aw , P -fc'-Rfe: i :yAi:4fi VOL. XI. NEW BLOOMFIELD, iPA.'., TXJE83DA.Y, DECEMBER 18, 1877. NO. 60. 'A Jr Si L f f i v i T-- ' ' ill V T r ' ill ' 1 lil I N I ! F- V, -S THE TIMES. An Independent Family Newspaper, 18 PUDUBHBD EVE11Y TUESDAY BY F. M011TIMEII & (JO. 8 U H 9 C It I P T I O N 1 It 1 1! 15 . (WITHIN Tit COUNTY. One Year 2 VAX Months . 75 (OUT OF TIIB COUNTY. One Year. (Pnitauo Included) II fO (tlx Months, (I'ostage I lie udeil) 83 Invarlebly lu Advance I J- Advertising rates furnished upon appli cation. $eka Poetry. " WONDER WHO THEY'RE FOR ?" My mi'i been working very hard, And also very sly, And keeps her sewing out of sight Whenever I am nigh. I asked her once what made her stop Her work when I camo In ) She said she only stopped to got A ncedlo, thread or pin. The bureau drawer next to mine Is locked both night aud day, And when ma wants to open It Sho.sends mo off to play. I stole a peep ono afternoon, Although It was not right ; But, oh t the little things I saw Were such a pretty sight ! The cutest, nicest little clothes Just big enough for doll But then I know they're not for her She needs them not at all. I know they're not for ma nor pa, Nor me nor brother " Hor," For we can not wear such little clothes I wonder who they're for I An Unexpected Passenger. I WAS sitting alone one day when a lady came in, a widow, I surmised, from her weeds, genteelly dressed, and still pretty. Her first words to the point were, " Do you remember the .Ludlow dis appearance two weeks ago ?" I did have a distinct recollection that a man named Ludlow had disappeared a fortnight before, down Providence way somewhere. I took down my scrap book, and presently came upon the fol lowing. It was my business, you see, to keep a record of such things. It some times comes handy. $000 lleward will be paid for the re covery of the body of llrightman Lud low, who was drowned In the vicinity of Watch Hill, Hhode Island, on the eve ning or night of the 31st Inst. Deceased was a dark, fine-looking man, with black hair and mustache, slenderly built and nearly six feet in height. When last seen he had on a gray Scotch busi ness suit (sack coat), a straw hat with black ribbou, patent leather shoes, and fancy socks of fine material. Wore a valuable diamond on the little finger of his left hand. A iso wore diamond studs and a heavy gold watch-chain, with small hunting-case Swiss watch. Ad dress, &c. Beneath this notice was a larger para graph cut from a paper of later date, and giving a detailed account of Mr. Lud low's disappearance. He was, as might Vie inferred from the description of his person, a gentlemen of wealth and social importance. He had been staying at Watch Hill for the summer, that is, his family remained there, as he came on frequently from New York, where he was in business. On the afternoon of the 31st of July he had put off by himself in a small sail-boat, in spite of the fact that he was quite unaccustomed to the water, and in spite of the re peated assurance of the light-house keeper that a storm was at hand. He had sailed away up the coast line, and " that was the last that had been seen of him. A thunder squall had come up shortly after, the wind had risen to a gale, and it seems hud been too much for the little boat. She had been found the next morning bottom side up, with an old letter firmly fastened to her keel by the point of Mr. Ludlow's pen knife. On the envelope of this letter were hastily scrawled with a pencil these few terrible words : " The squall has capsized me. I've turned her over, and am clinging to her, but I can't hold out much longer. I am drifting toward Block Island. God bless my dear wire and babies. P. LUDLOW." "Well, sir V" said the lady, n I fin ished the account and looked up. "Well, ma'am," I answered, "Is there anything peculiar about the case V It appears, after all, to be nothing more than a case of accidental drowning." " That la just the point sir. It ap pears to be that; but ns a matter of fact I do not believe that llrightman Ludlow was drowned at all." " What 1 Do you suppose he has been murdered ?" 