The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1894-07-06
THAT HIDDEN TREASURE.

IA n ALL. DbLN II NAlO1 II Ia
Mr. vanderveldt's wife and daughter
had gone to the theatre, and the city
man had been dining alone, having ar
rived home rather late, with beam
ing countenance and a bulged pocket.
He was lazily following with half
closed eyes the wreathS of cigar smoke
which hoated out through the open
French window, when rap fell upon
the door of the room.
"Come in," said Mr.. Vandcrveldt still
following the dissolvng smoke with
his sleepy gaze.
A maid servant entered.
'If you please, sir. there's Il person
out IN the passage who would like to
speak TO you in private; and please,
sir, he says it's very perticlef."
'SShow him in her." said he. Never
mind clearing away the cloth"
A moment later the man entered. He
was a tall, Seedylooking individual,
with hollow cheeks. ill-kempt hair,
dressed in a rusty brown suit. holding
a battered beaver hat in one hand and
dangling solitary glove between the
GRyer and thumb of the other.
Your are the owner of this house,
sir, ] believer" said the seedy-looking
man, stutfing his one glove into his
trousers pocket
What right have you to ask?"
"And the gardenT"
"Ah! my garden! What do you want
to know for?'
You will very soon find out, sir"
said the man, who WAS very cool
Kind of customer, producing piece
of pasteboard as he spoke, and thrust
ing II into the city mau's hand. "Th at
is my name, sir" and he bowed whilst
Mr. Vanderveldt gaZed at the card
"Mr. Stephen Priddy," he muttered
This house and garden is your prop
erty now cried Mr.. Priddy, with
certain air of earnestnesS. "and. there
fore, any treasure"-he paused mo-
ment then continued-"any treasure
that might be hidden upon it must also
be yours"
For the first time since the seedy
mans entrance Mr.. yanderveldt re-
garded him with attention.
what do you meanr'
Mr.. Priddy rose and stepped 10 the
French window
That garden" said he, pointing;
you have little idea what Is conceal
cd beneath the surface OF It, sir, In
the particular spot upon which my
eye 10 at this moment resting. Briefly,
| will tell you the story.
Twenty years ago lady lived here.
She was very nervous Old body,
and there came the news one evening
as l was sitting with her, that the
house next door had been robbed.
THAT very day she had drawn a
large sum Of money out OF the bank.
and this report of burglars scared her
horribly.
"YOu know what old ladies are, sir
She became so nervous that she de-
clared she could not go to bed with
all that gold in the safe downstairs.
II suggested burying the gold in the
garden for the night She jumped at
the the idea, and begged me TO carry
it out. Accordingly. procured an
empty box. placed the bag of money
in II, dug hole in the soil and hid
it,
The old lady then went calmly to
bed, but when next morning came she
was discovered dead-stone dead, sir
Heart disease. the doctors called it.
well this was pretty considerable
shock TO me, as you may suppose and
drove all recollection Of the buried
money clean out of my head for the
time being.
'Nii. Slis ht tbHlliuNNs II UHnpbl-
ed, owing 10 circumstances which /
cannot very precisely recall now-lt
being, as you see. twenty years ago
since the thing occurred-tha | was
obliged 10 leave this house on the day
following the decease OF my old lady
relative. / went away, still forget
ting al about the money that | had
buried
my motive in calling this evening
Is just to inform you that the money
still lies hidden where | buried il with
my own hands twenty years ago. II
Is yours now, sir, as. alas, this old
house is, too" and the dirty-faced
man threw what was intended TO be
pathetic glance round the room, his
eyes lingering especially long upon the
dinner table.
But" said Mr.. Vanderveldt throw
ing the end OF his cigar out through
the open window, why did you not
return yourself years and years ago
TO dig up your buried treasurer
"A month after | hid 1t sailed for
Australia, and I only returned 10 Eng
land few weeks ago" promptly re-
Dlied the seedy man.
Then what makes you come to me
lowT continued the city gentleman.
People are not usually so honest.
Why did you not come 10 the night
and dig up the money yourself. and
quietly carry II oar