Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-01-09

Soon after sunrise on a cloudy morning
In the year 1881 a special messenger dis
turbed the repose of Dennis Howmore at
his place of residence in the pleasant Irish
town of ArdOOn.
Well acquainted apparently with the
way upstairs, the man thumped on a bed
room door and shouted his message
through it: 1.-The master a you, and
mind you don't keep him waiting"
The person sending this peremptory
message was Sir Giles MOuntJoy, OF Ar
doom, knight and banker. The person re-
ceiving the message was Sir Giles head
clerk. As "a matter of course
HowmOre dressed himself at full speed
and fastened to his employers private
house. on the outskirts of the town.
He found Sir Giles in an irritable and
anxious state of mind. A letter lay open
on the bankers bed. His night-cap was
crumpled crookedly on his head. He was
in too great a hurry to remember the
claims of p~oliteness when the clerk said,
"GOOd-mOrning."
Dennis, I have got something for you
to do. 1t must be kept a secret, and 1t al
lows of no delay"
lis it anything connected with business,
sirs"
The banker lost his temper. "How can
you be such an Internal fool as to suppose
that anything connected with business
could happen at his time in the morningi
Do you Know the first milestone on the
road to Garvan?"
Yes, sir"
Every well. Go to the milestone, and
take care that nobody sees you when you
get there. Look at the back of the stone.
If you discover an Object which appears
to nave been left in that situation on the
ground, bring it to me: and don't forget
that the most impatient man in all Ireland
is waiting for you"
Not a word of explanation followed these
extraordinary instructions.
The head clerk set forth on his Grand
with his mind dwelling on the national
tendencies to conspiracy and assassination.
His employer was not a popular person,
Sir Giles had paid rent when he owed it
and, worse still, was disposed 10 remem-
Der in a friendly spirit what England haC
lone for Ireland in the course of the last
fifty years. If anything appeared to Justi
fly distrust of the mysterious Object OF
which he was in search, Dennis resolved
TO be vigilantly on the lookout for a gun.
barrel, whenever he passed a hedge on his
return journey to the town.
Arrived at the milestone, he discovered
on the ground behind it one object only
a fragment of a broken teacup.
Naturally enough, Dennis heSitated. II
seemed to be impossible that the earnest
and careful Instructions which he had re
ceived only related to such a tritle as this
At the same time he was acting under or
ders which were as positive as tone, man.
ner and language could make them. Pas
sive obedience appeared to be the one
safe course to take-at the risk of a recep
ton, irritating to any mans self-respect
when he returned to his employer with
broken teacup in his hand.
The event entirely failed to Justify his
misgivings. There could be no doubt thai
Sir Giles attached serious Importance tt
the contemplate discovery made at The
YoiIagtpno flor hauinr ay-onoipa1 onr
r"e-eXamined the fragment, he announced
his intention of sending the clerk on
second errand still without troubling
himself to explain what his Incompetent
sible instructions meant.
''If | am not mistaken" he began, 18th,
Reading Rooms, in our town, open as ear
ly MS nine. Very well. Go to the Rooms
this morning, on the stroke of the clock
He stopped, and consulted the letter which
lay open on his bed. ASK the librarian,