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THE BUIILTNGTON FREE PRESS 3 WOLFERT MR Bj WASHINGTON IEVINQ. In tho year of gruco one thousand (.oven hundred and blank for I lo not remember the precise, date; however, it was somewhere in tho early part of tho last century, there lived in tiie ancient city of thoManhuttocs a wealthy buig cr, Wilfert Webber by name. He was decent led fioui old Cobns Webber of tho D.rille in Holland, one of tho original (.rulers, fmnom for introducing the cul tivation of cabbages, and who oameovcr to the province during the protector ship of OIolTu Van Koitlandt, otherwise called the Dreamer. Tho Held in which Colms Webber first planted himself and his cabbages had re mained ner hince in tho family, who commit' d in the t ame line of husbandry, with tli.it praiseworthy persevcrnnco for which crur Dutch burgers are noted. The whole family genii!", dur lr, sour.il generations, was devoted to the study and deeloymcntof this one noblo vegetable; and to this concentra tion of it:tellect may doubtless be as cribed the prodigious size and renown to which the Webber cabbages attained. The Webber dynasty continued in un interrupted succession; aiid never did a lino give more unquestionable proofs of legitimacy. The eldest son succeeded to tho looks, as well a't tho territory of his tire; and had the portraits of this line of tranquil potentates been taken tiny would have presented a row of head-, marvclouy resembling in shape ai d magnitude tho vegetables over which they reigneil. Tho seat of government continued un changed in the family mansion a Dutch built hi his", with n front, or rather gable Ci'l f t' yellow brick, tap- ring to a point, with the customary iron w eafhercocj: at tile t ip. Everything about the building b' .ie the air of long wttled ease end bi--niiit'. Flights of martins peopled the ht'le coops nailed against the walls, and biv dloivs built their nests under the fin-; ; nd ei cry one knows that these Louse loi Ing birds bring good luck to the dwelling w here they take tip their abode. In a bright sunny morning in early slim mer, it was delectable to hear their tliei'rful notes, ns they sported about in the pure, sweet air, chirping forth, as it were, the gieatiusaiv.l prosperity of the "Webbers. Thus quietly anil comfortably did this excellent family vegetate under the shade of a mighty Lnitouwood tiee, r i,i li by little and little gre.v so great :.i entirely to overshadow their palace. The eity gradually spread its suburbs round their domain. Hou.-es sprung up to interrupt their prospects. The rural l.ir 3 in the vicinity began to groiv int the bustle and popnlottsness of Btr-t , in s.hoi-t. with all tho habits of rusti- lif they began to find themselves the l'.b ma;. is of a city. sj'ill. however, tlie.v maintained their hereditary char a ' r and hereditary po-se-; ions, with all the t ,.arity ot petty Oormau prim cs. lathi midst ol the empire. "Wolfert was th" last of tho line, and succeeded tithe patriarchal bench at tho door, in h r the family tree, and swayed tho se ,-ter of hw fathers, a kind of rural po t n'.it in the midst of a metropolis. T share t he cares and swoi t.s of sov crciu , I.e. had taken unto himself ik I 1 mat , ono of that xei lleiit l.ind i. 11. d mi-ring women; th it is to sav, b v. .is e; of thosn ii. table little li 'i v. i.ei hi i an always busy when re is no; lei,, to do. Her activity, "it. toU. one particular direction; 3 rwholoiii . r,( i mod de voted to inten-o t itim.; wh 'I., r at home or abroad, ca k'li.' or (Htm , her ueeille.. were coii t.' udlv in i ioi: 'i, and it is own af fi n. ltbat l her unwearied industry b! 'civ im'i .supplied her household w.''i t-ockings thioiighout the year. Tei5 wur.hv ciuplu were blessed with r i' Hi -liter, w bo was brought up with feu- I iiderness and e'are; uncommon r i"e h id lieen taken with her education, ( 1 1 uit r.hc could stitoh in every variety tf ivav, mako all kinds of pickles and pri vv. s, and mark her own name on a Pi ipiii. The inlh ejjee of her tasto was fr i al in tho family gjnlen, where t ' n:,ii;ie'itat bef.au to mi'igle with tho iii ful, whole rows of iiery marigolds an 1 splendid hollyhocks bordered the ca' I'.'igo beili, and gigantic Minitowers lot lid their broad, jolly faces over tho f hi ., &eemmg looglo most affection a'e ly the passer hj . Thus r iguoil and vegotated Wolfert "W libe r over hi.s paternal acres, poaco ' t d contentedly. Not hut that, liko .. 