The National tribune., 1900-11-08


then you be gret leddy,"
"Jem, remember, YOU be only a poor,
ignorant man, as has no education. Be
ware how ye list to the voice of the tempt
er."
"Aw! lass, be ye not uneasy as to Jem
Bounder, who trusts no one with his Sc
crets. 1t be all his own, and he will
guard it well in his own heart. 1t be cen
now bed time, good wife. Let US to sleep
and dream We be- a gret Teddy" Jem
chuckled and winked and glanced slyly at
the old hair trunk as il it possessed some
wonderful talismanic powers.
His mysterious looks and winks more
than his words so worked on the imagina-
ton of the wife, that while her husband
slept she softly rose, and creeping to the
ladder leading to the attic, climbed to the
old leather trunk, but it was firmly locked,
and all her efforts to find the key were in
vain. Whatever the trunk contained must
be of very light weight, she thought, for
it seemed empty.
AT last she gave over trying to discover
the mystery and went to bed, while Jem
chuckled in his slumbers between snoring
and silence, and mumbled something about
Treasures" !" riches" and '.gret leddyw
About 4 o'clock in the morning there
came loud rap at the humble door of the
fisherman. Bounder slept so soundly that
he did not hear the rap. 1t was repeated,
somewhat louder than before, and his wife,
awaking, nudged her husband in the side
and cried:
"Jem. Jem, wake up! Don't ye hear
the knocks at the door?"
''Aw! it be robbers comm for the treas
urei cried the fisherman, springing from
his bed and seizing an old blunderbuss.
Wake up, wake up, within there!
called voice from without.
WHO be yep
strangers who have been all night on
the water. II you are Christians, rise and
let us in."
The fisherman hastily dressed himself,
and threw some faggots. on the fire, for al
though it was July the wind blew cool
from the sea. The faggots, however, were
as much to make light as heat.
This done, he opened the door, and ad-
mitted two men whose clothes were damp
from the mists of the sea.
"Aw! this be an unseemly night" re-
marked the Cornish fisherman, as his
strange guests entered his humble abode
'.The sea is rough, and we have had a
time of it coming down the coast" said
one of the new comers. ''Sit in this cor
ner, Colonel, and dry your clothes"
The man addressed as Colonel was a
small, neat man, whose stylish dress and
elegant boots covering pair of dainty feet
indicated the gentleman (what was then
thought to be the gentleman). He sat for
some time gazing into the smoldering fire
without uttering a word. Meanwhile his
companion asked the fisherman a great
many questions, which, simple as they
were, quite puzzled him.
BE ye goin, to the tavern? l will
show ye the way| said Jem Bounder.
"No-not yet" the man who had done
the talking answered.
Then the small man who had been ad-
dressed as Colonel spoke for the first time,
and there was a. matchiess charm in his
voice. ieff5
my good man, do you know a youth
named Harry Grsnger?' he asked.
"Aw! Harry Granger, | do. He lives
in the house beyond the hill"
''If you will bring him here within an
hour, l will give you a guinea"
The eyes of the fisherman sparkled in
the light of the blazing faggots, and don
ming his hard glazed hat, he said:
"Aw! but l be gone at once, and bring
the lad with me.Y -
He bolted out of the door and disap-
peared in the darkness, for day had not
yet begun to dawn. Since the sad fate
of Mr.. Granger his family had been liv-
ing quietly in their former humble home,
which they were, soon to quit, however,
for the wilderness of Ohio. Harry being
the oldest child, on his shoulders rested
the responsibility of caring for the moth
er, two sisters and feeble grandfather. The
great calamity had of course driven from
Harry's mind all thought, for the time
being, of Maude Livingston. He was too
poor to think of love, much less to dare
love the daughter of one of the richest
and greatest men in the Nation.
Harry was sleeping & dreamless sleep.
The morning hour was approaching, and
the shambling but rapid footsteps ap-
preaching the house did not awaken any
one. There came n succession Of raps,
which awoke Harry's mother, who called
to her son from her room below. Harry
opened the window of his room, which was
upstairs, and leaning out, asked:
who is therey'
"AwI Master Harry, be that you?"
'Yes. What do you want, JemT"
There is fine gentleman at my house
as says he must see Master Harry Gran
ger at once. He waits for you there"
who is ne, Jem?"
elbow my eyes eff I know, more than
he be fine gent. Come down from aloft
at once and let us put into port while
he be waitin'."
Harry hurriedly dressed, and, filed with
wonder, went down to where his mother
stood trembling in the hall. He explained
that he was called away on important
derstand himself, and went away with
Jem Bounder toward the humble dwelling
Of the fisherman.
The growing cocks and increasing light
in the east proclaimed the near approach
of the dawn. Jem Bounder chuckled mys-
teriously and muttered some half-intelli-
gible words of which Harry caught the
meaning of a few. Among others was
something about treasure" master rich"
and .'gret Teddy"
When asked to explain the meaning of
those broken phrases and incoherent NUT
terings, the fsherman's mouth closed up
like a clam in its shell, and not a. word
could be got from him. As they ap-
preached the hut, the door opened and
two men with their cloaks well drawn
about them came out.
Harry Granger, sent for you," said
one.
What, Colonel
''Sh-this way. 1 want to talk with
you
He gave Jem Bounder his fee, and tax
ing Harry's arm led him down toward
the beach. Under the shelter of an old
half-ruined boat-house they paused. 1t
was light enough by this time for Harry
to see the barge lying under the shadow.
''Sit here, Harry, must talk with you,"
said Col. Burr, and both sat on the rick
ETY. old bench. Il Suppose you have heard
all about the duel!n
Il heard that Gen Hamilton was dead"
Yes" he answered. "The General is
dead, and they an, making devil of
row over it." ~ y
Gen Hamilton was very popular, Col.
Burr, and it would have been better had