Year: 1879

make my way to the road, footsteps ap-
preached, and / crouched behind the
trunk of tree to escape observation
Just then the moon, which had been
obscured most of the night, burst away
from the clouds and shone out brightly.
BY its light saw man approaching,
carrying spade in his right hand, and
bundle under his left arm. / thought
at first that it was the gardener, but the
moons light was quite strong,and saw
that he wore gentleman's dress, and
not that of a laboring man. My curl
osity was excited at this discovery and
j watched him closely. He proceeded
to the foot of large elm tree, laid down
the bundle, and commenced digging a
hole in the ground with the spade. He
did this very hurriedly, glancing around
nervously every now and then every
time the wind rustled among the
branches of the trees. When he had
dug the hole deep enough to satisfy him,
he placed the bundle carefully in it, bent
over it with strange action which
could not understand then, but COM
pretended afterwards, and hastily shov-
eled back the dirt, replaced the sod care
fully, and hurried away"


"And you were there and saw this ?"
demanded Mr.. Waldron, restlessly.


"How else could l tell it to you ?"
asked the sailor.


True"


l OF of on
thing in my life. My first thought was,
that some valuable jewels had thus been
hid away there for safety, and as l was
in the appropriating line in those days,
determined to possess them. dug up
the turf with the long knife carried-a
kind of safeguard against the police you
know-and scooped out the dirt with my
hands, trembling all the while in my
eagerness to discover what had been
buried. I soon reached the bundle and
drew it forth. 1t had strange feel
about it, which / didn't altogether like,
and ] shuddered as unwrapped soft
kind of little blanket that was wound
about it. 1t was neither gold nor jew
els. 1 was younger then and unused to
such sights, and my legs fairly shook
under me and my hair stood on end as /
looked at it. 1t ,Uas the dead body of a
little child ?"


John Waldron covered his face with
his hands and his strong frame quiv-
cred.


"What did you do with itp" asked he,
removing his hands after short pause,
and showing his face as unmoved and
placid as ever.


Returned it carefully to its grave,
replaced the earth and turf as 1 had
found them, and then made my way to
the road, reached the ferry and returned
to New York. But treasured the cir
cumstance in my merlory."


TO make it profitable at some fu-
ture time,'' said John Waldron drily.


Exactly" responded Mobiles, in the
same tone. "There was a girl in New
York that loved better than my own
life, but she preferred another to me and
married him. met her the next day,
and she thinking that bore her i'll will
for the slight she had put upon me, ac-
cuse me of stealing away her little girl.
/ thought nothing of the circumstances
at the time, but it has come back to my
mind with significance lately. The city
had got too hot hold me on account of
the river robberies, so 1 shipped on board
a vessel bound for foreign parts, and
sailed away. Pm back but twice in all
that time, for the rowing life pleased me
and strangely enough made an honest
man of me-that is to say, honest as the
world goes, for we are all rogues in the
grain, you know. l had almost forgot
ten that strange burial, when yesterday,
scarcely two hours landed from Calcut-
ia, up steps the living image of my old
sweetheart, Nance. couldn't help
speaking to her, and when did she in
formed me that her name was Lillian
Waldron, which quite flabergasted me.
But was never slow in following up a
wake, and putting my ideas together. /
soon came to this conclusion: Lillian
Waldron lies buried at the foot of the
big elm tree in yonder grove, and to keep
the Farrell estate in your hands, you
stole the daughter of Nance Burke, and
passed her off as your child"


6 You have made very good story OF
it," said Mr.. Waldron. "What do you
seek to gain in this matter Z"


"Five thousand dollars for silence,