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By J. W H., of Toccoa, Ga.
Chapter XXII.
A REVELATION.
Mr. Bergan resumes his old routine
of business. Paul s father has never
said one word to him as regards his
staying in W ■. Paul is expecting
it every moment. Paul receives a
message from his father, asking him
to come immediately to his private
office. He is informed in a matter of
fact, business way that he desire*
Paul to become ‘ Teller of the bank,
and that he must enter upon the duties
of his office on the morrow.” Mr.
Bergan does not fail to observe lib
son s look of incredulity and thinks
an explanation necessary; so he
continues;
“Paul, I have lately become pos¬
sessed of a secret with which I am
afraid to trust even myself. Mr.
Somers has always faithfully per-
formed his duty, and it is to prevent
his knowing this secret that I make
you teller in his stead.
Ten days ago I was in IPat-
Mr. Wilton’s old place of business.
One evening just before dusk, I was
8topped at the corner Hunter street,
by the most sinister c; ' bolical speci-
men of civilized humanity lexer saw.
Small in stature, a hunchback, a
Roman nose, bronze complexion his
face covered with short stubby beard,
small eyes, iu which there was the
glitter of the serpent's, all combined
to give him an extremely hideous
appearance.
“jtfr. Bergan,” said lie, without
giviu^mc his name, and then rapidly
continuing. “I desire yon to keep this
package until Minnie Wilton becomes
twenty-one years of age ; then, bo so
kind as to give it to her.” ith tins,
he turned to leave, but 1 hastily said ;
“to my certain knowledge, Minnie
Wilton is dead.”
“Then keep it, ’ said he. “It is
hers and I will never touch it again.
He passed out of sight at once,
carelessly placed the package in mv
pocket and never opened it until this
morning. #
That package contained $650,000.
00 in U. S. Bonds 1 My first thought,
was that the bonds were bogus, but
on a close inspection, l was forced to
acknowledge that they were genuine I
Then I remembered that the unknown
person had said, “‘It is liers,’ I
remembered also, Mr. W iltou s last
words, ‘“Gan Eugeue be guilty, or is
Benton the rogue?’ I remember too
that the firm was once Burton &
Wilton. Then the only solution of
the mystery is this; Eugene Belmont
never took Mr. Wilton’s money.
Burton, his former partner did, and
now is seeking to repair this injury
by returning it with interest.
This mystery can never be ex¬
plained to the world, and should it
become known, a most horrible sus¬
picion will rest upon me. Keep this
as though it were the secret of the
dead. But the trouble is Minnie is
dead and the perplexing question is,
Who is entitled to this money? This
strange man charged me to keep it
until she “becomes twenty-one years
of age.” I suppose it is my duty to
keep it until she would have been
twenty-one, aud then endeavor to
ascertain to whom it legally belongs.”
Chapter XXITf.
A MYSTERIOUS MYSTERY !
Wheu Paul had left his father’s
office : his mind was puzzled as regards
that singular package. Uc was
ing leisurely down Laurel street, on
his way home. The shrill voice of the
newsboys, “Paper, sir ’ oartiallv
broke his reverie. Carelessly handing
the little fellow a dime, he received
the paper and passed on. He read
the locals, glanced over the political
items, and directly be was astonished
to see these words, in clear large
type;
“Paul Bergan will confer a favor
i.pan Tom Turner by calling at 3*2
^ street, this eve at five o'clock.”
It was now four, and he could
scarcely get to 332 —- street by five
o’clock. Ho walked on until be
found a street car which passed near
his destination. He succeeded in
TOCCOA NEWS
By Edw SCHAEFER- 1
VOL. I.
getting to 352 street at five min-
utes five. He saw a neat, substantial
cottage. He knocked and was ush¬
ered into a plainly furnished parlor.
Every moment now he expected to
see Tom enter, but not yet.
Directly a pleasant faced, lady of
about thirty five appeared and asked
if this was Mr. Paul Bergan? Paul
Vmwed and answered in thfi_affirma-
tivc. The lady scrutinized him close¬
ly for several minutes, saying not one
word. Paul resented such close
inspection and was annoyed at the
lady’s silence.