1 inquired, In some as tonishment. " I do not believe that he is dead." " May I ask your reason V " I learned only yesterday that his business affairs were much Involved, In fact that he has been systematically robbing IiIb partner for months. They have been keeping the matter quiet for reasons of their own. Just put the fact, however, beside another ; viz., that the day before the accident 1 put into his hands for deposit some forty thou sand dollars In bonds, of which he could not possibly have disposed. And yet since his death they are not to be found, nor any account of them ; he was not the man to keep them on his person un der ordinary circumstances, especially when he was going out upon the water. Add to all this still further that Mr. Ludlow was excessively timid about boats, and without strong reason would never have gone out alone, and In the face of the light-keeper's warning. And would not his body have been found be fore this, when bo largo a reward has been offered ? I tell you, sir, Bright man Ludlow is as much alive at this moment as you and I are I" " May I ask your relation to the de ceased V" I now said. " I am his wife's sister, Mrs. Crad dock." I Bat In silence for a while, thinking over the affair. Here was the opinion of a woman, but of a woman whom I could see was a sharp-sighted, practical person, and I felt that it might be worth a great deal. Her suspicions had been breathed to no one except myself. She wished me to go down to Watch Hill and look Into the matter secretly. If I found nothing to confirm her view of the case she would give it up ; other wise she could never rest satisfied. I questioned her a little while longer, and consented to do as she wished. A few days after that I registered un der uu assumed name at the L House, passing for a gentleman of means spend ing a few weeks at the sea-sldo. The Ludlow family had returned to New York, but the affair was still talked of, and I heard the story repeated several times. By careful questioning here aud there I gathered certain facts that, if nothing more, served to convert me thoroughly to Mrs. Craddock's theory. The light-house keeper was my chief source of information. After listening to his account of the matter I asked him, " Where did you say the wind was that afternoon V" " 'Bout sou'eust, sir, an' workin' round to nuth'rd 'n' east'rd." " But how could he have been drifting toward Block Island with the wind to the eastward " "Who says he was driftin' toward Block Island?" " He says so on that envelope." The old man opened his eyes. " Why," said he, "that's on possible. 'Twas much as he could do to got ther skiff oil' shore when he set out. Be sides, she was picked up nex' morniu' over there to west'rd in Fisher's Island Sound. He must 'a' ben considerably mixed up in his reck'niu'. An' no wonder. Ef he'd hed his senses about him, too, he'd a knowed cnull' ter lash hisself to ther skiff's bottom. There was plenty o' rope in her." I drew my own conclusion from all this, and said nothing. Pretty soon the man got to talking of his boat, a large oue, moored oil" shore, thinking per haps to find a patron in me. " Is she fast V" I absently inquired. "Fast! Wal, now, you've jest said it. There a'n't a boat on the Sound that kin show the ' Norah' her heels, less, mebbe, It's Klttridge's, over on Fisher's Island. Thet boat o' his kin go lu a breeze, an' no mistake. But the 'Norah' carries a tremenjus lot o' sail, yer see. Why, it's big es his'en Is when I've got two reefs in. He a'n't nowhar in a light wind. Let's see: he ha'nt ben over sence Mr. Ludlow was drownded. I reinenibcr he came over and took him off the very day before he took himself off." I pricked up my ears. " Was Mr. Ludlow accustomed to go ofT with him V" I askod. " O, Lord, no. He never see Klttrldge afore. But he was down here when the 'Arrow' came In, an' I was tellln' him what a character the old fellow was, they do gay he's no better than a second hand pirate, an' so Mr. Ludlow was interested in him, an' wanted him to take him off for a sail." Tills was enough for me for the pres ent, and I changed the subject. " I would like to try your boat to morrow," I said. "Can you go with her?" "Wal, Chuck kin, ef I can't." Chuck was his boy. " When ye want ter go?" "Oh, In the morning I suppose, If everything Is favorable." The next morning, with a light breeze from the southwest, Chuck aud I started out in the " Norah ;" and In ac cordance with my directions the boat was headed for Fisher's Island. It took us two hours, with a long tack and two short ones, to make the east point of the island. Old Klttrcdge, as I had learned from Chuck, lived all by himself In a hut, quite a way around on the south shore. " I wish the old cuss was out in the ' Arrow' this mornin'," Chuck remark ed, as we were gliding along near the shore. " This Is jest our wind. By jingo 1" ho presently added, "Ib'lieve that's him, now. See there!" And he pointed out to me the corner of a sail crawling along over the land. A few moments after that a large cat rigged boat came fully into sight. I ran the thing over In my head, and conclud ed I would like to make the ex-pirate's acquaintance. " Chuck," said I, " are you sure you can outsail him this morning ?" " Dead sure, Bir, ef it don't come on ter blow." " Well, I'll tell you what I want. I want you to run up alongside, so I can jump on board of the ' Arrow,' and then sheer off, paying no attention to any thing I say, and go back home with out me. Here," and I put abank-noto in