Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1891-01-08

Selenda Griffin. brought up in those
widernesses, was not girl to ask ques-
tions or depend on the opinions Of other
people in an emergency. She WIS quite
used to making up her own mind, and
this occasion was no exception to the
general rule. She was determined to
guard the gold, even if il should be at
the expense of her own lifs-and she
was well aware OF the idiotic super
stitions common to these ignorant
Canadian Frenchmen. Even to make
themselves rich they would not invade
the dreaded presence of death.
Over the frozen snow she fed swiftly
back &c the cabin. from whose window
her mothers sweet, pallid face would
never more smile greeting to her, and
rushing in, she caught up piece of
black crepe, with which she had been
trying to trim a bonnet, and knotted it
around the porch pillar-mute emblem
of death. Then with the strength of a
mountaineer daughter, she dragged
the heavy, cherry coffin, which her
fathers within had kept stand ing in the
angle OF the bedroom wall all these
"
ed IL on two wooden benches instead Of
trestles, and, lighting a pair of candles
in lead sconees, placed them at the
head and foot on homemade pine
stands She wrapped the tin box in
towel and put IL under a pillow in the
coffin head, and then, hurriedly envel-
oping herself n p sheet of homespun
linen, coarse and orn, but beautifully
white, deliberately got into the grisly
receptacle and stretched herself out
there Straight and stiff as any corpse.
Her head, covered with one Of her
mothers close-ftting caps, lay on tho
precious treasure; her hands Were
folded on her bosom, and her eyes were
closed.
II think they viii scarcely disturb
me herel" she thought, strange thrill
creeping through her veins. But have
! nerve enough to keep this up? | must
havel l will havel Once the very
thought Of such horrible masquerade
as this would have driven me wild with
terror; now | think only of guarding
the money which Abrsm Ayres has
committed to my charge"
Hush! Voices were sounding outside
in the winter dusk.
"Hang 1t, there's Grape on the doorl
You told me she was buried"
That was the tone of Pierre Subiton.
$50 she is vekes told me the flu
neral was this morning." growled
Simon Dollard.
''Vokes is liar. Look for yourself"
That's nothingl Knock at the door;
they've forgotten to take the Grape off. Z"
KNOCK yourself; I'll have nothing to
do with it. don't rob dead peoplep
A low-muttered imprecation sue
ceeded.
Dead or alivel" growled old Michael
Dindeau, 1--WE commenced this thing,
and mean to so through with it."
Selenda lay quite still, but even
through her closed eyelids she was con-
scious Of the stealthy fash Of dark
lantern. The cabin door had been
opened-the little band was crowding
noiselessly in. Suddenly Pierre Subj.
tons voice sounded through the room
in terrific yell as he beheld the oblong
object in its center. He turned and
fed. Dindeau and Dollard, shrinking
back, exchanged hurried whispers dur
ire which Selenda's heart seemed to
stand still with horror
HE never left it here" said Dollard,
mike Vokes' last drinking bout I'M
settled his brain The giR has gone
with her father There's nobody but
corpse in the house. just let me get
grip on Mike and I'll teach him to put
such pack of lies down our throats!"
But there's room upstairs. Let's
search that"
Search where you please; it won't
do no good. don't b'lieve there was
no money to begin with; and any way.
it amt here"
Dindeau, not so easily discouraged,
opened the bureau drawer, rummaged
through the little chimney cupboard,
even assembled the ladder to the loft
overhead; but, it is scarcely necessary
to say, without success, and the two
miners went muttering away, casting
scared chances over their shoulders at
the coffin as they did so Selenda Griffin
must have swooned away, for the pink
light of dawn was irradiatlng all the
room when more voices reused her from
utter Inconsistencies. But 1t was her
fathers deep, CHEEKY tone this time
and, could 1t be possible?-Abram Ayres