“Madam,” said he, “I was under
the thilt 1 *
friend, Tom Turner, as you will see
by reference to this paper, aud was
not expecting the honor of forming a
lady’s acquaintance.”
The lady eyed him closely, and it
was apparent to Paul that she was
displeased.
“And. Mr. Bergan, please be so
kind as to tell me something about
this Tom Turner.”
Here was our friend in a predica¬
ment What did he know about Tom
Turner himself? He had come for
information and was now asked to
give it. He hesitated, then blushed ;
the lady’s keen eyes seemed bent on
reading his inmost thoughts.
“Corns, sir, give me some informa¬
tion as regards your friend Tom
Turner whose conduct, to say the
least, is somewhat singular.”
“Madam, I have seen Mr. Turner
only a few times, and can tell you
nothing about him. I came here
expecting to see him and will take
my departure if he is not here. ’
“.Sir,” said she, in tones of determ¬
ination, “you will explain this mys¬
tery first.”
"J decline to attempt to explain
that of which lam totally ignorant.”
“ IFhen you know the cUeum
stances, perhaps yon can be induced
vo explain, and in all probability, in
public.”
‘•Please express your insinuations
in words.”
“I will, sir, at the proper time.”
“Madam, this must be explained.
Perhaps you can tell me, something of
Tom Turner. ’
“I have never seen him.”
‘You have never seen Tom Turner?’
exclaimed Paul.
‘Never!’ emphatically.
What was Paul to do? What could
this mean? This lady had never
seen Tom Turner. W hy had he asked
Paul to call here?
lie rose to depart, but the lady
stepped to the door, and in tones
bitterly sarcastic, said : “Not until
you give me an explanation do you
leave this room!”
He saw that she was determined
and thought the best plan would be to
endeavor to satisfy her. W ith this
thought he said, pleasantly ; “Really,
there is nothing to explain. I saw
this request in the paper, in which he
asked me to call here at five 0 ‘clook*
This I have done. He has not. That
is all I know !“
“Indeed 1 Then you decline to
explain the remainder, do you? Ton
shall explain it!“
*• v ; ad Jim, what remaiuder?” good
humoredly. He was satisfied there
was a mistake. Then the lady looked
at him sternly, and said in tones low
and firm,
“Then, sir, do you pretend 7 iot to
know that Tom Turner sent to me a
little girl accompanied by a note in
which was money sufficient to pay
her expenses for one month. Today
I received another note from him in
which he said that if Paul Bergan
called, please to let him have the
child. And you pretend to be
ignorant of these facts !
“Madam, I am ignoraut!
‘bir, you shall explain, or else I
will have it investigated! c hat plot
is this, into which J have been
unconsciously drawn?
[To be Continuedj
Devoted to News. Politic*. Agriculture and General progress.
TOCCOA, GA., OCTOBER 1882.
NAILED TO THE COUNTER.
Hon. Hiram P. Bell Indites a Few
Remakes Worthy of Consider¬
ation.
Gainesville Eagle.
Cvmming, Ga., Oct. 6,1882.
H. 4 W. J. Ham, Editor Eagle : -
My Dear,Sir: —Your favor of the 4th
instant is this moment received. You
say that ‘the Speer men here are
openly charging that you (I) are
SU pp 0r tj n g Mr. Speer in this cam¬
paign 1 ’ You add you ‘know it to be
untrue, but that they arc making
some people believe it, and you re¬
quest me to give you authority over
my own signature to deny it.’ You
are authorized to say that I am nbt
supporting Mr. Speer in this cam¬
paign, and that I would not support
Speer under any circumstances
for an y position, for the reason that
bas gfiown himself to be a dema-
gogue without principle or patriotism,
treacherous to all parties, and false
to state and race. I therefore leave
his support to his ‘Dear Mat’ and
those radicals who favor negro
supremacy and find congenial spirits
in this noble pair of brothers. You
are further authorized to say that I
favored the nomination of Hon. A.