his hand, "just say you landed me up here somewhere." He looked a good deal puzzled,but took the money and said nothing. Old Kittredge seemed disposed to avoid us ; but Chuck handled the " Norah" beautifully, and we quickly overhauled the " Arrow." As we drew up along, side, taking position between the latter boat and the wind, Chuck suddenly let the "Norah" fall off, bringing her bow for a single Instant within less than two feet of the " Arrow's stern. And during that Instant I, who before this had gone forward, made a desperate leap,and then there I was in the same boat with my ex-pirate! Kittredge came up into the wind at once, supposing that I had lost my balance, aud jumped to save myself from falling overboard. "What's ther fulo mean, lcttln'. go his sheet that 'ere way V" he growled. " Why don't ho come about V" But Chuck had his instructions ; and although I added my own cries to those of the man, he kept straight on, only turning a moment to put his thumb to his nose in a suggestive manner. " What does the young Idiot mean f He shall pay dearly for this!" I said, angrily. " What am I to do, I should like to know? Can you, sir, take me over the Hill ?" " No !" responded the old man, short ly and gruflly. "But I'll pay you." " No, you won't." " Do you mean to say you won't land mei"' " Ye come on board o' your own ac cord ; ye may git ashore as best ye kin." This was certainly novel treatment ; and had it not suited me precisely I might have lost my temper. " Very well," I said good-humoredly " If my stay on board is to be perma nent, 1 11 make myself at home. I think I'll take a nap." And.stretchlng myself out lu the shadow of the sail on the roof of the cabin, I closed my eyes, and was very soon, to all Intents and purposes, fast asleep. I had taken good care, however, to place myself in tuch a position that I could watch my strange shipmate through my half-closed eye lids. Somehow or other I rather dis trusted him. He stood there at the helm humming an old sea-song, now closely watching the sail, and now re garding me so long and so unpleasantly that I felt sure ho was considering the chancesof getting rid of me. Presently he put the boat about, and stood in to ward the shore. Five minutes more might have passed, when all at once, lying there with my ear close to the deck, I fancied I heard a slight rustling, as when straw is moved. I listened intently, closing my eyes, and for the moment forgetting my compan ion entirely. Once more I heard the same sound, and then a faint sigh, as of a man waking from slumber. I was no longer in doubt. There was a third person on board (he " Arrow" V The discovery, entirely unexpected as it was, was certainly a little startling. I had scarcely made it, however, when I felt a strong grasp seize me by the hip and shoulder. I sprang up and threw my arms tightly around old Kittredge, just in time to save myself from being pitched into the shallow water near the shore. It appeared that he Intended to land me without asking my consent at all. " How now !" I shouted, indignantly. " What are you up to, old man V" The rascal was ready enough with his explanation. " Up to 1" snarled he. " Ef I hedn't ketched ye es I did, ye'd 'a' gone over the side. Ye've ben asleep. Le' go me, wlllyel Don't you see she's lufiln'?" All this was so plausible that I had not a word to say, although I knew that he was lying. " What are you doing In-shoreV" I asked, sharply. " Ooin' to land you." " But I don't propose to land." " Ye don't V opening his eyes. " No ; and what's more, I think I'll go below and turn in, where I won't be in danger of rolling overboard." I got up and moved toward the cabin hatch. The doors were closed, and the slide drawn aft. The padlock hung in the staple. " Here, none o' that ! Come out o' thar!" he shouted; but I had already flung open the doors. Until I did so, I am frank to confess I had not the slightest suspicion of what was to fol low. There in the middle of the cabin, standing as though he had just left a berth, with a half-terrified, wholly des perate expression on his dark face, was a man, so tall that he was obliged to stoop very much in the low cabin, and whom, in spite of his changed dress and shaven lip, I knew in an instant from the published description, knew be yond the shadow of a doubt to be Brighlman Ludlow. I had been In trying situations before now, and I thought quickly. Swift as lightning I slammed the doors to again, secured them with the hasp, and turned toward old Kittredge. And not a second too soon. He was coming for me with the heavy tiller, which he had unshipped for the purpose no insignificant weapon, I assure you But I was too quick for him, and had whipped out my revolver. "Ke-shlp your tiller, and haul your sheet aft !" I commanded, Bternly ; and after an instant's