Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1891-05-04

paper, rolled up tightly unrolled II
and read these words:
Before jump overheard want to let
people know that killed John Polhe-
mus. So have fixed up this bottle.
hope it may be picked up In time to
keep Jim Barker from being hung. I
did think of leaving itron the steamer,
but I might change my mind about
jumping overheard, andl guess this
is the best way. The clothes / wore
and the Ratchet l did it with are under
the woodshed back of Polhemus' house.
HENRY RAMSEY
sprang to my feet with yell. Jim
Barker was my brother, now lying in
prison, under sentence of death for the
murder of Polhemus; all the circum-
stantial evidence, and there was no
other, had been against him. The note
was dated eight months back. Oil
cruel fool of a murderer.
The shark was thrown overheard, and
we made best speed to port, and before
the end of the afternoon / had put
Ramsey's note into the hands Of the
lawyer who had charge of my brothers
case. ~
Fortunately he was able to identity
the handwriting and signature Of Ram
sey, man who had been suspected of
the crime, but against whom no evil
dence' could be found. The lawyer was
almost as excited as / was by the con-
tents of this note, and early the next
morning we started together for the
house of the Polhemus family. There
under the woodshec we found carefully
buried blood-stained shirt and vest and
| the Ratchet ST.
My impulse was to fly to my brother,
| but this my lawyer forbade. He would
take charge of the affair, and no false
hopes must be excited, but he confident
~ assured me that my brother was as
| good as free.
Returning to the city. thought I
| might as well make my report to Sig
nora Rochita- The lady was at home
and saw me. She showed the most In
tense interest in what / told her, and In
sisted upon every detail Of my expert
ences. As spoke of the Shark, and the
subterranean cave, she nearly tainted
from excitement, and her maid had to
bring her smelling salts When i had
finished she looked at me steadily for a
moment, and then said:
81 have something to tell you, but
hardly know how to say it. I never
|
at the captains dinner, but when
went to put it on found the clasp was
broken and as was late hurried to
the table without the bracelet, and
thought of it no more until, when we
were all waving and cheering, glanced
at my wrist and found it was not there.
Then, utterly forgetting that had not
put it on, l thought it had gone into the
sea. 1t was only this morning that,
opening what supposed was the empty
box, saw it. Here it isl
never saw such gorgeous jewels.
Madam" said 1, 81 am glad you
thought you lost it, for have
gained something better than all these.
"You are a good man." she said, and
then she paid me literally for my ser
vices. When this business had beer
finished, she asked:
Are you married?" answered that
was not.
SIS there anyone you intend to mar
ry?"
eyes," said 1.
"What is her name?" she asked
"Sarah Jane McElroy."
"Wait minute" said she, and she re
tired into another room. Presently she
returned and handed me little box.
"Give this to your lady-love," sait
she; "when she looks at it, she will
never forget that you are brave man
When Sarah Jane opened the boz
there was a little pin with a diamond
head, and she gave scream of delight
But saw no reason for jumping or cry
ing out, for, after having seen the sig
nera's bracelet, this stone seemed like 8
| non in a bI1chel IF 1ookotoas
81 don't need anything" she said,
''to remind me that you are q brave
man. am going to buy furniture with
it." laughed and remarked that every
little helps"
When sit with my wife by my side
before the fire in our comfortable home
and consider that the parlor carpet, ant
the furniture and the pictures, and thu
hall and stair carpet and all the dining
room furniture with the china ant
glass and the linen, and all the kitchen
utensils, and two bedroom suits on the
second story, both hard wood, and al
the furniture and fittings of a very
pleasant room for a single man, the
third story front, were bought with the
pin that the signora gave to Sarah Jane
am filed with profound respect fol
things that glitter; and when look OF
the other side of the fire and see jim
smoking his pipe just as happy as any
body, then I say to myself, that i
there are people who think that this story
is too much out of the common l wisl
they would step in here and talk to jim
about it. There is fire in his eye
when he tells you how glad he is tina
it was the shark instead of him, that Il
very convincing.
FRANK r. STOCKTON.
Can These Things Be?