Year: 1876

| Ol U1e mousse QlQ nOt-fOf alter the dis
pelling Of tho bright fancy of future
wealth, she began to fear that the stran-
ger might take fiction to shorten her
life before morning, and SO lay awake
and listened, and trembled at every IN
usal sound.


The night, however, passed off with
out any disturbance, and - daylight the
old man rose and won't out, leaving his
bundle behind. Scarcely was he out of
sight before the curiosity of the hostess
set her to work to see if she could gather
any new facts. If he had left a trunk,
instead of bundle, she would probably
have found a way to open and rummage
it but as it was, she had only to unite
an old, dirty handkerchief, and there be-
fore her eyes lay shirt, a pair of stock
ings and tin box-a curious looking tin
box-for which, unfortunately for her
ease of mind, she could not imagine any
use. She held it up, turned it over,
shook it, and tried her best to see into
it and conjecture for what purpose it was
made but not being able to do this, she
at length resigned it with q sigh, rolled
it up as she had found it, tied up the
bundle, and went about her business.


John the Painter came back to a late
breakfast, and then settled with the cur
ious widow for all he had he'd of her,
and at the same time remarking that he
might possibly remain in town another
night, in which case he hoped he wonld
be permitted to return and pass another
night under her hospitable roof. To
this she now readily gave consent, again
thinking him man of some conse-
quence. He then inquired where he
could find tinman, and receiving the
proper direction to one, he bade her
good bye and started off, this time tax
ing his bundle with him.


Toward evening, however, he came
back, and said he had concluded to stay
another night in town, and wanted sup
per, which the widow again prepared
| for him. He ate this meal III silence,
and soon after made some excuse to go
out. He was absent some two or three
hours, and when he returned he report
ed quite large fire, which he under
stood were some government buildings
| that he feared would be consumed.


"But blessed are the poor !' he added
with strange kind of langh, which his
hostess afterward recalled-''for they
have nothing to lose.''


He then went to bed, and appeared to
rest well through the night; but rose at
the first streak of day, paid his reckon
ing, and took his departure, saying he
would return.


On going out, an hour or two later,
the widow was surprised to see the usu-
ally quiet town in great commotion-
groups collected here and there, as if
| discussing some remarkable event, and
mounted men, both military and civil,
dashing hither and yon, all seeming hur-
ried and anxious On every blank wall,
too, there was flaming placard, an
nouncing the startling fact that hun
dred thousand pounds worth of naval
stores had been destroyed by incendiar-
ism, that secret emmissaries of the enc
my were supposed to be in their midst,
Offering large rewards for the arrest and
conviction of the guilty, and ordering
all citizens to report to the nearest mag
istrate the names of all strangers who
lodged in town during the last three
days and more especially the pight just
1 passed.


As soon as the widow fairly understood
this matter, she fastened to give in the
name of John the Painter, with de-
scription of his person, manner, CONVEX
sation, and withal, his curious tin box
and his visit to the tinman. The latter
] was Immediately sent for, and deposed
that he had made top for the box,
which seemed to be curious affair, the
use of which he did not know


All this fully fixed suspicion on the
eccentric old man, and as it was suppos-
ed he had been dispatched from town by
relays of horses, horsemen were sent off
in every direction in hot pursuit with
orders to arrest every mounted person
they might find.


Somewhere about midday John the
Painter was overtaken, on the regular
London road, by one of these mounted
parties. who stopped him and inquired
if any one had passed him on horseback
| that morning,


''Not soul, replied the old man.


GLOW long have you been on this
road %


''Since daylight. Why p"


''There was great destruction of na-
val stores in Portsmouth last night, the
work of some internal incendiary, and
we want to catch the villain, that's all. !"


"Well, do you s'pose he fled On horse
back?" said the old man, with peculiar
twinkle of his eye.


Undoubtedly"


ssWell, he d1dn't-he went on foot I"


'sHa how do you know ?"
! ssBecause 1 know the man who did
it."


s'Who is he? where is he ?" demand
ed the leader, excitedly.


ssHe's called John the Painter, and he
is here. I'm the man."


''Take care how you jest, old fellow, :"