D. Candler and most cheerfully
support him because he is a man of
honor and integrity, as true in counsel
as he was brave in battle ; shown by
tin rest, of trial, o be a capable legis-
lator, a democrat from conviction
and the able and fearless advocate of
home rule by white men.
Very respectfully, your obedi nt
servant II. P. Bell.
VALUABLES BY MAIL
The sending of a registered pack¬
age containing bonds valued at$> »-
000,000 from Baltimore for transmis¬
sion to Europe, which has been a
subject of comment in the Baltimore
newspapers, is not regarded by the
postal authorities here as a transac¬
tion of unusual magnitude. The
post-office officials are inclined to be
reticent as to the value of the money
packages received and delivered
through the registry department, and,
i n f ac t, the amounts are only known
when the packages become broken
and have to be rebacked and scaled.
Bonds sent between this country and
Europe are now transmitted almost
entirely by mail because that method
is the cheapest and quickest. There
is no delay of packages for examina¬
tion at the custom house, and the cost
is only 10 cents on each package,
besides the postage. The bonds are
insured by the marine insurance
companies in the same way as other
merchandise, and the Government is
not legally responsible for their safe
delivery. If the value of the package
is declared, the post-office authorities
may refuse to take the risk of deliv¬
ery. The transmission of property
worth several hundred thousand
dollars is thus secured at the cost of
a few dollars. The sending of gold
hy mail is also very common, especi¬
ally between ‘'an Francisco and this
eity. The gold sent by the Govern¬
ment from California is packed in
heavy iron safes and is delivered
under the usual Government frank.
The safes are taken from the post-
office to the Sub-Treasury, and the
contcnte carefully counted, the seals
not being touched from the time of
( j e p arture to that of arrival. Gold
sen t by private persons is packed for
maibDg lQ bagS , $1,000 being sent in
eacb ba2 The Nevada Bank receives
the larg (ilifbinia. * s t part of the gold thus sent
Tbe value of the
g 0 ]cj aen t through the mails is often
many millions of dollars in a year,
and that of the bonds is larger. It
j s sa td that when the bonds of the
railway were being sent to this
country for a special purpose, there
were securities valued at $80,000,00d
within the walls of the post-office at
one time.
Great precautions are taken by the
post-office authorities to guard
against loss of the valuable matter
committed to their charge. In the
Registry Department, as far as
possible, every transaction is
witnessed by two clerks, and no article
is at any time out of ihe charge of
some person responsible for its
safety. Receipts are given for the
delivery of each package by one
clerk to another. If any package
falls open, the fact has to be at once
reported to the superintendent, who
sees that its contents arc safe, and
that it is securely refastened. When
the registered letters and packages
are distributed for mailing they are
put into canvas bags, which are
different from those used for common
mails, and are fastened with padlocks
of peculiar construction. The pad¬
locks are numbered on one side, and
have an opening through which can
be seen a rotating number which
changes every time the lock is opened
The number of the padlock and
rotary number are registered at eacli
place, and the lock can not be
disturbed between the stations
without the fact appearing in a change
of the number.
Beside valuable articles there are
also sent by registered mail some
that are remarkable in other ways.
A firm in one of the Northwestern
Territories has a habit of sending
registered otter skins to the city, and
their odor is a fruitful source of
complaint among the clerks. The
same fault is found with packages of
compressed mushrooms that are sent
to this country from Italy, Two
trade dollars were sent the other day
by an economical person, who did
not seal them in envelopes, but tied
around them a piece of paper con¬
taining the address, so that the coins
might go as fourth class matter
Occasionally a bag of mail matter on
being opened will display loose coins
and paper money from packages
carelessly fastened. The letters that
are sent with the packages usually
contain enough particulars to enahL
the clerks to replace the right
amounts —N. Y. Tribune.
A BUFFALO ROBE WILH A
HISTORY.
‘Y r es,’ said a well-to-do business
gentleman of Atlanta, Ga., to a Con-
stitution representative, ‘that buffalo
robe is old, worn, faded, ugly and
worm-eaten, but I wouldn t take
$5,000 for it.’
