The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-01-08

ticket office, and an hour later was
securing the city tor one Richard
Spears.
The register of the Stillmau House
contained the freshly-wrtten name of
" Richard Spears, Providence, II. L."
but that gentleman, when found in his
room showing samples OF hardware to
a prospective bu'er regret'e ed that he
could not throw any light on the par
ticular dollar his visitor held up to bis
gaze, and remembered distinctly that
he bad given the conductor tWo-dollar
bill in pay ment for his berth. He came
from section, be said, where people
took no stock in silver dollars.
1t was three o'clock in the afternoon
when mau got off the train at Erie
and inquired of the .bmen and depot
master regarding q lady who had ar
rived on the train from Buffalo. An
hour later he was driving along coun
try road some miles south of the town
ihquiring for the Wickhffe farm.
AS he finally drove up to the house
which was his destination he was con.
scious OF strange excitement. This,
be realized, was probably his only re-
naiuing chance to trace the coin by
whose myst, rious power he had been
drawn inlo this wild chase, with the
hope Of identifying its foim-r owner
He took a ha,ty note of he general
features of the pl zee. l. had com.
Portable, wtll-to.do look; two.story
house, white, with green blinds Most
Of these were closed, rs is customary
with country houses, but the windows
at the right of thr biz fir mt door, open
ing on small pGrch, were shaded only
by white curtains. There wa a sound
OF voices within as he ST. ped up 10 the
door and rappei.
MIS-. Wlckliffr, q pleasant faced little
woman, sat surrounded by three chill
dren and neighbours wife, to whom
she was displaying some purchases.
AS one of the children ppened the door,
admitting the stranger into is ami
mated scene, she was standing before a
mirror trying on new bonnet, which
Was elcitiug eXtravagant praises from
The neighbor.
After listening to his story, Mrs.
Wlckiffe said hat her memory was so
trescherous that she really couldn't say
'or certain whether or not she gave tn
conductor the shining dollar, but that
If she did she must have received it
rom her son in Germantown. Pa
from visit to whose house she had
just returned, and who, before her de.
parture, had exchanged some money
for her. She added that, as she took
interest in coin collec,ing a dollar
was simply dollar TO her aud that she
bought ii woman was very foolish to
take up with fad which nigh; ruin
her happiness.
Her unknown caller thought so, too,
admired her taste in milliDer>, took the
,ddress OF her son, AMI clu tching the
ia j coin more firmly than ever, drove
n'ck 10 Erie, where he boarded the
New York night express.
o the young man who still clutched
h. silver dollar sleep was impossible.
A multitude excitin fancie- crossed
bis brain. The DEVELOPMENTS he hoped
o bring about. the culi US SOU ion of
the problem its eff CT u2on lis future,
nd the uiure o one 40 dear 10 him,
AL This murdered SLEEP tor him "a eff
equally as did the ime on Lady
Macbeth's 'oul. Il drove him into the
smoking car, where he sank into seat
and planned and CO j clured belw en-
pun OF III vana smoke Until the train
reached A banV. So comp etely alb
-ur1ed had be come in The soluiion
OF thi' knottv problem in which his