Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-02-11

that b was your gardeDer. or that b hAd
diaappeared but thu day after the robbery
ct your houss ~ this man. tapping ths
photograph with my finger 8 SPOKE. with
another man. In piece OF woods not far from
here. carrying . trunk containing somsthing
heavy, and Aw this man dig . hols and
bury the trunk
Another u,an, do you ayi What sort Of
. looking u,anr asked Mr. Hammond,
quickly
by no means % striking in bis individu-
Atty" replied He was taller than the
gardener, I should say
And his face. did you sse thatf Could
you recognize himf
NO, said |, answering the last question
only Il did not tell you that saw the
whole affair with my telescope from my Oh
servatory in -. l bad been studying sun
spots, and. by the merest chance. ! was look
ing around the country with my terrestrial
eye piece when 1 happened upon this scene in
the woods"
1t may have been my imagination which
made me think Mr. Hammond breathed more
easily.
What you have told me does much to
clear up the mystery both of the robbery and
the disappearance Of the gardener Strange
that We should not have thought Of the rela-
tons these two events might bear TO each
other. But we had never suspected John in
the slightest degree. To be sure, We have
had him only few months, but he has been
sober. industrious and apparently trustwor-
thy IN every way
I'VE were much puzzled by the fact that
tbs entry was made without violence After
what you have told me, it is very easy to Sc
il all"
did not know what TO think OF Mr.. Ham
mond's GOODNESS in tho matter Was it all
feigned. or was | dreaminsi | began to
doubt that had seen the gardener. even. yet
there was his likeness in my hand and here
was the other man had seen, sitting before
why Hr Hammond wished these jewels TO
disappear and perhaps, after having used
bis gardener to secrete them, he had quietly
sent him away knowing where to find him
when he wished
by the way, Mr. Brat.ard, do you think
you could 60 to that spot in the woodsf'
Yes indeed | am familiar with every
square foot of that ground, and have been
many times at that very place. II you hae,
will show you Just where it is"
The very thing was about to request II
not TOO great tax on your time and kind
ness, would like to have you SO with me,
and show me where the rogues buried my
jewels All! Mr.. Brainard. you do not know
how much feel the loss of those. No one
but collector can appreciate that part Of it"
His eyes fairly sparkled with enthusiasm as
be spoke of his collection and tried to make
me understand that the beauty and rarity
which his specimens possessed were seldom
equaled even in public collections
"Of course" said he, there will be no
chance of recovering anything; but you know
we might find some clew at the spot where
the things were buried which would lead to
the apprehension of the robbers Can We
drive therei"
NO; the shortest and best way, as it seems
to me, Is to take boat and drop down the
river to the nearest point and walk from
there"
We did immediately, and when we ar
rived at the place where intended to
leave the boa, Mr. Hammond exclaimed:
why, this is the very spot where the boat
was found when we were searching for the
gardener 1t was the finding Of the boat
which led to the theory that John had come
kora 70 bat h~ haA 49,, col x-tt
cramps, and drowned. have not favored
that theory at oil John was not the sort of
man to DO drowned while swimming"
was almost persuaded by the mans man
ner ard his evident willingness to 80 to the
place that he was innocent Of deceit
~ am afraid this means that you will never
see your collection again, Mr. Hammond
said The disappearance Of the gardener
and the finding of the boat here are proof
enough to my mind that hs came here and
dug up the treasure and went Oh with itr
"Of course. Of course; ! don't expect to
find anything here, but We may and a clew"
When we arrived at the opening in the
woods and saw the bowlder on which had
seen Mr. Hammond sitting that oily, the
scene Of a month ago came back % wildly
that again | felt sure that this was the man
whom saw could not understand his self
possession. Was he doing all this for blindi
He looked with much interest when point
ed out to him the top Of my observatory.
just peeping over the trees, in the distance,
and said
How fortunate that you were studying
sun spots that day. Mr. Brainard but for
that it would all have been a mystery still"
Then turning to the rock, he continued;
is this the placer
YES" said l. somewhat surprised that he
should have asked. for was very sure had
not told where the trunk was buried
Trying not to show that | was surprised,
said:
Let us look this place over carefully be
fore disturbing any Of the leaves or earth"
We did so, and found nothing.
Now We will see If the trunk has been
dug up think II it had been the place
would not have been so carefully recovered"
then looked for the tools under the rock
and found them without difficulty went
'
away the leaves, preparatory to digging,
when | saw something glitter among the
leaves
Hal A clewr' | exclaimed. stopping to
pick it up.
1t was an old fashioned watch key-a large
oval piece Of chalcedony, sat In gold Hold
ing 1t up for Mr. Hammond to see. said:
This may lead to the discovery of the rob
bers, and possibly to the recovery of your
property
He was silen.
Looking up from the key in my hand,
Aw that be was deathly pale and trembling
violently
80" thought, at lag, your self posse.
sion deserts you
Feeling sure that the key belonged to him
and that be had dropped it there I said;
That did not belong to the gardener,
did itr
NO. he answered, almost in . whisper,
that belonged to my father. and to my
grandfather before him "
oh! Then it was among the stolen
jewehy' The rogues dropped IT when they
buried or dug up the trunk
No. It ~as not among the stolen things
Mr.. Hammond replied in measured sort Of
way There was something about the tone
OF his voice which had a sadness in It.
thought
Not liking TO watch his discomfort. began
digging energetically. | bad not dug far
when the spade struck something soft and
yielding, yet with resistance enough to stop