Freaks of Fortune

with trembling anxiety, removed the board that covered the hole in the wall. Thrusting his hand down into the aperture, a cold chill swept through his frame when he failed

oney; he did not love his fellow-beings. His heart almost ceased to beat beneath the shock, his lip quivered, and the tears started in his eyes. His brain beg

nted her like the vision of a midnight ghost. Levi was startled, and Mrs. Fairfield, accustomed as she was to the ways of her husband, was deeply

four thousand dollars in gold in the house, for he feared that she might be tempted to rob him of his treasure.

after working over him nearly half an hour, he came out of the fit,

ed his wife, when, after another examination of the

ned, to render any assistance in his

eavily, as he paced the r

t ails you?" contin

gasped he, with

one? Why don't you tell a

Somebody has stolen i

airth st

d Mr. Fairfield,

ch was

dollars," sig

t was a question whether she would not faint, for

?" asked Levi, who pitied t

whom they hate. If any wicked deed is done, they charge it

ole my money!" continue

ed Mrs. Fairfield. "Levi did

piece of candle?" demanded Mr. Fairfield, earnestly; and doubtless he felt that Levi was guilty

l no four thousand dollars. There's no sense

set the house afire, and then took the money. That boy hates me, an

gued Mrs. Fairfield. "Why s

he ha

teal your money," said Levi, who had calmly lis

o git the money. It's all plain enough to me," continued the o

e in pity than in anger. "I am willing to do anything I can to help yo

topping in front of him. "You know all about it, and you took the money. If y

bout it. I was not aware that you had so

he candle, then, if you

aw-mill, and the candle lies

ouse afire when you w

light, and not even a

l it, then, i

Where did you k

ay to his chamber, an

lace to keep mo

ll failin', and folks is failin'; and a man that's got a

ted in the cavity; that an hour before the fire, the miser had assured himself the gold was safe; that, after the fire, the board had been found in its place as before, but the gold was gone. A dozen of the neighbors, at least, had been into the room,

t the gold had been stolen. He went down cellar, and surveyed the timbers under the hole, hoping that the bags had dropped through; but he could not find them. He could not determine whether or not there was any conn

set the fire in the

re, as you did," replied the

ire took," added Levi. "Aunt Su

she did," replied uncle Nathan, as

was a very old one, and had been built upon until its present proportions had been reached. The chimney, where the fire had taken, was in the most ancient part, and

t hole in the ch

month ago. I hadn't no mortar nor nothin',

," added Levi, wondering at t

t up here, twenty foot from the fir

tty fresh, and I suppose the sparks caught on the dry board.

omebody stole my money. Mebbe you'l

sible sufferings were all-sufficient to convince any person t

steal, unless it was Dock Vincent; but it was not right to suspect even him of the crime without some evidence. Neither Levi nor his uncle

in Boston, had died, and as the deceased had no family, his property, amounting to twenty-one thousand dollars, had been equally divided among his two brothers and one sister. Dock fully be

d declared that he had been taken up for nothing; that this was not a free country; and that he was a better man than thousands in town who had n

willing to believe that Dock had robbed him of his gold. After Levi