Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1910-02-04
THE MISSING NOTE.
BY LESTER DILLON.


banknote was punishable with death.
At this time there lived In Devonshire
Sir Bryan Trevelyn. His estate was
large, and on it were many tenants.
He had but one child. a daughter
Gladys. who would inherit his prop
erty, and between her and Edgar Cor
nish, the son Of a clergyman, had
sprung up an ardent love. Sir Bryan
opposed the match, having higher In
tentions for his daughter, but she was
q girl Of firm disposition and gave him
reason to suppose that If he did not
give his consent to the match she
would make 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 he made him his
secretary and accountant.
One rent day Sir Bryan and his sec
rotary were receiving the rents. When
the last tenant had gone the former
leaving a fifty pound banknote on his
desk, left the room for a paper he need
ed On his 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 had stolen the note.
Opposed to him before he now became
determined that a thief should not
marry his daughter and inherit his
property. However. the next morning
he had thorough search made of the
room in which the note had disappear
ed. 1t 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 his story. He and Cor.
nish were in the room alone together.
Sir Bryan went out for few minutes,
leaving the note on his desk. No one
entered during his 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 II
was not found on Cornishs person,
but he was not searched till he waA
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 the
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 in gloom
The lovers who had anticipations OF
a happy union now had before them a
separation by death. Lady Trevelyn
shut herself up with her daughter and
would have no communication with
her husband. blaming him for the hor.
ror he had brought upon his family.
1t was now too late to 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 fiocking in
for the spectacle.
A few days before the expected
tragedy cold rain and fog, the first
of autumn. swept over England. The
baron. who sought to distract his
thoughts by occupying himself with
his accounts, sent for a sweep to take
the SCOT out Of the chimney of his
office preparatory to building a fire
on the hearth. While the sweep was
at work Sir Bryan entered the room,
sat down at his desk and busted him
self with his papers So preoccupied
was he, rather with his somber
thoughts than his work. that he did
not hear any sound within or without
Suddenly he was recalled to his sur
roundings by cough directly in front
of him. looking up, there stood fig
ure black as Erebus. 1t was the chin
ney sweep. whose extended hand held
small piece of paper so smudged
with SCOT that its character could not
be readily recognized The baron
mechanically took it and examined it.
sudden light came into his eye, a
color into his cheek. 1t was the miss
ing uote. The sweep had found it in
the chimney, where, carried by 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 stood
beating on the door of the room where
his wife and daughter had shut them
selves in, crying: THE note! 1t is
found. The boy is saved" The door
was flung open, and the old man rush
ed 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
istrate and before leaving had secured
an order for the release of Edgar
Cornish. The news spread, and when