1 I' i 'r .sovereigns, he had his ooe.i ti' il i ares and e.ati ms. Thegiiiiith tf I i ativocity sometimes caused him i.i. in ; i ,., I J i.-, little territory gradually be .i.i. b .mined in by streets and houses, w I r b iiitercopleel air and sunshine. He vu.i'iii and th.'ii subject to tho irrtip t. it. of the buulor population, that infest the tieets of a inetropoli.s, who would bi "i- Mires make midnight furavs into his dorn iioim, and carry olf captive- w hole platoons of his noblest subjects. Vagrant sivu would make a descent, too, now nu 1 It. in. wh"n the gato w.w left open, ui. 1 laj id! waste before them; and mis thicv.us urchins would often decapitate the illustrious (imlloweis, thu glory of tli i ,.ud'-n, aa thoy lolled their heads i.o fonuly over tho walls. Still all theso v r j tty griovances, whit ' might now nnd then rulllo the surface) of himuiud, u , a funnier breeze will i ndie the burfaco of a mill pond; but they could not din t,ub lh dec p heated (juict of his soul, II i u. .ul 1 i.ei.'.e a trusty BtutT, that stood bi bind tho door, iMio suehleuly out, and anuint the back of tho aggressor, w hether pig or urchin, and then return within door-., marvcloubly refreshed and trail riiilied. The chief cause of anxiety to houost "Wobet't. however, was the growing pros penty of the eity. Tlio espenses of living doubled and trebled; but ho could not doubloaud treble the magnitude of hi cabbage -, ami the number of compctitom prevcncd the increase of price; thus, thuicfore, while every one around him ipw lifjUWi Wolf tut grow poorer, und ho could not, for the lifo of him, perceive how the ovil wius to bo remedied. Tliis growing earn, which increased from day to day, had its gradual cll'ect uxm our worthy burger; insomuch, that it at length implanted two or threo wrinkles 011 Ids brow; things unknown before in the family of the Webbers; and It (seemed to pinch up the corners of his cocked hat into an expression of anxiety, totally opposite to tho tranquil, broad brimmed, low crowned beavers of his il lustrious progenitors. Perhaps oven this would not havo ma terially disturbed the' terenity of hi.s mind had he had only himn. If and his wife to care for; but there was his (laughter giadually growing to maturity; and all the worhl knoii H when daughters begin to ripen 110 fruit or flower requires so much looking after. I havo no talcut at describing femalu charms, else fain would I depict thy progress of this Httlo Dutch beuuty. How her blue eyes grew deeper and deeper, and her cherry lips redder and redder; and how she ripened ami ripened, and rounded and rounded in the opening breath of bixteon sum mers, until, in her seventeenth spring, the seemed ready to burst out of her bodico like a half bloiin rose bud. Cmttil I bit shou' her . she van then. All, well-a-dny! could I but show her n- she was linn, tricked out on u Sunday morning in the hereditary finery of tho old Dutch clothes press, of which her mother had confided to her thy key. Tho wedding dress of lu rgrandmother, mod ernized for use, with sundry ornaments, handed down as heirlooms in the family. Her pale brown hair smoothed with but termilk in flat waving lines 011 each side of her fair forehead. Tho chain of yel low virgin gold, that encircluil her neck; tho little cross, that just rested at theen trance of a 1.0ft valley of happiness, as if it would sanctify tho place. The but pooh! it is not for an old man liku me to be prosing about female beauty; suflico it to bay, Amy had attainoel her 17th year. Long since had her sampler ex hibited hearts in couples desperately transfixed with arrows, and true lovers' knots workeil in deep bluo bilk; and