The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-01-04

DTtSStu laughter Illl Lnt btdTS TOlltu uOWh
his rosy cheeks. But | was greatly an
noyed and very sorry for what had hap
pened.
Many weeks passed away, and l was still
enjoying the society of Jacob Dawlish,
when the events happened which have &C.
casioned this story.
One morning. l was sitting on the beach
with the indefatigable dramatist when he
drew from his pocket a big manuscript,
and unfolding it said:
Here is n new play, my boy, upon which
i want your opinion. But before | read it
to you it must be carefully revised, and |
mean to spend the morning over it, so you
can be off after your precious stones"
"Just what l was thinking of," | said.
81 mean to do some work over the Devils
Bath"
at wn be windy there. You had bet
ter change hats with me or you'll lose
yours"
Jacob Dawlish tossed me his tightly fit
ting velvet cap, and handed him my own
broad brimmed straw hat.
Remember the tide" | said, and then I
left him to his play and climbed the cliff.
The Devils Bath" was n deep, shad-
owed hollow worn in the cliff by the waves,
which was filled at high tide with a sea
bldu bOlltu dld dSltl lNotll INV lpbiii
against countless spurs of rock. In the
cliff above the Bath" l had noticed some
geological curiosities, and now, armed
with hammer and iron spiked oaken staff,
I set off to secure some specimens.
l had a fairly successful morning, but
toward noon, just when the sea came swirl
ing into the Bath" / met with a grievous
disappointment. The specimen on which
l had most set my heart was deeply inn
bedded in "A great o~verhanging bowlder of
rock, and after half an hours careful work
with my spiked staff ! was Disguised by
seeing the whole rock go tumbling down
the cliff into the sea, carrying with it a
thick growth of ferns and grasses. AS
stretched out over the cliff to look after
my treasure Jacob Dawlish's velvet cap,
which was much too loose for me, slipped
off my head and followed the bowlderdown
into the Devils Bath"
Having collected my specimens | was on
the point of starting for Mrs. Fishers
when a great dog limped up to my side,
and, licking my hand, lifted a pair of dis
tressed and beseeching eyes to my face. l
saw that the creature held one foot from
the ground and on closer examination
found that its leg was bleeding fast from
a nasty wound. There was not much that
i COulu 10, Dub L DOtiuu up lut MOuId dlltl
a fashion with my handkerchief, and after
a profuse show of gratitude the dog trot-
ted off down the road away from High
cliffe.
As l reached Miss Fishers gate / met
Miss Amelia coming out. She looked at
my rough and hatless condition in sur
prise, but was sweeping past me with the
most majestic of bow when | stopped her
and said hastily:
HAS Mr.. Dawlish returnedF"
81 rave not seen him since he left the
house with you this morning"
A vague fear seized me. Suppose in his
dramatic enthusiasm the old man had for
gotten all about the tide, and it nae come
in before he left the beach! Without an
other word | turned from the gate and
walked hurriedly along the cliff until l
was just above the place where | had left
my old friend early in the morning. Great
waves were laundering against the base of
the cliff, but Jacob Dawlish was nowhere
to be seen. laughed at my foolish anxiety.
OF course the old gentleman had left the
beach in time, and had betaken himself
and his new play into some safe, cozy nook.
/ returned to Mrs. Fishers and settled
to my reading. But when dinner time
came and Mrs. Fisher began to inquire
after her ledger my uneasiness returned,
and when the day gradually faded into
night without bringing him back | be-
came seriously alarmed. went out and
gave information to the one policeman
Highcliffe boosted of, and offered a reward
to any of the fishermen who should bring
me news of my missing friend. But the
night was wild and stormy, and most of
the men were anxious about their own
business and could give me little attention.
On the following day, however, "A thor
ough search was instituted, but not a
trace of Jacob Dawlish could be discov-
cred.
The third day found me feverish and sick
with anxiety. The widest theories We're
Matched in my brain as l tramped YEARLY
about the ~neighborhood, but | could not
give him up. Toward the evening of the
third day, when l returned to my lodgings
/ found a gray headed man waiting for me
in my room. He rose as | entered and said;
81 am Mr., Dawlish's man of business.
Mrs. Fisher has sent for me, and given me
strange information about my late CLIENT
"Late!' | exclaimed, while a sudden
faintness seized me.
Eyes" replied the lawyer coldly; such,
l fear, is the case. What do you say to foul
play, sir?"
l started.
Foul play" / repeated, and | could feel
hat my lips were twitching with nervous
excitement.
Foul play" again said the lawyer.
eyes, sir, | have received information of a
startling nature, and it is my duty to give
you in charge on grave suspicion"
was thunderstruck, and | could neither
move nor speak when, from hedeep shadow
of the room, the Highcliffe policeman
stepped forward and quickly slipped "A pail
of handouts over my wrists.
There is no space in which to tell Of my
amazement and horror-my expostulations
and indignation. Nor can | tell how | was
conveyed to the nearest market town; how
| was examined before the magistrates
and committed to take my trial for the
willful murder of Jacob Dawlish.
i lived in the midst of all these strange
proceedings as in a dream. My father
came to me and retained eminent counse
in my defense, but most startling circum
~stantial evidence had been brought uI
again-u me at my examination. and l
passed the three weeks before my trial in
the greatest anxiety.
But the susi ense was over at last, and
the awful day on which i was to be tried