Year: 1876




about to confess. 1 was a clerk in a
banking house in London, and the facii-
ties and opportunities for peculation Of
fered me were too much for me to with
stand, but circumstances occurred which
convinced me that discovery could hard
ly be much longer delayed, and was
casting about how to make my escape
while there was yet time. Just at this
juucture one of the senior clerks in the
house had to be sent down to Bristol in
charge of very large sum of money in
gold, and was deputed to accompany
him to guard the treasure.


"In those times matters were differ
entity conducted from what they are in
the present day, and we had to take the
money in box, strongly secured and
sealed, with us, by the mail coach,
which started from one of the old inns
in the city for the west OF England.
There was sum of two thousand
guineas in the box, and the idea sug-
gested itself to my mind that if 1 could
become master of such a sum I could get
clear away by some ship leaving Bristol
for foreign parts before the bank could
become aware of the fact of my escape.
But how to get rid of my companion.
Briefly: for feel my strength sinking
and l must hurry forward to the end of
what I have to tell you. I procured
poison, which poured into leathern
bottle, which 1 carried on the road, and,
watching my opportunity, offered it to
him to drink. He sank back in a cor
ner of the coach and in few minutes
was corpse. Emptying the remaining
contents of the bottle out of the window,
and placing the dead man in such an at
titnde as would lead people to suppose
he had died naturally in his sleep, I
hailed the guard with every stimulation
of trepidation, and stopped the coach.
The outside passengers got down, and
scene of great excitement occurred. At
the next village, the local doctor, who
as it happened was man of no great
skill, was sent for, and dexterously in
sinuating to him that I had known my
companion to have suffered from heart
disease of some years standing, with
many compliments to the professional
acumen of the doctor himself, that
worthy was not long in pronouncing it
case of sudden death from disease of
the heart; and I was suffered, in view
of my representations as to the urgency
of my mission to Bristol, to proceed ON
my journey. This is the bare outline of
my crime, the details would only weary
you, and my time is short. 1 succeeded
in leaving England and reaching Brazil,
where have amassed fortune. That
fortune is within the box which lies be-
meath my hand" H...


He paused, for violent spasm came
over aim, and it was not for some time
that [ could recover him sufficiently to
enable him to proceed.


Raising himself in bed with difficulty,
he unlocked the box, and disclosed an
array of unset diamonds, whose bril-
liancy dazzled me.


"Here are 100000 worth of dia-
monds," proceeded Mr.. Grierson. CT
have converted all my fortune into these
gems, and these intend to intrust to
your care. Take this box at once to
your own cabin and return to me for
your instructions as to the disposal of
the contents"


hesitated, but he was imperative.


"Not word. am dying fast and
implore you to accede 70 my last re
quest. "


took the box, locked it, and left the
cabin. #.a


AS I opened the door 1 ran up against
Pete. .s H......


"What are you doing here r.


Nothing"


L passed on along the main deck to-
ward my cabin forward, and on my way
L met Captain McFarlane.


Chow is your patient, doctor9"


"Dying, I fear. He cannot last
long" .1E ....


passed on, and depositing the box
in place of safety, returned. Grierson
was rapidly sinking, and in a few short
sentences he instructed me as to the
disposal of his property. Ten thousand
pounds was to go to the bankers,
Messrs. Holt & Wardley, of Lombard
street, and the balance to the family of
the murdered man, whose name was
given me, and whose representative I
pledged my word to do my best to dis
cover.


Finally, binding me over not to dis
close what 1 had just been told, except
to parties named by him in his dying re-
quest, Grierson relapsed into state OF
partial insensibility, from which l in
vain attempted to rouse him, and before
half an hour had elapsed the unhappy
man was no more. ...


Going on deck, communicated the
news to the captain, who gave the nee
essary directions as to the funeral, which
took place next day; and once more We
were plowing our way through the blue
water as if nothing had happened.


was an altered man. The strange
commission with which / had been in
trusted weighed on my mind. Over ant
over again in the stiffness of the nigh