it was evident she began to languish for some more interesting occupation than the rearing of sunflowers or pickling of cucumbers. At this critical period of femalo exist ence, when the heart within a elamse l's bosom, like i's enii.leni, tho miniaturo which hangs withoct, is apt to be en grossed by a single image, a ni'iv visitor began to make his appearance under the roof of Wolfert Webber. This was Dirk AValdron, tho only son of a poor widow, but wdio could boast of more fatlur.s than any lad in the province; for his mother bad had four husbands, and this only child, so that though Kirn in her 1.4st wedlock, 1c might fairly claim to be the tardy fruit ot a lon course of cultivation. This son of fut.r fathers united the merit and thu vigor of his sirco. If ho had not a givat family bo fore him, ho boomed likely to havo u great one al ,er him; for you had only to look at the fresh, gamesome youth to see that ho was formed to bo the founder of a might" race. This young- tor gradually became an intimate visitor of the family. He talked bin little, but ho sat long, lie filled tho father's pipo when it was empty, gath ered up tho mother"s knitting needle or ball of worsted when it fell to tho ground, stroked tho sleek coat of the tortoiso shell cat, and replenished tho tea pot for the daughter from the bright copjn r kettle that Ming be-feue tho fire. All these quiet little oflices may fceein of trifling import, but when truo love is translateil into Iiw Dutch it is in this way that it eloquently e:.pre;a.ses itself. They were not lost upon the Webber family. The winning youngster found marvelous favor in the eyes of tho mother; the lortoiso shell cut, albeit tho most staid and demure of her kind, gave indubitable signs of approbation of his vibits, the tea kettle eeemi-d to sing out a che-e'ringnote of weli-ome at his approach, and if the sly glances of tho daughter might bo rightly read, as she sat bridling and dimpling, and sowing by her moth er's side, hhe was not a whit lielund Damo Webber, or grimalkin, or tho tea kcttlo in good will. "Wolfert alono b.nv nothing of what was going on. Profoundly wrapt up in meditation on thu growth of tho city and his cabbages, he sat b Hiking in tho lire, aud pulling his pipo in sileiieie. Ono night, however, as tho ge-ntlo Amy, according to custom, lighted her lover to the outer door, and he, according to custom, took his patting salute, tho smack resounded so lgoroiisly through the long ttileut entry as to startle even the tin 1 1 ear of Wolfert. Ho was slowly joused ton new source of anxiety. It had never entered into his bend, that this moro child, who as it boomed but th? other day, had boon climbing about hii knees, and playing with dolls and baby houses, could all at once bo thinking of I lovo and matrimony, lie rubbed Ins eyes, examined into tho fact, and really I found that whilo ho had been dream j ing of other matters, cho had actually giown into a woman, and what was more, had fallen iu love. Heio wero nun- cares for jwor Wolfort. I Ho was a kind father, but ho itas I a, prudent man. Tho young man wua a Tory stirring lad, but the n I10 had neither 1 money or land. Wolferfs idias nil ran in ono channel, and ho taw noultorua 1 tiro in caso of 1: marriage but to portion off tho young cotiplo with a coiner of J cabbage gurdeti, tho wholo of which wns liiitely euflloicut for tho support ot bis family. bllio a prudent father, therefore, ho de termined to nip this pubalon in tho bud and forluido tho youtiRbtor tho house, though sorely did It ro nainbt his furtlicrly lienrt, mid ninny n silent tour did it cause hi tho bright oyo ot hlselniishter. Hho slioivcd her self, however, a pattern of tlllal piety nnil obedience. Sho never pouted mid run! Milk ed; bho nevor ll'iiv in the faro of parental authority; she never foil into n passion, or fell into hysterics, an many romantic novel reaJ young Inillos would do. Not the, in deed ! Hhe was 110110 such herolcal rebellious trumpery, I warrant yo. On the contrary, she aciUiuscod llko uu obedient daughter; shut the street