Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1905-07-21
CHAPTER Ky.


out differently; among other things, Da-
| vid's extraordinary scheme of revenge
might never have been possible. If
had told Daniel Leghan the strange
thing l had witnessed from Hooknor Tor
he must certainly have connected the
box taken from Grimspound with the
box of his own papers.
The scheme was almost worthy of Da-
yid's American pals-the gentlemen who
had all done something" The box,
when David had carried it home, prov ed
! to be quite full of papers His own
knowledge of their value was slight, but
he knew very well that signed papers
had been his own destruction, and that
the possession of signed papers made his
uncle rich
David called upon his uncle about II
o'clock in the forenoon. He was receiv-
ed with the cordiality generally extended
to all needy relations. Mr. Leighan shut
fed his papers as a sign that he was
busy and wished the call to be short,
nodded his head with scant courtesy and
asked his nephew what he came for.
I've come uncle" David began very
slowly, spreading himself upon a chair
and producing a small brown paper
packet. I've come, uncle"
Don't be longer than you can help,
! David. Get to the subject at once, if
you can. Say what you came to say,
and then go away and leave me with my
own business. It's high time you were
looking after your own. Will George
Sidcote give you job? I hear you Dor
rowed a bed yesterday, and a chair and
q table, and that you have settled in the
cottage-my cottage. Very good. l don't
mind if you have it rent free till you
get into work, when you'll have to pay
your rent like your neighbours If you be-
Sin any more nonsense about robbing you
of your land you go out at once.
David, at the risk of seeming monot-
onous, uttered a forceful wish for the
destruction of his uncle's cottage.
IF that is all you came to say,
nephew, the sooner you go the better.
And the sooner you clear out of my cot
tage and leave the parish, the better. or
I'll make the place too hot for you-''
Il didn't come to rail at you, uncle"
said David, more meekly. IF you
wouldn't keep on-there, I've done; now
hold your tongue and listen. I've got
something very serious to say, and it's
about your business, toor'
Then make haste about it."
Six years ago, they tell me. you
were robbed, that night when you fell
off your pony, after I'd gone away"
1T was the evening of that very day."
"Ah"-David's eyes smiled. though
his lips did Motive little thought when
used those words with which we part
ed how quick they'd come true. When
you lay there on the broad of your back.
now, your face white and your eyes open,
but never seeing so much as the moon in
the sky, did you think of your nephew,
whose farm you'd robbed, and did Won
say, David, it's judgment?"
NO, l didn't, David
You felt it all the more. then. Very
well. While you lay there, as they tell
me, some one comes along and robs Won.
What did you lose, uncle? Was it vour
watch and chain and all your money ?"
NO; my watch and chain were not
taken, and only little of the money"
Uncle, are you sure you were robbed ?
Do you think that robbers ever leave
money behind them? Was the money
taken in notes. or was it in gold?"
1T was all in gold. Fifty pounds in
one bag, twenty pounds in the other, and
both bags in one pocket. The small bag
was taken and the big bag left. But
what does it matter to you?"
You shall see presently l am going
to surprise you, uncle. What else did
you lose besides the little bag?"
L lost box of papers-but what does
it matter to you? Did you come here
to inquire about my robbery? l suppose
you are glad to hear of it,
Never mind, uncle. You go on an
| swering my questions; I've got my rea-
sons. l am going to surprise you Wait
a Bit
well, then; but what can you know L?
1t was tin box secured by a lock and
tied round with leather strap: l car
ried it in blue bag-a lawyers bag
hanging around my neck for safety"
hat was in that box, did you say?'
'David!' the old man changed color,
and became perfectly white, and clutch
ed at the arms Of his chair and pulled
himself upright, moved by the thought,
David. have you heard anything? have
YOU found anything?"
wait bit; all in good time. What
was III that box. did you say. again?"
Papers l lost with that box papers
to the tune of three thousand pounds
all in coupons
1T was Judgment! Why, my mort
cages were not 50 very much more. Thre.,
thousand pounds! Come, even you would
feel that. wouldn't you? Were there ac-
tually three thousand pounds in that
box?"
| The man who stole that box might
have presented these coupons one by one.
and got them paid as they fell due. with
out questions asked-that is, he could I'M
til l stopped them Oh. | could stop
them, and l did; but l could never get
them paid until l presented them through
my own bankers. David, if you are re-
vengeful, you may laugh; for it is a blow
from which l have never recovered. They
say that the paralysis in my legs was
caused by falling from the pony, where
by | got it seems. conclusion of the
brain. But [ know better, David. A
man like me does not get paralyzed in
the legs by falling on his head Twas
the loss of all the money that caused
the paralysis. And now l sit here all
day long-I who used to ride about on
my own land all day long.-and l try
to think. al day and all night, if 1 could
have left that box anywhere, or given
to any one that bag of twenty sovereigns.
David, tell mel will reward you if you
tell me anything to my advantage-have
you heard something's
CHAPTER XVI
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