Year: 1862

your estimation; but neither a miseris blessing
nor curse will pass current for rent, food, or
clothing. No, Mr.. -"


"Brandsh-Stephen Brandish."


"No, sir; Mr.. Brandish, Il l undertake this
business Of detecting this secret thief and get
back your money, or any portion Of II, must
be paid in gOld-gold, sir, gold-iorI, !, too, like
gold-though for what it will buy, and not TO
worship"


For long time we could not agree upon terms;
but at last, having got that matter settled to my
satisfaction, entered with great zest into the
penetration and unravelment Of what was really
a very wonderful mystery. That night, after
dark, made my appearance at the misers house I;
and being admitted, and the door secured, l be-
gan my inspection Of the premises. ! went up
to the roof and down to the cellar, searching
minutely all the walls, doors and ceilings, for
some possible place where thief might enter or
secrete himself The house was an old, crazy
structure, sure enough; but found nothing to
give me q clue to the mystery. The doors and
windows were all bolted on the inside, and the
bolts, assured myself by close examination,
were all sound and in good order. In the cellar
was well from which the old man drew what
water he used, and satisfied myself there was
nothing suspicious about that. Then went
round the walls and tried every stone Of any
size, to see il It might be removed but all were
fast and solid. At last came to the money
safe, which was curiously built in the ground,
with the iron door upwards, like trap-door, and
which was efectually concealed by scattering
dirt over It


al must see the inside Of this" said I.


"0h, SIR" returned the old miser, trembling
at the thought Of exposing his riches, you will
not take advantage Of an old mani You will
not betray mel You will promise this-you will
swear i'll"


might have got offended at this question Of
my honesty from another; but took into con-
sideration the peculiarities Of the afflicted nser,
and readily promised all he required, even going
so far as to take an oath Of secrecy Atlast after
much hesitation and demurring, he ventured to
expose the interior Of the safe to my gaze. 1t
contained twenty-five heavy bags Of gold, with
large amount Of silver thrown in loosely; but
the bottom, sides, and all parts Of 1t, save the
iron door, were composed Of thick granite, per-
fectly celnented, and had never been disturbed
since being put together.


My inspection Of the house was now completed,
but without gaining the slightest clue to the mys
terry Of 1.-THE lObbeFies. Il could discover noplaco
where any one could have entered, and there
was certainly no one now concealed in the house.
questioned the miser as TO who had visited
him; but he positively declared that, myself ex.
cepted, was the only one he had permitted to
cross his threshold since taking up his solitary
abode there was at a astand-Iknew not what
to.suggest Had but one bag been missing-Or
had be only been robbed once-the matter would
have seemed susceptible Of some rational solu-
ton but to be robbed Eve several times at ir-
regular intervals, and the thief to be so forbear-
ing as to take only comparatively small portion
at each time, and then withal leave no trace save
the loss, Of his having been there-this it was
that puzzled and perplexed me exceedingly.
finally went away, at q late hour, promising 10
give the matter my serious consideration, and the
old man agreeing to communicate with meimme-
diately on the occurrence Of anything new.


Three DAYS alter he again appeared in bali.
distracted state, and declared that during the
night previous he had been robbed Of another
bag Of gold. Again repaired to his house, and
made another thorough search, going from cellar
to roof and from roof to cellar, examining every
thing, even to the old rotten straw bed, but only
to end as wise as began. Inade him open his
safe again, and saw with my own eyes that only
twenty-four bags remained; and knew from
bis appearance that the money was really lost,
since il was not possible for any one to counter
felt such wretched grief aud terror as bis coun-
tenance, language and manner expressed. The
money was gone: but who was the thief and
by what mystery had he made his entrance and
exit, and opened and closed the safel


Ina few days the miser was robbed again;
and in spite Of all that could do he continued
to be robbed, at longer or shorter periods, for
several months, until in fact only ten bags Of
gold remained By this time be was wasted
almost to skeleton through grief at bis loss,
and had become so nervous and superstitious
that looked to see ghost every time visited
the dwelling. What could 1t meant ] had
spent days and nights in the house-had ar.
ranged matters so that could come and 60 as
pleased, at all hours, secretly and openlY-and
yet, though had used this freedom, and been
an almost constant spy upon the premises, ! had
failed to detect the slightest clue to the thief
Surely Il could not be the work Of human hands
aud the thought Of the supernatural made my
blood run cod.


One night retired 10 bed, terribly perplexed
with this mystery; and after rolling and tossing
about for long time, l fell asleep, and drcamt
was In the miscr's house, on the watch, and that
saw him get up, 90 to his safe, unlock it, take
out bag OF gold, drop il In the well, re-lock his
safe and return to his bed.


THAT is i'll" cried, leaping out upon the
floor. al have it now The wretched man is
a sleep walker, and had all along been robbing
himself Why have not thought Of this be.
fore :"


dressed in haste, and set of, night though Ii
was, to ascertain the truth Of my new conjec-
ture. reached the gloomy house, went in,
and found the miser was not In bed. l hurried
down stairs, and, by the light Of my lantern, be-
held him stretched out upon the ground, near
the well, with bag Of gold in his hand. spoke
to him, but be did not answer. touched him
but he did not stir. l stopped down, took hold
Of lis wrist felt Of hispuise, and started up in
horror.


lie was dead He had died in the act Of rob-
bing himselil


The mystery was solved, my dream had re.
vealed the truth, and the missing bags Of gold
were all found al the bottom Of the web. The
whole was taken possession Of by the AuthOri-
ties, and received my lust due for services rem