door fu hor lovor's face, n-nl it over she did urniit him an interview It was either out ot tho kitchen window or over tho garden feneo. Wolfert was deeply cogitating thesa things in his mind, and his brow wrinkled with miusuiil care, as ho wonded his nuy ono Saturday afternoon to a rural Inn, about two miles from tho city. It was a favorlto retort ot tho Dutch part ot tho community from being always held by a Dutch lino of himllords, nnd retaining aa air and relish ot tho good old times. It was n Dutch built house, that had probably been a country sent of some opulent bin ger in tho early timo of tho settlement. It stood near n point of land, culled C'orlears Hook, which dtiotchos out into the Sound, and against 11 hick tho tldo, at Its flux nnd rullux, sets with extraordinary rupidlty, Tho vener able and somewhat cruzy mansion wns elis tinguished from afar, by a grove of elms and 83'camore.i that 500111011 to wave a hos pitable invitation, whlla a fuw weoplng wil los with their dank, drooping foliage, re sembling falling watois, gave nn idea of coolue-s, that rendered it nu uttractive spot during tho heats of summer. Here, therefore, as I said, rcortoil muny of the old inhabitants of the Muuhattoo.s, 11 here, whilo soma played at the shuttle board aud quoits and niaopim, others smoked n deliberato pipe, and talked over public nlfnirs. H was ou a blustoring autumnal after noon tbut Wolfert made his visit to tho inn. Tho grove ot elms and willows was stripped of its leaves, which whirled in rustling ed dies about the lie! it a . Tho uiuenin nlloy was doserted, for tho premature chilliness of the day had driven tho company within doors. As it was Saturdn- nftoruoou, tho habitual cluli lias in session, composed principally of regular Dutch burger, though mingled oc casionally with persons ot various character nnd country, ns is natural in a place ot tucli inontley population. liosido tho llreplaco, and in a huge lentber bottomed nru chair, sot tl.u dictator of this little world, the venerable Item, or, as it was pronounced, Ituiura Hapelyo. Ho was a man of nlloou race, and illustrous for tho antiquity of his line, his great-grunel-motlier huviug been the fust white child born in the proi inco. Hat ho w ns still more illustrious for his wealth and dignity; lie bad long Illicit tho noble olllc.iof alderman, nnd wns a man to whom the governor him si'lf took otr his hut. Ho had maintained possession of tho leather bottomed chair fiom timo immemorial; aud had gradually waxed in bulk as bo sat in his sunt of govern ment, until in tho course of years ho filled Its iil.ole magnitude. Ills nord was elo cisn o 11 ith bia subjee-ts; for ho w as u rich a limn that ho was never expected to nip. port any opinion by argument. Tho Iniullord waited on him with peculiar olUriousuFH.. not that ho paid better than his neighbor-, but then tho eoiu of a ricli man seems al 11 ayt. to bo so much more acceptable. Tho landlord bad always a pleasant nord am! a joke to insinuate In tho ear of tho augu-t Itiuiim. It is true, ltuuim nevor laughed, and, mdeod, maintained a mastilT like grav ity, and oven surliness of aspect, yet ho now nnd then roiwmleri mine host with a token of npitobnticn; which, though nothing moro or less than n kind of grunt, yet do lighted tho landlord moro than a broad laugh from a poorer man. "This will be a rough night for tho money diggers," (aid mine host, ns a gust of wind howled round tho house, and rattled at tho windows. "What, ara they at their works again'-" said 1111 Knglish half pay captain, with 0110 oyo, who was a frequent attendant at tho mil. "Aye, are they," snld the landlord, "ami well may thoy bo. Thoy'vo had luck of late. They say a groat pot of money has been dug up in the Hold, just bohind Stuy vobiint's orchard, l'olks think it must have been buried thero in old tliims, by I'otor Stuyvesant, tho Dutch governor." "Fudgo I" said tho one eyed man ot war, as ho added a small portion of wntor to a bottom ot brandy. "Well, you may believe or uot, ns you please," said mine host, somewhat nettled, "but