The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-08-27
THE MISSING NOTE.
BY LESTER DILLON.
lcopyrighs. 1909, BY American Press Asso.
citation


At this time there lived 10 Devonshire
Sir Bryan Treyelyn His estate was
large, and on Il were many tenants.
He had but one child, daughter
Gladys who would inherit his prop
erty, and between her and Edgar Cor
Dish, the son OF clergyman, had
sprung up an ardent love. Sir Bryan
opposed the match, having higher In
tentions for his daughter. but she was
a girl OF firm disposition and gave him
reason to suppose that II he did not
give bis consent to the match she
would make a trip with her lover to
Gretna Green. Fearing this, he con-
sented, and that his future son-in.law
might learn to manage the estate
Gladys would inherit be made him bis
secretary and accountant
One rent day Sir Bryan and his sec
rotary we're receiving the rents. When
the last tenant had gone the former.
leaving a fifty pound banknote on bis
desk, left the room for paper he need
ed. On bis return the note was gone
He looked for it everywhere. assisted
by his secretary, but It was not to be
found.
Sir Bryan went TO bed that night
convinced that the man who was to
be his son-in-law bad stolen the note
Opposed to him before. be now became
determined that a thief should not
marry his daughter and inherit bis
property. However. the next morning
he had thorough search made OF the
room in which the note had disappear
ed. It was not found. and Sir Bryan.
despite the pleadings Of his wife and
daughter, gave young Cornish over to
the authorities. preferring against him
a charge OF theft
The courts in those days were not
the complicated affairs they are now
The accuser stood high in the county.
and his word was a power. He told
the magistrate bis story. He and Cor
nish were III the room alone together
Sir Bryan went out for a few minutes
leaving the note on his desk No one
entered during bis absence. On his
return the note was missing. Since In.
animate articles cannot remove them
selves 1t must have been appropriated
by the only living person. present I'll
was not found on Cornish's person.
but he was not searched tin be was
arrested. He had had ample time to
dispose Of It. There was no defense
made. for there was nothing on which
TO base a defense The crime was
committed IN midsummer. and since
the courts were not given in those
days to spending much time over tho
cases that came before them the trial
was concluded and sentence passed be.
fore September. Cornish was sen
fenced to be hanged on the first Friday
IN October.
Naturally every one connected with /
the condemned was wrapped 10 gloom. |
The lovers who had anticipauons Of
a happy union now had before them a
separation By death Lady Treyelyn
shut herself up with her daughter and |
would have no communication with /
her husband. blaming him for the hor-
ror be had brought upon his family.
It was now too late 70 recall what he
had done. The law must take its course.
Preparations were being made for the
execution. and the people. as was the
custom in those days, were docking in
for the spectacle
A few days before the expected
tragedy a cold rain and fog. the FIRST
of autumn. swept over England The
baron. who sought to distract his
thoughts BY occupying himself with I
his accounts, sent for a sweep to take
the SCOT out Of the chimney OF bis
Office preparatory to building Gre I
on the hearth. While the sweep was
at work Sir Bryan entered the room,
sat down at bis desk and busted him /
self with bis papers. SO preoccupied +
was he. rather with his somber +
thoughts than his work. that be did /
not hear any sound within or without +
Suddenly be was recalled to his sur
roundings BY a cough directly in front I
Of him Looking up, there stood q ig +
ure black as Erebus. III was the Chin
ney sweep. whose extended hand held
a small piece Of paper SO smudged /
with SCOT that its character could not /
be readily recognized The baron T
mechanically took il and examined it. 1
A sudden light came into his eye, a
color into his cheek 1t was the miss +
ing note. The sweep had found it in
the chimney, where, carried by a draft
OF air when Sir Bryan had opened the
door. it had remained ever since.
Like a cyclone Of Joy the baron
swept through the house and ssood |
beating on the door Of the room where
bis wife and daughter had shut them
selves IN, crying: The note! II =
found! The hoy Is savedw The door
was dung open, and the old man rush
cd IN brandishing the smudged note
above his head Then. when the sit
uation was understood, Gladys fell in
to her fathers arms in faint.
Leaving her with her mother, the
baron rushed to the house Of the mag
sstrate and before leaving had secured I
AZ order for the release Of Edgar
Cornish. The news spread, and when
the released prisoner left the jail be
was attended By a crowd Of citizens,
He had not proceeded far when he
was met BY Gladys Trevelyn, and +
their meeting was greeted By the
shouts Of the people.
Sir Bryan Trevelyn spent the rest
of his life trying to atone for his fault.
Had it not been for the sweeping Of a
chimney he would have caused the
execution Of an innocent man and