"
 "All right" said the colonel; .sput the skeleton back first"
 Well, sir," answered George, Che looks wonderful comfortable where he lay, he du, so if you're agreeable think I'll let him be. D
 Harold chuckled, and presently George ar rived, covered with filth and precipitation
 Well, sir" he said, II never did think that should get dead tired of handling gold coins; but it's rum world, and that's fact, We'll, nivir, and tho summer house gone. and jist look at thim there oaks! We'll, if that bean't master one!"
 You never saw a masterer, that's what you were going to say, wasn't it? We'll, and take one thing with another, nor did I, George, If that's any comfort to you Now look here, just cover over this hole with some boards and earth, and then come in and get some breakfast. It's o'clock and past. and the gale is blowing itself out A merry Christmas to you, Georger' and he held out ms hand, covered with cuts and grime and blood.
 George shook it. Same to you. colonel. I'm sure And a merry Christmas it is. God bless you, sir, for what you've done to-nightl You've saved the old place from that banker chap, that's what you've done; and you'll have Miss Ida, and I'm durned glad on it, that am. Lord! won't this make the squire open his eyes!" and the honest fellow brushed away tear and fairly capered with joy, his red night cap waving on the breeze.
 1t was strange and beautiful sight to see the solemn George capering thus in the midst of that windy desolation.
 Harold was too moved to answer, so he shouldered his last load of treasure and imped off with it to the house. Mrs. John son and her talkative niece were up now, but they did not happen to see him, and he reached his room in safety. He poured the last bagful of gold into the chest, and smoothed it down. It filled it to the brim. He shut the chest and locked it, and then, as he was, covered with filth and grime, bruised and bleeding, and his hair flying wildly about his face, he sat down upon it, and from his heart thanked heaven for the wonderful thing that had happened to him.
 So exhausted was he that he nearly fell asleep as he sat; but remembering himself, he rose, and taking the parchment from his pocket, he cut the faded silk with which it was tied, and opened it.
 On it was short inscription in the same grabbed writing which he had seen in the old Bible that Ida had found
 It ran as follows:
 "Seelng that the times be so troublous that no man can be sure of his own, I, Sir James de Ia Molle, have brought together all my substance in money from wheresoever it lay at interest, and have hid the same in this sepulcher, to which I found the entry by a chance, till such time as peace come back to this unhappy England. This have done on Christmas day, in the year of our Lord 1643, having completed the hiding of the gold while the great gale was blowing.
 "JAA1Es DE LA MoLLE."
 Thus on long gona Christmas day, in the hour of great wind, was the gold hid, and now, on this Christmas day, when another great wind ragged overhead, was it found once more, just ill time to save daughter of the house of De la Molle from fate as bad as death.