hesitation he obeyed. I seated myself on the cabin hatch. " Now my sea-fearing friend," I con tinued, coolly, " I'll relieve you of the command of this craft. You'll be kind enough to run her straight around the island and into New London. And If you dure disobey, you old cast-off pirate, I'll shoot you dead! Come, sir! look sharp 1 'bout ship at once !" He saw that I meant it, and, realizing his helplessness, did as I told him. We got into New London at three o'clock in the afternoon, the wind having fresh ened somewhat. I sent some boy9 1 saw on the dock for an officer, and with his help easily secured my cabin passenger. I was quite right, of course, about its being Mr. Ludlow. It appeared that he had made arrangements with old Kitt redge to come out and take him off the skiff on the afternoon of the " drown- ing," and he had been hiding with him on Fisher's Island ever since. I waa just in time, for the old man was taking him over to Long Island that very morning. Ludlow had a great deal of stolen property In his possession; and among the rest, easily identified of course, was Mrs. Craddock's forty thou sand dollars in bonds. "Wanted, A Boyl" , A tradesman once advertised in the morning papers for a boy to work in the shop, run errands, and make himself generally useful. In a few hours the shop was thronged with boys of all ages, sizes, sorts and conditions, all wanting to find a situa tion. The shopkeeper only wanted one boy, but how to get the right one wag the great difficulty. He thought he must find some plan to lessen the number of applicants, and give him a better oppor tunity of eclecting a good one. So he sent them all away, and thought the matter over a little. The next morning the papers contained the following advertisement : WANTKD, A HOY WHO OIIKY9 HIS jioTHKn." Now, then, thought the tradesman, I shall see soon who will apply. He also put a bill in his window with these words on. And how many do you Bupposedld come? The story is that there were only two of all the numerous boys seeking employment in that big city who felt that they could honestly come and say, " I obey my mother." The cowd of lads was indeed quickly thinned out most effectually, and the tradesman had not much trouble in selecting a boy. Such boys as these boys that obey their mothers are In great demand. My little boy, if you saw an advertise ment for such a boy could you truth fully go and ofTer yourself for the situa tion '( If not, I fear there is something wrong about you. Look to the matter ; seek the Lord's salvation ; bean obedient son, and God will bless you. Clilldren'a Friend. What Are You Sowing Now? A gentleman was stopping a few days witli a farmer, who, though a man of sound sense and many good traits of character, had neglected religion. He was an excellent farmer, priding him self on the fine appearanceand thorough culture on his farm, and evidently was pleased with his guest, who was a man of winning manners and extensive In- . formation, and a Christian. One day he walked out where the farmer was scattering his seed broadcast in the field. " What are you sowing, Mr. II V" he asked. " Wheat," was the reply. " And what do you expect to reap from it'i"' " Why, wheat, of course," said the farmer. At the close of the day, as all were gathered in a family circle, some little thing provoked the farmer the husband and father, the head of the family and at once he was in a violent passion, and, forgetting In his excitement the presence of his guest, he swore most profanely. The gentleman, who was sitting next to him, in a serious tone said. " And what are you sowing now, Mr. H ?" The farmer waa startled. A new light at once flashed on his mind from the question of the morning. A Lueky Man. Mr. Slack, of Drakeville, but recently living at Chester occupying a tenement property belonging to Chester Iron Co., near the X Rhoads, while digging a small hole in which to set a barrel for scalding hogs, dug up what was appar ently a few buttons, which he gave to his children to play with. His wife's curiosity Induced her to clean them when they having the appearance of silver Mr. Slack went back to the hole and dug for more when he was rewarded with a " whole mess" as he expressed It. They were all Spanish coins dating from 1737 to 1779. There were three klnd9 representing one real, two reals and eight reals, or one shilling, two shillings and one dollar. It is supposed that Mr. Slack secured a hundred dollars or so, but this is mere guess ' work, as he is very reticent. Mr. Slack found no woodwork or any thing to show what kind of a depository they were in. They were within a space of two feet of the surface. This is the old Swayze pro perty, and it is supposed the money was buried during the Revolutionary war or previous to those troublesome times.