The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-09-28
THE BILLOP MYSTERY.

boundaries, Some curious circum.
stances were brought TO light in connsc-
ton with tho affair.
10 begin with, OF course, an inquest
was held upon COrvin's body, and an
autopsy made; the proximate occasion
Of death was found to be heart failure.
Ii cannot DO said that anybody was
greatly grisyOd over the unhappy mans
d0c0ase; those who want friends, in this
world, must make tham-they do not
exist spontaneously. Uoryin had dur.
ing his life bused himself about many
things, but hs had neglected tho friend
making industry. Nor wore his sins
OF omission only, But while some OF
his misdseds CAME to light aftor his
death, that event also showed that no
was innocent OF at least one crime OF
which he had been suspected,
The story came out pecomeal, as oc.
caSion required; but wO will hear in its
final aud connected form, along with
Nancy and Nellie, US they sat in the
old sitting room, before tho wood fire,
after tho vibrations Of the first wonder,
horror and wonder had c'an abased by
time. Tom Llnton was saa narrator
MoTiord, Us he WAS known to tho world
OF electricians and men OF affairs.
"HOW was it that my clothes were
found on that drowned body? A sim.
pla accident. That night in the lookup
Dick. the tramp boy, and made q hole
through the roof-hs standing OIL my
shoulders to doit-and thnn We made u
rope by tying his clothes and mino to.
gethOr. Up which | climbed, hand
over hand. Then wo dropped down
outside and united tho clothes,
and put them on again; but dressing in
the dark aud ina big hurry we got them
changed about. We got down to tue
river and started to swim it; | got oyer
all right but poor Dick Il didn't find
cut til long aitsFWaFdA( was drowned,
and my clothes identified him,
"Wol, il he assumed my individual
ity, assumed his. became tramp
i could do nothing else. had plenty
OF adventures. which I'll tell you aomo
time; at last got workt 10 do IN store,
and from that time l began to como upl
| changed my employers several times,
getting better berth with each change,
hut nothing that quite suited me.
Finally was taken into an electrical
engineers Office and then knew was
right The people soon found out .has
! took an interest In the business, and
that was quick at picking M ideas;
go the head man began TO look alter inc,
and give mo opportunities to learn. |
studied and worked for all was worth.
One day mado q suggestion about q
piece Of machinery; they triod my idea
and found 1t was an improvement; tho
boss got it patanted for me. and you
may imagine how pleased | was 1t
brought me some money, and used It
in books and study; | made up my
mind TO DO another Edison, and then to
come back and make you rlch-You Two
girls-aud vindicate mY reputation.
For tho last two years / worked on a
plan had conceived OF making things
grow BY electricity applied through tho
soil. l managed it, finally: go! my
patent, and you know the rest You
can dreI in gold lace ind diamonds,
il you want to. aunt Nancy; and as for
you, Nellie, you are going to be q
famous beauty aud heiress y
"But you said you'd tell about the
fairies, said the child
"Oh, yes. Well. the beginning Of
that is away back, before | was born, or
Aunt Nancy either, for all know. But
my first knowledge OF it was on the very
night OF tho Corvin robbery.
I'D been out that night after wood
chucks, a. | said at my examination
next morning, but didn't tell whore
else I'd been. You see, used to make
n sort oil store.house aud hiding.place
OF tho cave, but there vas secret At
the cad OF the cave that no one but ]
knew Of, and there used to put my
most precious valuRbleI. 1t was faced
up with plankS then, just as you and
saw them the other day, Nellie had
never explored the holo to the ond; |
didn't suppose there could be anything
interesting in 1t, but on this night,
when went to put in my woOdchucks,
ready to skin next day, thought I'd SEQ
how far il went. Somebody before my
time must have known about 1t,
thought, because tho entrance had boon
so carefully there. / had a lantern aud
in went.
at was quito a good corridor; | didn't
have to stoop. though It was very mar.
row. Instead OF going down, as | OK.
pected, 1t slAntHd up; aud, soon, to my
a-toniHhmcnt. 1 came to tho foot OF
sort Of shaft, four or fiyO feet in diam.
oter, and going straight up, It was like
hchimHey A kind Of rough ladder was
fixed to tho side Of it. aud began TO
climb it. At first | couldn't imagine
where | wa; the sdes OF tho chimney
seemed 10 10 Of wood, but crumbly and
rotton. There was strong smell Of
wood dry.rolted. Sometimes heard a
faint cracking and rustIug sound. Then
oil OF q sudden solved tho myItory. !
was 10 tho trunk Of tho big buttornutl
"Up went. was pretty vol ox.
cited with tho adventure by that timc,
but had no conception OF what was to
cOms. | got to tho top Of tho ladder,
aud there Was a little. irregular cham.
Der, in tho heart Of the trOe, not much
bigger than sentry box, partly lloored
with plank, aud with bench or shelf
running round it, There were things
hanging or fastened IN the walls: an
old gun, for ono thing, md leather
bag, and vurion' queer odda aud ends,
rs tt some ono used 10 live there. On
ono side Of tho shOli there was Il box Of
hard wood, bound with iron. ] triod
tho lid and found II unlocked. ] lIitOd
1t, and saw great heap of gold coins
and bundlo OF papers.
81 thought was Aladdin, sure
enough, ihUn. turned TO find place
10 hang my lantern, no could have
both banda FREQ. There was hoap Of
something lying or proppbd up on tho
bonch behind mo; old clothes Il soomOd
to DO; took hold Of II to move 1t aside,
and got hold Of something that made