Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-22


am to begin the composition of another
Christmas discourse, you know, and l am
thinking that it shall be devoted to an en-
couragement OF good endeavof for the gen.
eral benefit Of other people. From the
moment our Savior went out of the caravan
sary of Bethlehem to the moment when the
cross was plunged into the socket on the
bloody mount, He was busy for others.
Does that remind us of ourselves? 1t does
not remind me of myself. Oh, il
we lift a burden, it must be light.
If we do work it must be popular. II we
move in sphere of usefulness it must be
brilliant. If we have to take hold of a
load, give us the light end of the log. In
this way to heaven fan us, rock us, sing us
to sleep. Lift us up toward heaven on the
tips of your fingers under silken sum
shade. Stand out of the way, all you mar
tyrs who breasted the fire; stand out of the
way and let this colony of tender-tooted
Christians come up and get their crowns"
"You are deriving your theme from me
again." said Hawsley. "You know I am
| depending on the manuscripts that are to be
mine; you are thinking that seek to avail
myself of another's research for the glori6ca-
| ton of myself; you are -
"Stop, STOP" I exclaimed. 81 have had
nv Western eye on you all the year, and 1
know that you have been figuring hand
somely in your chosen line of archaeological
research, quite on your own account"
"Come into the library and I will show
you some of the results" and he led the
way from the finished dinner to his store
room of knowledge. ''There in the corner
cabinet-which is freproof safe, as we'll
| is the Solomon Bayard manuscript. Not
until IL o'clock of Christmas morning will
the combination numbers of the lock be
sent to me by the lawyer, to whom they
were entrusted by Louise's husband"
We chatted, looked at rare books, and at
length recalled Josiah Burnham, whose
queer conduct in that room year before
had indelibly impressed me. I said so, and
Hawsley added that he, too, had been struck
by the mans perturbation.
sWith the 81 900 that he wrongfully con-
verted to his own use," Hawsley went on,
che left us and set up in business for him
self as florist Fortune, on whom he had
waited so long, smiled upon him, and he
had become very prosperous quickly. 1
have not personally spoken with him since
that night in this room, for he gave up all
work for me, and sent friend to settle up
our account. I set myself to thinking
about him intently, and especially about
the particular Bible which seemed to agi-
tate him"
"Probably any copy of the Scriptures
.
apparently, because quoted from it to his
condemnation.
"But don't you remember his telling you
that he had had texts enough from that
especial Bible7 1 recalled that after his
sudden departure, and then, of flash, 1 re-
membered an incident. In addition to his
work in the garden, Josiah used to have
several tasks to perform in the house. One
Saturday he was waxing the library floor. I
entered Unexpectedly and found him stand
ing near this particular shelf in the act of
reading this particular Bible. At the sound
of nv entrance he hastily closed the book,
but not before he had marked the place with
a piece OF paper which he happened to have
at hand. took no notice of him, seeing by
his confusion that he felt himself to be at
fault for meddling with my books He re-
stored the volume to its place and never
happened to discover the mark, which was
not very conspicuous, until a few days ago.
Here it is.
He opened the book, and we looked at the
slip of paper which had served as a mark.
1t was a scrap which In itself could mean
nothing, but Hawsley had left it Just where
he had found it, even making a star with
his pencil on one of the two leaves between
which he had found it. They belonged to
the Book of Judges. I ran my eye down
the columns, but could see nothing which
seemed like matter which Josiah would have
marked.
Probably an accidental bookmark only"
said.
Doubtless my friend assented; 'sbut he
did place it there-he did act strangely
when came in on him-and he did get ex-
cited when you used that Bible for quota
tion."
Again I scanned the two pages, and this
time discovered a stain in the margin be-
side the fourth verse of the twenty-frst
chapter of Judges. Hawsley looked at 1t
closely and said:
'That was made by Joslah's forefinger,
and the stain is the wax that he was using
on the floor"
The verse was this:
"Then Jael, Heber's wife, took q nail of
the tent, and took a hammer in her hand,
and went softly unto him, and smote the
nail into his temple, and fastened it into
the ground; for he was fast asleep and
weary. So,he died."
1t seemed clear to US that the finger print
and the bookmark, too, were merely acci-
dental and that Josiah had only been angry
with me without reference to that particu-
lar Bible.
And Mary-the girl whom he really de. |
frauded? I inquired.
ing girl, was the reply. "She is dress |
maker, with mother dependent on her for |
support, and only by hard work does she |
get along at all. That 81 200 might have |
established her in little business of her |
own. Now, Pardee, have a conscience, |
though may not have always needed it. |
In this matter of Solomon Bayard's manu-
scripts, which will be in my possession three
nights hence, am going to let my |
conscience dictate my course. It was de-
sire to get them that led me, more than love,
ures that her husband left, and which, in /
my Egyptomania, 1 coveted unreasonably |
That was the primary cause of my marrying
her. You may smile, but it was so. Well,
got my wife, whom now love for herself
alone and that is my undeserved reward.
won't take any more. Whatever valuable
secrets may be contained in Mr.. Bayard's |
manuscript 1 shall give to the world, as
from him-not stealing them for my own
aggrandizement as savant. Whatever
profit comes from their publication I am re-
solved to give to Mary Welles. Every cent
shall go to that girl, because it was through
me that she lost her lover. and it was an
employe of mine who defrauded her. That
is settled in my mind"
The rest of the week before Christmas
passed. Twelve o'clock struck at the close
of Christmas Eve. The twelfth clear ring
from the clock on the parlor mantel was i'm
mediately followed by one at the front door,
and man delivered letter from the law
yer. 1t contained the figures necessary to
know in order to open the iron cabinet.
The messenger took receipt and departed
Then the Hawsleys and went to the
library. Arthur turned the knob of the
safe, and, despite his laborlous calmness,
was SO nervnns that he conld not work the |