The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1899-12-07


tune, Lucy to remain at the seminary.
One balIly June evening not long
after their engagement had taken place
Charlie found himself quite distance
from his native city, in a small, pic
turesque village. He was looking for
place to locate. He took room at the
village inn, and after supper he started
out to inspect the town. His fancy
took him to the village graveyard, and,
finding the gate open, he strayed in and
was soon amusing himself by reading
the various epitaphs upon the tombs
and noting the ages of the departed
This, he thought, would give him an
idea of the healthfulness of the town.
Upon one of the very old tombstones he
read the following:
Here lies man who did no good;
If he had lived he never would
| Where he has gone and how he fares
Nobody knows nor nobody cares"
This ridiculous epitaph struck the
Young doctor as so comical that he burst
into peals of laughter, which attracted
the attention of an aged grave digger
who was at work in one corner of the
yard removing a skeleton from an old
grave. The young mans hearty mirth
had startled him, and he dropped his
spade and gazed at the doctor with as
constituent.
Charlie had great love for anatomy,
and. observing what the old man was
doing. was at once interested; and, ar-
preaching the spot, inquired: My good
man. why are you disturbing the
dead?" To which the good man re-
ferred to responded: Cant help it
sometimes. This here ground is quite
valuable. This is not the paupers' field.
That is it over there indicating diff
ferent portion of the cemetery by a
shake of his head. Then he continued:
This is a curious case, and by disturb
ing him nobody's feelings will be
hurt"
"Why, how's that?" asked DR..
Charlie. Was he pauper?"
oh" replied the grave digger, mo
body knows who he was. These are the
bones of stranger who died here one
night at the tavern, and as nobody
knew where he came from or where he
was going. and there was no one to
claim his watch and a little money that
was found upon him, the landlord OF
the tavern took charge of the body and
had him buried here. As he neglected
to get a deed of the lot then, and can
not do so now, why have got to move
him to the paupers' ground"
| l. Jin nftD SlynI
"W-e-l-l," drawled the old man, che
come along here about dark some Is
years ago. said nothing to nobody, took
room at the tavern, eat his supper and
went upstairs to bed all right appar-
emily. but the next morning, when the
landlord went up to his room himself tc
call him to breakfast, he found him as
dead as a door nail. Old DR.. Jones, he
was living then, and the landlord sent
for him. and when he got there he SAID
the gentleman had died of fit in the
, night. But doctors don't know every
thing. However, as no papers or any
thing could be found to identify hin
the landlord paid for his coffin and he
was put r. here"
"Whe& 9ecame of his watch?' asked
: the young doctor.
oh! the LANDLORD kept that, for he
was put to a Sod deal of trouble jusr
because a poor stranger happened t(
die on his hands"
Poor fellow!" mur1Qured DIR
, Charlie. His was melancholy fate
He reached out and picked up the skull
for there was something about skull
that always fascinated Charlie. Upc1
4 close examination he discovered tina
a a nail had been driven into it and wal
still clinging there. This greatly ex
p cited his curiosity, but he thought hes
, to say nothing about it to the grav'
: digger. He told him that he was
q physician and was anxious to obtain
, bones and parts of skeletons for hi
private study, and that he would Civ
e him a dollar for the skull.
s To this little financial scheme tn
o grave digger promptly consented, ant
t DR.. Charlie. paying him the dollar
wrapped his purchase up in the even
5 ing paper and quickly sought his room
at the inn. Alone there he very care
n fully examined the skull and fount
+ that a long, coarse nail had been art
J. fully driven into it from the back o
o the head, and must have penetrate
d the brain, causing instantaneou
| death. The man had been murdered
d He recalled the old grave digger
Il words: Doctors don't know every
:. thing" But some doctors do know
4 thing or two" chuckled Charlie t
himself. This shall be investigated,
n and he bent over the skull with grea
enthusiasm.
e Satisfying himself that the man wa
II undoubtedly murdered, Charlie wa
n convinced that he was murdered for
r. purpose-money, of course. 1t was
20 curious case. After bordering over
n a long time he went down to the ban
n room and began a conversation wit
If the landlord, who seemed like an hoI
q est, genial fellow, and Charlie aske
n him:
"How long have you been maste
y here?" and was glad when he replied
A. about ten years. | bought out Jill
re Kelley when he retired. | think bus
4 L