Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1897-12-23

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heard a sound that brought my heart into my
mouth.
there, sure enough, hanging TO a bit of
tarry string, which 1 cut with his own
gully, we found the key. At this tri-
umph we were filled with hope, and
hurried upstairs, without delay, TO the
little room where he had slept so long.
and where his box had stood since the
day of his arrival.
1t was like any other seaman's chest
on the outside, the initial 'B." burned
on the top of it with a hot iron, and
the corners somewhat smashed and
broken as by long, rough usage.
"Give me the key" said my mother;
and though the lock was very stiff she
had turned it and thrown back the lid
in a twinkling.
A strong smell of tobacco and tar
rose from the interior, but nothing
was to be seen on the top except suit
of very good clothes, carefully brushed
and folded. They had never been worn.
nv mother said. Under that, the mis-
cellany began-a quadrant, tin cani-
kin, several sticks of tobacco, two brace
of very handsome pistols, piece OF
bar silver, an old Spanish watch and
some other trinkets of little value and
mostly of foreign make, pair of com
passes mounted with brass, and five or
six curious West Indian shells It has
often set me thinking since that he
should have carried about these shells
with him in his wandering, guilty,
hunted life.
In the meantime, we had found moth
ing of any value but the silver and the
trinkets, and neither of these were in
our way. Underneath there was an old
boat-cloak whitened with sea-salt on
many harbor-bar. My mother pulled
it up with impatience, and there lay
before us, the last things in the chest,
a bundle tied up in oil-cloth, and look
ing like papers, and canvas bag, that
gave forth, at a touch, the jingle of
gold.
''I'll show those rogues that I'm an
honest woman" said my mother. I'll
have my dues, and not farthing over.
Hold Mrs. Crossley's bag" And she be-
gan to count over the amount of the
captains score from the sailors bag
into the one that was holding.
1t was long, difficult business, for
the coins were of all countries and
sizes-doubloons, and louis-d'ors, and
guineas, and pieces of eight, and know
not what besides, all shaken together at
random. The guineas, too, were about
the scarcest, and it was with these only
that nv mother knew how to make her
count.
When, we were about halfway
through, 1 suddenly put my hand upon
her arm, for had heard in the silent,
frosty air sound that brought my
heart into my mouth-the tap-tapping
of the blind mans stick upon the frozen
road. 1t drew nearer and nearer,
while we sat holding our breath. Then
it struck sharp on the inn door, and
then we could hear the handle being
turned and the bolt rattling as the
wretched being tried to enter; and then
there was a long time of silence both
within and without. At last the tap
ping recommended, and to our inde-
scribable joy and gratitude died slow
ly away again until it ceased to be
heard.
Mother" said ], take the whole
and let's be going;" for / was sure the
bolted door must have seemed sus-
picious, and would bring the whole hor-
nets nest about our ears, though how
thankful was that l had bolted it none
could tell who had never met this ter
rible blind man.
But my mother, frightened as she
was, would not consent to take n frac- |
ton more than was due to her, and |
was obstinately unwilling to be content |
with less. 1t was not yet seven, she |
said, by a long way; she knew her |
rights and she would have them; and |
she was still arguing with me, when
little low whistle sounded q good way |
off among the hills. That was enough |
and more than enough, for both of US |
"Pll take what 1 have" she said |
jumping to her feet.
"And I'll take this to square the |
count" said I, picking up the oilskin
packet.
Next moment we We're both CROP |
ing downstairs, leaving the candle by
the empty chest; and the next we had
opened the door and were in full re-
treat. We had not started a moment |
too soon. The fog was rapidly dis
persing; already the moon shone quite
clear on the high ground on either side;
and it was only in the exact bottom OF
the dell and round the cabin door that
a thin veil still hung unbroken to con-
ceal the first steps of our escape. Far
less than halfway to the hamlet, very |
little beyond the bottom of the hill, we
must come forth into the moonlight. |
Nor was this all; for the sound of sew
eraI footsteps running came already |
to our ears, and as we looked back in |
their direction, a light tossing TO and
fro, and still rapidly advancing, showed
that one of the newcomers carried
lantern.
my DEAR" said my mother, sudden
", take the money and run on. am
going to ffint."
This was certainly the end of both |
of us, | thought. How l cursed the |
cowardice of the neighbors; how !
blamed my poor mother for her honesty /
and her greed, for her past foolhardi- \
ness and present weakness! We were /
Just at the little bridge, by good for /
tune; and helped her, tottering as she |
was, to the edge of the bank, where, l
sure enough, she gave a sigh and fell !
on my shoulder. L dc not know how /
I found the strength to do it at all, and /
l am afraid it was roughly done, but ! |
managed to drag her down the bank (
and a little way under the arch. Fur !
ther | could not move her, for the |
the bridge was too low to let me do
more than crawl below it. So there