•Then you are not as sensible as
/ thought you were,’ 'replied the re
porter, as he eyed the buffalo robe
spread upon the floor.
‘Sensible or not, I mean it. 1 have
been offered $100 and $2i0 for it re¬
peatedly, and once had an offer of
$500.-See,’ continued the speaker,
pointing to the faded hieroglyphics
on the inside of the robe, ‘that was
painted by a Sioux Indian artist
seventy years ago, and for many
winters kept warm the body of one of
the greatest chiefs that tribe ever
produced. That robe was his treas¬
ure, and for it he fought and many
ot his best braves died.’
‘That’s a good speech and well de¬
livered, but it sounds like a snake
story,’remarked the csdar shover, as
the gentleman paused, out of breath,
‘No, it is no snake story, and /will
show you why I value that robe so
much. My father was a Georgian,
and when Georgia sent her soldiers
to the Mexican war he shouldered
his gun and went along. From the
time he left home till the treaty
peace was signed he staid with his
regiment, and when at last became
home that robe was all he brought
with him. He put great store by
it and always kept it in his room. To
his family he told how he got it. One
dav during the war he was scouting
{ TERMS-$1 50 A YEAR.
NO. 15.
with a detachment of his regiment
and came upon a band of Indians. A
tight was the result, und after a few
volleys the Indians retreated, or
rather those who could do so. Among
the wounded was an old chief, and
when the soldiers came up to where
he lay on the battle-field there was
some talk of killing him, for he was
recognized as the most heartless,
cruel and fearless Indian on the
plains, but my father inter-
fered and from his own canteen put
water between the wounded chief’s
parched lips. But his wounds were
mortal and soon all knew' that the
cruel, heartless chief was dying. Just
before death he beckoned my father
to his side and by signs gave him
that robe. That is how ii came into
ihe family.’
‘And that is why you wouldn t
take $>500 for it?
‘No, not exactly. When the late
war came on I enlisted, and when uiy
Old father sent my tricks to the camp
he sent that robe. I did not want to
take it, because it was so cumber¬
some, but when he insisted 1 yielded.
Well, I went to Virginia, and while
trotting around after Stonewall Jack-
son, I lost the robe. I was greatly
worried over my loss, and used every
exertion to recover the old robe,
Everybody in my regiment knew of
the robe, its history and its. loss, and
i.very one kept an eye open for it
Veil, about the time of Cross Keys
and Port Republic fights, I learned
one day that my robe was in Stone
wall Jackson’s tent, I went to see,
and sure enough it was there. W hen
I entered the tent, or rather looked
into the tent, old Stonewall was lying
upon the robe. Finally, I mustered
courage to tell him of my loss. He
heard mv story with patience, and
then said that the robe had been
brought him about a week before by
an Alabama soldier. He offered to
surrender it, but I couldn’t take it
and told him to keep it—at the same
time giving him its history—and I
would get it after the war if he did
nG t lose it. Well, he kept it. At the
battle of Chancellorsvilie he received
his death-wound, an l when he died
he died on the robe, and I believe
some of that red which looks like
paint is some of the hero's blood.
After his death I claimed _ . _ the . rone, ,
then doubly dear to me. and sent it
home. Now would you take $5,000
for it? I can prove every word of my
story true.
THE A. E. <fc C. RAILROAD.
[New South ]
. No railroad project wa3 ever
started under more favorable auspices
than the one recently brought to the
notice of the people—to extend from
Augusta to Elberton. When the
matter was brought to the attention
ofthe people of Wilkes, Lincoln and
Columbia they seized upon it at once;
and libsral subscriptions to the
enterprise were poured in, the greatest
enthusiasm manifested all along the
line of the projected road.
Our Augusta contemporaries in-
form U 3 that the charter for the road
has been granted, an offer has been
made to grade tbe road from fiber-
ton to Broad river for the sum of ten
thousand dollars—about one-third of
the line_the crops on the whole line
were never better, and altogether it
would appear that the time for prompt,
mature and defin ; te action had come ;
yet our Augusta friends, who origin¬
ated the project, anl who—not un-
wisely, we frankly admit—appropri¬
ated the larger portion of the incor¬
porators, are strangely still in regard
to the matter. If a single attempt has
been made to secure subscriptions in
that city we have failed to properly
inform ourself.
