St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-02-05
BURIED WITH DIAMONDS.


slant across my eyes, and l awokc with
start. Great Heaven! l had been
sleeping! My lamp was out and the
room was quite dark. Whence, then,
the light that had aroused mel
Full of fearful apprehensiOns and mis-
givings, and cursing my weakness in
giving way to the allurements of
Morpheus, l CROPPED my way to the
window. The night had grown perfect
ly black, and the moon was completely
hidden by masses of thick clouds, and
with 4 feeling of great relief plainly
saw my light burning upon the grave.
l was about turning to relight my
room lamp when the sudden flashing of
dark lantern arrested me-dOubtIeSS
the same light whose previous reflection
had awakened me. A feeling of dread,
that / could not conquer, stole DER my
frame, as peering into the darkness |
discovered that though my light was
burning, it was not upon the grave on
which had placed it. but, as near as [
could Judge, four or five yards distant,
and then, my eyes becoming used to
the gloom, | saw figures in the ceme-
terry busy in accomplishing the very
thing was watching to prevent, and |
bitterly repented the folly with which l
had decided to watch alone.
But there was no time to be lost in
foolish thoughts or vain regrets: &C
ton. and Immediate action. was called
for, but | felt myself miserably incom-
petent to make it! The startling sud-
dennesS of the discovery seemed to
have completely unnerved me; | who
was always so Wanting and fearless,
I 90 lnA, 1,af fno
leSSnesS was the result of faith in my
security, and not inherent bravery.
Still, something must-be done, and re-
solving TO do that something, without,
however, having the remOteSt idea what
it was to be, softly crept down stairs
and out into the cemetery.
Gen. LIS daughter had been buried
the day before-a most beautiful young
lady, in her twenty-frst year, accom-
plished, admired and every way lovable.
She was to have married young civil
engineer named Stafford - a manly,
handsome fellow,w who came to our town
about year previous on railroad busi-
ness. and had afterward taken up per-
manent headquarters with us. l hardly
know, though. whether should say she
was going to marry him, for there was
really no positive engagement made
public; but then everybody could see
that they were devotedly attached to
each other. and it was an understood
and uncontradicted fact that they were
soon to be united; and, indeed, they
seemed we'll mated in every respect.
One morning, without any previous
announcement, and to the aStonish-
ment of the whole town, young Stafford
left our place and did not come back,
and the generals beautiful daughter
grew pale and wan, and in one short
month after his sudden departure she
was laid beneath the sod.
Of course, many rumOrS were set
afloat by people who knew nothing
whatever of either party to account for
Staiford's abrupt departure. Some
said he was already married and
the general had discovered the
fact: others, that he was a swindler;
still others said that he had quarreled
with the testy old general they were
well known to differ, and had been
kicked out of the house; but whether
any of these charges were true, or what
really was the truth, nobody knew, for
the generals family kept very quiet
about the affair, and we never heard a
word concerning Stafford.
Great, indeed, was the grief through
out the town when it became known
that Miss Della was dead, for she was
beloved by all, high and low and though
always in delicate health, her early de-
cease was at once connected with
Statford'S disappearance.
The lamentations up at the house No
pen can describe.
The general insisted that she should
be buried in an elegant wedding gown
and gorgeous diamond set, which no
one had seen before, lie placed himself
upon his daughters corpse, whispering,
as he did so, my wedding gift, child. .
Folks said the loss had craZed him
but crazed or not, this he did, and Tom
Bicycles and myself were engaged to
watch the grave until the monument
he designed to raise was finished and
placed over the sod.
Feeling confident that in our quiet
place nobody would disturb the grave.
and having great confidence in nv
own bravery and resources if they did,
l proposed to Tom to watch alternately
one night and he the next, instead OF
both together, as we had agreed.
The result of this double-dealing YOU
know.
No wonder, then, that the knowledge
of my wrong doing added to the feeli ne
of fear that possessed me, and no won,
der that my fear and dread were re.
doubled when saw, upon coming into
the cemetery, that three men were al
the grave, and that they had already
made considerable progress in excava.
ton.
Inc night wind, blowing freshly
through the trees, chilled me to the
bone. / felt as ii were paralyzed.
made adesperate effort to cry aloud, but
found myself unable to do so. | man
aged, however, to draw slowly and ST
lently nearer to the grave, my limbs
trembling beneath me. when suddenly
stumbled over a mound, and my
tongue unloosened, and l uttered
Sharp cry.
In an instant the men had seen me
and, jumping from the grave, before
could rise, 1 was seized and dragged
forward, and the light of the dark
lantern turned upon me.
A L