The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-09-24
THE BILLOP MYSTERY.


the accommodation Of ghosts than the
old BilIop homestead, The two mighty
trees cast ashadow over 1t eyon AT noon,
day; and ils cayernous cellar aud pae-
dalian garrett seemed ideal sIampin.
grounds tor spaetres, Tho activity on
which tho housa slood-thO stta had
been chosen with an eye OF dei1nsibillty
in Indian limss-slopsd gently down IN
front hut fell away quite abruptly be.
hind aud at the sidOs, Tn tho right
side, almost beneath tho roots OF tho
butloruut tr5a, u small natural cave en-
tered the rocky soil; 1t had been arli,
ticlRlly enlarged so rs 10 shelter tho
farm wagons and tools when tho barn
was overlull ofprodueL The barn atlod
further down tho slope, near the
meadow, and was ilaelt a delightfully."-
mysterious and scary place; both tho
cave and the barn had been highly
priced by generations OF B,l,up children
as well rs by their mOshors when, in
rainy weather, they waited To have
soma peace in tho house "iIay We
play in the barn, or tho cave, mothgrW
was request seldom raiUmd. Some.
times, No doubt, the Chlldren mayed
ghosti, Till they wore ready to expire
with delightful creops and horrors, and
thus confirmed among themselves tho
weird legends which came dOWn from
generation TO generation.
When Inm Linton, aged c'eyan, took
up his abode At tho house, Nellie Brent
was moro baby, just able to walk and
alter u lew OrphiG words; 50 he hal to
do the most OF his playing by himself,
But he was bog OF unusual resOurcol
audNganiui; anl rs his tenancy OF tina
premises WAS unfortunately, brief, and
his tata grieyDus, wa must make him rs
distinct IA possible wh,ie he lHsts. lie
had the energy anl vitality OF n whole
school at noon recess and was as sensa'
tlonal aud indomitGbIoin his manifesto.
Iioua rs were Robin ltood and hismcrry
mon in Sherwood forest. 10 neither
feared ghostS nor believed in them; but
his noises aud surprises were moro ter
rihlo than n battalion OF the dlsincSr-
nate, Ito was on tho jump from mora.
ing till night, arms, legs, lungs aud
OraiRsln iu.l Injunction; hs was tho clly.
crest pupil In the school, though Of
none OF tuem d'd the master have less
hnpO Of evolving sober aud useful eli.
zen. lilo was inevitably tho center OF
all mischief a. tho hub Is the Csnter OF
tho wheel; aud though nobody could
help liking the young rascal, he was so
good tempered, amusing. and lsO TO saw
contagious, yet all shook their heads
over him, and opinod thi. his future
looked ominou4. Nancy only, who sui.
Tered most from his outragGousness, not
merely loved him with all her heart,
hut had faith IN his final triumph over
all evil she continued TO believe IN him,
in the teeth OF all evidence, when his
misfortune came UPON HIm; ani, when,
~ last, tho poor little drowned body was
picked ouT OF the river, she thanked tho
Lord, on her knees, through her soOs,
that shp had meyer harburcl m IN.
charitable thought towards him. Tnis
is how il came about:
There was ono person IN the parish
with whom Tom WAS At open war
Lawyer Coryin. lis aversion from
him. instructive at first, WAS confirmed
w Nllhk no NNAAN AllAl ~ NhAAlN Na ~ nv
shady conduct towards his deceased
uncle. Tom expected, IN due season,
to become the master oil Biilops; and
then lie meant to take it out OF Lawyer
C1rvia. Meanwhile, Corvin had 4 son,
Peter, about Toms size; Peter was a
bully: he was once incauilOns eaough
to 60. into iu4s with Tom, and the
latinr thrnshod him with such JOY and
thorouriin0.s lac much on the lawyers
account as on Peters that Peter ceased
from that day to DO bully, and became
4 sneak.
Que day a lot oil the boys, Tom and
Peter among them, went IN bathing AZ
tho FORK ia Fen Brook Peter took OccI.
sion to remark that Tom was pauper
anyhow, and that his Peters, father
could sell him and his old aunt out to.
morrow II he chose. The moment he
selected f9E saying this was when Ae
was standing creased on the bank, and
Tom was swimming naked in the mid.
die oil the stream. Tom, rs he made
his way with all possible speed towards
shore, was heard to retOrt that Lawyer
COrvIn's money was not his own. and
that one oil these DAYS he would wake
up aud find that no was a paupcr him.
self. As Tom approached tho landing,
with obvious designs on Peters person.
the lattor took TO flight; Tom pursued
him a4 lar a. his own undrdpei plight
made deCOrOua, and then came back
with al expression significant Of ven
geaRCa to come. Apparently. however,
TO soon forgot a,l aO1ut the matter, anl
parted from his companions with his
wonloi good.humOf.
But next mornluV 4 rGm0r ran that
LAWYER CorvIn's n0u'u had been enter.
cd and robbed during tho night; tho
bows discussed it ogHiio the schoi!
house. and Peter, when he came ur,
conlirmeI ii. aud upon being alkei
whether anything wcro known oil tbs
thieves. M. up very pregnant look
aud sald 10 guessed something would
hr knowr before long. Tho master
clmo; tho boys took their seats, but It
was found that Tom was RbsOHi, not,
unfortunately, a raro occurrence. bu'
Peter looked more RagncloUi than over.
School lot out 4. noon, They
sWarmei forth into tho slm.shadDwcd
country road. VINO were lhOsN APP.
proacline yond,r? Olp Of tRom, as
pe.or observed was his fi.Aor. A boy
walked beside him; It wa Tom. And
WHO wa tina. man with his hand resting
on Toms shoulder? Why, II was John
Higgins. tho constable, Aud thOro
was Nancy Biiipp, following along be.
mind, with tears streaming down her
plum checks. What did It all moan2
It meant, aIns, that Tom had been ar
rested for tho robbery. lis jackKniis
had been found on tho Lodge ot tho back
window, which hal been forced. THIS
threat which h5 had mndc tho hay be-.
furo was remembered. But nl this Nul
lnnrn rrnn-I n-Nn MnLthnl mnLnlnn md