Whether this course has been wise
plc’of . e ^ we firm a iy believe that
tbe p eo Lincoln inteud to have
&ra u r0 ad. and if they can t have it
i n both directions they will build the
cheapest end.
ACCIDENTAL SHOOIING.
Mb. Richard Davis is Shot and
Mortally woi"nded by iits friewd.
Macon Telegraph,
information was brought into the
city yesterday morning of a terrible
accidental killing at the toll gate,
about six miles from Jtfacon.
it seems that Mr. James Darden
and Mr. Charlie Tankersley are
interested in a sugar cane patch a
short distance from the toll gate. For
some time past, in fact ever since the
cane has ripened, quantities of the
cane have been stolen, the thieves
making almost nightly raids.
On Thursday night • Mr. Durden
made an arrangement with a neigh-
bor, Mr. Richard Davis, to help him
watch the patch. Both armed
themselves with double barreled shot
guns, and for some cause or other
the friends separated, to meet at the
patch. Mr- Durden was the first to
reach the patch, and he supposed that
his friend was already there, but on
the opposite side, as agreed upon.
He had not been there long before
he heard a rustling in the cane, and,
supposing the intruder to be a thief,
let loose both barrels. To his horror
he found that he had shot his friend,
one load taking effect in the stomach
and the other shattering his left arm.
Mr. Durden went at once for help,
and Mr. Davis was taken to Mr,
Tankerley’s house and a physician
sent for. As soon as the physician
saw the wound he pronounced it a
fatal one, though Mr. Davis was alive
yesterday.
It is thought that there is no
chance for him to live. The affair i9
deeply deplored by all in the
settlement. Both Durden and Davis
are well known in il/acon.
- — > m ---—
THE FISH AND THE HOOK.
A fat Bass was swimming around
with her plump young daughter when
a hook, temptingly baited, was
dropped before their noses.
‘There s a good dinner for us.*
whispered Miss Bass, as she started
for the bait.
‘Hold on, my ohild.’ cautioned the
mother, ‘The bait is tempting, but
beware ofthe hook which it conceals.
‘Oh, I’ll risk that.’
‘It will be death to you. Take a
mother's advice and hunt for frogs.’
But the giddy young thing could
not be convinced, and taking advaa*
tage of the first opportunity ihe
rushed forward and grabbed the bait
and —
moral:
You may think the fisherman
caught her, but he didn’t. He fished
all that afternoon and didn t even get
another bite.—Detroit Free Press.
- ■!> -
Washington. Gazette: . ‘Judge
TwJ independent candidate for
Congress, did not fill his appointment
to speak here last Saturday, on
account of ‘pressing business
engagements, we understand We
believe this was the reason he gave
some gentleman from this place, who
saw him last wee Had the Judge
been able to get off from his ‘pressing
engagements’ and pome here, the
people would have been very courte¬
ous to him as a private citizen, but
they would not have encouraged hia
effort to stir up the Radical element
in this District, even to the extent of
going to hear him speak.*
^ •
Carters ville Free Press: ‘The vote
of Bartow county was 1,753 for Billie
Wright for Comptroller-General,
instead of 1,155 aa pubhs e ^ 00
paper last week. The into igen
compositor ‘fixed’ that mistake. e
never let Billie Wright, Dan Speer or
Uncle Nathan Barnett run that way
in Bartow county. We would steep
with these men even though W* bad
a ‘pooket full of rocks.'
In a cave in the mountains of
Virginia resides a hermit of immense
size, with long white hair and beard.
He is over eighty years of age. and
for forty years has not spoken, When
he wants anything of civilization he
indicates it by signs, but for months
at a time he secretes himself and
communicates with no oue. It is
said that he has lost the power of
‘Not honor, but money ii needed,’
is the motto of the byoru P*J‘ J ‘
Greenbackers, Kepumic a. a
depen en s.