The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-02-28

and their mother put on their mats ana
kissed them good-by, sometimes with
a smile on her face, to spare their
young hearts too much knowledge OF
sorrow. Mr.. Carter, who was really
a man of excellent business qualities,
though somewhat obscured by middle
age inertia, attended we'll to the BUSH
ness at the mill with the help
of Mr.. Henderson and clerk re-
Gently added to the office. At the
bank an excellent cashier filled Ham
ilton's place for the present; but 1t
was uncertain how long he could be
retained, as his health was delicate
and his means such as placed INN
above the necessity of doing any busi-
ness.
Tony was still there, but his position
seemed at times most irksoEae. The
strain on his nerves and temper dur
ing the investigations left an unpleas-
ant impression, for he was sensible
that for several days he had been look
ed upon with suspicion. This fact
placed him in sympathy with Hamilton.
and he had more than once been heard
to say that he believed the missing
cashier to be an innocent man.
He had been informed by President
Hastings of Bruce's discoveries in the
West, and was particularly impressed
with the fact of Ashley's having hyp-
nOIlZeQ the JdlleT anu 30 SilSCleu HIS
escape from prison. Hamilton, he felt
convinced, possessed no such power.
The possibilities of such a mans acts,
a man said to resemble Hamilton,
though it might be ever SO slightly,
appealed forcibly to the mind of young
Osborn, and set his mind careering
into fields of imagination far removed
from the columns of figures before him.
He had not called to see Mrs. Hamil-
I'll to
statement of her husbands return to
the bank. Somehow he shrank from
going there, but when he CHANGED to
meet her he bowed with scrupulous
gravity and respect.
The summer was wearing away. Au-
gust had come with it's whiting days,
and bathers often sought the shad-
ed river for plunge in its cooling wat
ers. 1t was near the village; one
coming from the savings bank toward
Mrs. Hamilton's residence would be
walking straight toward it for half the
distance. Then to go there one would
be compelled to swerVe to the right
On the other side a new railroad had
recently been built. The hilly portions
had been levelled, hollows filled up, and
immense rocks blasted. Hundreds of
men were employed, and the different
gangs were located about five miles
apart II ldQ OCCll pCl1OQ VI NeAd-
ton to the townspeople on both sides
of the river, but happily the under
taking was now complete, and as re-
minders there were the trains running
regularly and the boat left by the
workmen in the river. Many of them
were Italians, and four of them were
drowned in crossing it in quest of in
toxicants, and it is said they were
buried in the dump, uncoffined and
xrrffI &c ont ~
companions. Low and degraded they
must have been, and it is no wonder
the people were afraid of what they
might do, and were glad when they
left.
All this occurred to Osborn one day
in August, when, changing his bath
ing-suit for his ordinary clothes, he
saw in the bushes, not two feet from
the place where he had deposited his
own suit, a silk cap with a weather.
stained satin lining and an embroider-
ed monogram.
The letters certainly were v. c.. H =,
however, they might stand in order.
The G. or the H. was as likely to stand
first, perhaps, but Tony felt convinced
that the cap he held in his hand was
once the property of Vane Hamilton.
1t was just such a one as wives,
sweethearts, and daughters make for
in, and Tony thought he recollected that
Mr.. Hamilton carried one in his over
coat pocket. His wife would know.
and whether he took it on his last trim.
If so, it proved his presence afterwards
in Grovedale as conclusiveIy as the
gold shirt-stud had. 1t was a pecu-
liar coincidence that in both instances
he should be the finder.
But was not there an ominous sig
nifieance in its being found on the
bank of the river so near the spot
Where the Italians were wont to land
oD thei excursions after liu-
quorF Easily excited, malicious
and revengeful, ready to bran
dish their knives at any provocation
1t was not impossible that they had
set upon Hamilton when intoxicated
Killed him and sunk his body in the
river. The cap might be the sole relic
OF terrible tragedy happening at this
very spot. The Italians went in num-
bers of four or five usually; the place
was sequestered; in their Ignorance
knowing he came from the bank, they
might have fancied that he had a large
sum of money in his possession. II
was just the time when disturbances
had been most frequent, and it was
strange the possibility had been over
looked. If his surmises should he
ed why Hamilton should do so strange
thing as to go to the bank, and yet
not to his own house afterwards. II
would be seen that he was on the way
there when something happened to pre-
vent something dreadful or he would
have been heard from. While ac-
knowledging to himself the tenuous ma
ture of his surmises, he yet felt that
there was sufficient weight to them.
in view of Hamilton'S sudden disap-
pearance and the finding of the cap, ia
set on foot inquiries in this new direc-
ton.
Osborn, after some elaboration as ia
what would be the wisest course, CALI
ed after banking hours at the house of
the president. Mr.. Hastings was pres
ent and received him pleasantly. AS
soon as the young man was alone with
the president in the latter's room, he
preached the subject of his call and
produced the cap as confirmatory of
portion of his statement
you found it by the river bank?"
Yes, sir; lodged in the bushes. II
may have been washed ashore, but |
think, as the water has been low since
May, it was more likely tossed there
by some one"
I'VE had small freshet the very
last of May, you recollect."
Yes. so we did, Well, II may have
been washed there by the rise of the
water. Anyway, it looks ominous; do
not you think so, Mr.. Hastings? ?"
Perhaps So" said the president.
Lets see You saw Hamilton antav