The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-08-06

first that could not enter that room, but
in it I made a strange discovery.
Ny father. while he carried little money
about his person. was in the habit OF
keeping considerable sums in the house;
there IS no bank within ten miles. How
ever. he was wary; he had a hiding place
which he had revealed to no one but my
self. He had a small stand in his room
near the head OF his bed. Under this
stand, or rather under the top of It, he
had tackled a large leather wallet. In
this he kept all his spare money. I re
member how his eyes twinkied when he
showed It to me.
The average mind thinks things have
either got 90 be ia or on said my father.
They don't consider there's ways or get
ting around gravitation ana calculation.
Tn searching my fathers room I called
7 70 mind this saying of his. and his pecu-
liar system of COncealing, and then l
made my discovery. I have argued that
in a search OF this kind / ought not only
TO search for hidden traces of the Grim
inal, but for everything which had been
for any reason concealed. something
which my father himself has hidden,
something from his past history may fur
nish motive for some one else.
The money in the wallet under the table,
some $500 had been removed and deposit
ed in the bank. Nothing more was TO be
found there. ] examined the bottom of the
bureau, and the undersides of the chair
seats. There are two chairs in the room,
beside the cushioned rocker-green-pa paint
cd. wooden. chairs. with flag seats. found
nothing under the seats.
Then turned each of the green chairs
completely over, and examined the bot
toms of the legs. Ny heart leapcd when
I found a bit Of leather nicely tackled over
one. 1 got the tack hammer and drew the
tacks. The chair leg had been followed
out, and for an inch the hole was packed
tight with cotton. / began picking out
the cotton. and soon l felt some
thing hard. It proved to be an old-fash-
toned gold band, quite wide and heavy,
like wedding ring.
j took IL over to the window and found
this inscription on the inside: Let love
abide forever There We're two dates
one in August, forty years ago, and the
other I'm August of this present year.
/ think the ring has never been worn;
while the first part of the inscription is
perfectly clear, it looks old, and the last
is evidently freshly cut.
This could not have been my mothers
ring, She had only her wedding ring.
and that was buried with her / think
my father must have treasured up this
ring for years; but why? What does it
mean2 This can hardly be a clue; this
can hardly lead TO the discovery of a mo-
tive. but viii put 1t in the box with the
rest.
Sunday night-To-day, of course. I did
not pursue my search. 1 did not 90 to
church. / could not face old friends that
could not face me. Sometimes / think
that everybody in my native village be-
lieves in my guilt. What must 1 have
been in my general appearance and de-
meanor all my life? I have studied my
self in the glass, and tried to discover the
possibilities Of evil that they must see in
my face.
This afternoon about o'clock, the hour
when people here have just finished their
Sunday dinner. there was a knock on the
north door. l answered it. and a strange
young man stood there with a large book
under his arm. lie was thin and cleanly
shaver, with a clerical air.
Il have work here to which I would
Ike. 70 call your attention" he began;
and 1 stared at him In establishment, for
why should book agent be peddling his
wares upon the Sabbath?
His mouth twitched a little. tits a
Biblical Cyclopaedia," said he.
Il don't think 1 care to take It," said I.
You are Miss Sarah Fairbanks, 1 be-
lieve2"
THAT is my name" replied stihy
'Mr. Henry Ellis of Digby sent me