Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1900-10-26

that time such relic was considered very
valuable, he had no doubt but that 1T
would again fetch a considerable sum.
Tempted by the sight of 1T when he on.
tered the chamber Of death, he had taken
1t from the neck Of the corpse, and it was
then actually concealed in his bosom; SO
he replied:
my offer is good one, Mynheer
Philip, and you had better take ID. OF
what use is such trashf"
II tell you nol' cried Philip, In rage.
well, then, you will let mo have ~ In
my possession till I am paid, Mynheer
Vanderdeckep-that is buo fair. must
not lose my money, When you bring me
my three guilders dnd halt and the vial,
I will return If 70 yeu."
Philips Indignation Yves now Without
bounds, He seized Mynheer Poots BY the
collar and threw him out Of the door.
Away Immediately, cried he, Tor byh-
There was no occasion for Philip to fn-
ish the imprecation. The doctor had has.
tened away with such alarm that he fell
down half the steps of the staircase, and
was limping away across the bridge. He
almost wished that the relic had not been
in his possession; but his sudden retreat
had prevented him, even IL 20 inclined.
from replacing IL on the corpse.
The result Of this conversation naturally
tarned Philips thoughts to the relic, and
he went into his mothers room 70 take
y,occacoioD ne a. ra o0op od ~, o,,r%slps
the corpse was laid out-he put forth his
hand to unite the black ribbon. 1t was
not there. "Gonel" exclaimed Philip.
"They hardly would have removed it
never would It must be that villain
Poots-wretch! but 1 will have 1t, even If
he has swallowed 1T, though tear him
limb from limb!"
Philip darted down the stairs, rushed out
Of the house, cleared the moat at ono
bound, and, without coat or hat, flew
away in the direction Of the Doctors lonely
residence. The nejghbors saw him as he
PASSED them like tie wind; they wondered
and they shook their heads. Mynheer
Poots was not more than half way to his
home, for he had hurt his ankle Appre.
hensive Of what might possibly take place,
should his theft be discovered, he occa-
sionally looked behind him; at length, to
his horror, he beheld Philip vanderdecken
at distance, bounding on in pursuit Of
him. Frightened almost out Of his senses,
the wretched pilferer hardly knew how to
act; to stop and surrender up the stolen
property was his first thought, but fear of
Wi 30 ITO %o1
SO he decided on taking to his heels, thus
hoping to gain his house, and barricade
himself in, by which means he would be
in condition to keep possession Of what
he had stolen, or at least to make some
terms ere he restored it.
Mynheer Poots had need to run FAST
and so he did, his thin legs bearing his
but Philip, who, when he witnessed the
DOCTORS attempt to escape, was fully con.
WINGED that he was the culprit, redoubled
his exertions, and rapidly came up with
the chase. When within 100 yards of his
own door, Mynheer Poots heard the
bounding steps of Philip gain upon him,
and he sprang and leaped in his agony.
Nearer and nearer still the step, until at
last he heard the very breathing of his pur-
suer; and Poots shricked in his fear, like
the hare in the jaws of the greyhound.
Philip was not yard from him; his arm
was outstretched, when tho miscreant
dropped down paralyzed with terror; and
the impetus of Vanderdecken was so great,
that he passed over his body, tripped, and
after trying in vain to recover his equilib'
rum, he fell and rolled over and over.
This saved the little doctor; it was like
the double Of hare. In second he
was again on his legs and before Philip
could rise and again exert his speed, Poota
had entered his door and bolted it within.
Philip was, however, determined to re.
possess the important treasure; and as he
painted, he cast his eyes around to see II
any means offered for his forcing his en-.
trance into the house. But as the habita.
ton Of the doctor was lonely, every pre-
caution had been taken by him to render
it secure against robbery; the windows
below were we'll barricaded and secured,
and those on the upper story were too high
for any one to obtain admittance by them.
We must here observe, that although
Mynheer Poots was, from his known abil.
tiles, in good practice his reputation rs a
hard hearted, unfeeling miser was well
established. No one was ever permitted to
enter his threshold, nor, indeed did any
one feel inclined He was as isolated from
his fellow creatures as was his tenement,
and was only to be seen in the chamber of
disease and death. What his establishment
consisted of no one knew.
When he first settled in the neighbor-
hood, an old decrepit woman occasionally
answered the knocks given at the door by
those who required the doctors services;
but she had been buried some time, and
ever since all calls at the door had been
answered by Mynheer Poots in person, If
he were at home, and If not there was no
reply to the most importunate summons.
1t was then surmised that the old man
lived entirely by himself being too mig.
gardly to pay for assistance. This Philip
also imagined; and as soon as he had re-
covered his breath, he began to devise
some scheme by which he would be en-
abled not only to recover the stolen prop
erty, but also to wreak dire revenge.
The door was strong, and not to be
forced by any means which presented It.
self to the eye of Vanderdecken. For a
few minutes he paused to consider, and as
he reflected, SO did his anger cool down,
and he decided that it would be sufficient
to recover his relic, without having re-