The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-07-22

to the window through which he had
entered AS he passed through it again |
he heard doors being opened and knew
that the house was fully aroused. y
81 understand said. ''Bill escap- |
ed. The actress employed a detective.
The detective built this public house i'll
an out of the way place, hoping that
Bill, as an out of the way young man,
would call in one day for drink Curl
ously enough, Bill did. y
Blanco Watson frowned.
''!This is an intellectual story" he
said cit does not depend Oh cOinci-
denccs.
Il will continue. Bill avoided the
first pursuit by a long run across coun-
try, and then walked toward his home,
not daring to use the railway. He kept
to the byroads as much as possible, and
at the close Of the next day had reached
the neighborhood of London.
GA spade lying inside q field gate
suggested to him the advisability of
hiding the jewels until he had arranged
for their sale. After making sure that
he was not observed he entered the field
and picked up the spade. A tree of pc
culiar growth stood just beyond him.
In the manner Of fiction, he counted 20
steps due north from the tree and then
dug deep hole, placed the jewels in it
and filled it up again
"Ho arrived home safely that night,
but was arrested in the morning. The
servant girl had given an accurate de-
scription of him to the police, and they
had recognized it.
"In duo course he was tried. The evil
dence against him was very strong. The
servant girl swore that he was the man
| she met on the stairs. Some of the viii
! layers swore that they had seen him
near the house previous to the bur-
glary. He was found guilty and SEN
/ fenced to seven years penal servitude.
"Bill behaved very well in prison
and at the end Of five years was released
on a ticket Of leave. He decided to wait
until the ticket had expired and then
! to get the jewels and leave the country.
But day or two after his release he
walked out to look at the field.
"Thero was no field. During the five
years he had been in prison the estate
of which the field was part had been
built upon. He wandered about the
houses in despair. But as he turned a
corner he saw something which suggest
ed hope. Behind some ratings was a
tree of curious growth.
''It was the tree 20 steps due north Of
which he had buried the jewels. He
recognized it Immediately and ran to-
ward it, Again he was in despair. A
yard or two north of the tree was a
chapel, and the jewels were under the
chapel. He leaned against the ratings,
covering his face with his hands.
cit happened presently that the head
deacon Of the chapel, kindly old man,
came down the road. He saw Bill stand
ing like one in trouble and stopped and
asked what was the matter and whether
he could help.
''For a few moments Bill did not
know what to reply, but then he spoke
we'll. He said that once he had been a
burglar, but that he had learned in
prison that burglary is wrong; that now
he was trying to live an honest life, but
that as he had no friends it was not
easy.
"Thc old man was touched. He had
found Bill leaning against the chapel
railings, and Bill had said that he had
no friends Was it not his duty as hea6
deacon of the chapel to be a friend to
Bill? Clearly it was.
He took Bill home with him. He
was bachelor, and there was no one tc
! hi ho1
per and talked together. The deacon
found Bill intelligent and fairly well
educated and offered him employment.
He was builder in the neighborhood,
he explained, and mad a vacancy in the
, works. Bill gratefully accepted the Offer
and began his new career on the follow.
ing Monday.
"Months passed. Bill had changed
wonderfully. He had forgotten his ole
habits and learned new ones The deacon
. was delighted. Not only was Bill the
best Of his workmen, but he was the
, most regular attendant at the chapel.
, "Bill longed for the Jewels and he
, worked hard because he knew thai
money would help him to get them. He
attended the chapel because while there
he was near the jewels, the seat he hac
taken being just 20 steps due north from
, the tree At first he had meditated dig
ging down through the floor one night
but the chances of detection were grea
, and he had given up the idea.
, Years passed. The deacon had be
come an invalid, and Bill practically
managed his business. He was an i'm
pOrtaut man at the chanel foo and wa