overy body knows that tho old gover nor bin led a groat deal ot fiis monoy at tho timo of the Dutch troubles, hen tho Knglish roileoat8 seized on tho province, Thoy say, too, tho old goutomnu wulks; 11 c, and in tho very tnnm dross that lie wears in tho picture which hangs up iu tho family house." "I'udge !" said tho half pay oillcor. "Fudge, If you please I lint didn't Ccr nuy Van Zaudt soo Inm at midnight, stalk ing about in the meadow with Ills wooden leg, and a drawn suord iu his found, that Unshod llko lire ? And what can he bo wnlk ing for.but beenu.o pcoplo huvobeou troubl ing the place wiiero ho burled his money Iu old tunes! ' Hero thelaudlord was interrupted by sever al guttural sounds from Hninin ltnpelyo, bo tokening that ho wns laboring with thu 1111 usunl production of an idea. As lie iius too areni a man to be blighted by a prudent publican, luiuo host rotpoctfully pained un til ho should dehvor him-olf. The corpulent tr.imo of this mighty burger now gave nil tho symptoms of a volcanic! mountain ou tho point of im eruption, First, there was u certain heaving of the abdomen, not mi like nn enrthqunkn; then wns emitted a cloud of tobacco smoke from that crater, his mouth, thon there was 11 kind ot rottlo iu the throat, as If tho idon wero working its way up through a region of phlegm, 'thon thero woro wveral disjointed mom beru of a pcntflnco thrown out, ofidtng in a cough; nt length his voice forced its way in tho slow but absolute tone of a man who feels tho weight of his pursa, if not of his ideas; overy portion of his speech being marked by a test' pull of tobacco smoke. "Who talks of old Peter Stuyvcsant'a walking? puff Havo pcoplo uo respect for persons? pulf puff Petor Sttiyve fiant knew better whut to do with bis money than to bury it pull I know tho Stit.VM'sant family pulf every ono of them puff not n more respectable fnm ily in tho province puff old btanilors pull warm houselioldors pufT nono of your upstarts puff pulT puff. Don't talk to me of Peter Stuyvesant's walking puff pull pull" puff." Hero the redoubtable Hnuiin contracted hii brow, clasped up bis mouth till it wrinkled at each comer, and redoubled his smoking with such vehemence that tho cloudy volumes soon wreathed round his head, ns tho btnoke envelops tho awful summit of Mount Etna, A general silence followed the sndd'iu rebuke of this very rich man. Tho sub ject, however, was too interesting to be readily nbandonod. The coniorsation r.oou broke forth again from the lips of Peechy Piaiiw Van Hook, the chronicler of the club, 0110 of thoso narrative old men who 6cein to grow incontinent of word i, as they grow old, until their tall: flows from them almost involuntarily. Peechy, who could at any timo tell as many stories in :ui evening as his hearers could digest iu a month, now resumed tho conveisation, by affirming that, to his knowledge, money hud at different times been dug up in various parts of tho island. Tho lucky persons who had dis cos eroel thi'Ui had always dreamt of them three times beforehand, nnd what w.u worthy of lvmaxk, thesis treasures had never been found but by somo descend ant of the good old Dutch families, which clearly proved that they had been buried by Dutchman in tho olden timo. "Fiddlestick with your Dutchman!" crii'd the half pay olllcer. "The Dutch had nothing to do with them. They wero all bnried by Kidd, tho pirate, and his ciew." Hero a koy note was touched that roiiscel tho whole company. The namo of Capt. Kidd was like a talisman in those times, and was associated with a thousand marvelous stories. The half pay oflieer was a man of great weight'among the peaceable mem Ikts of the club, by reason of his mili tary character and of tho gunpowder beetles which by his own account he hail witnessed. The golden stories of Kidd, however, wero resolutely rivaled by tho talcs of Peechy Prauw, who, rather than suffer bis Dutch progenitors to lie uclip?ed by a foreign freebooter, enriched every spot iu tho neighborhood with the hidden wealth of Peter Stuyvesant and his con temporaries. Not a word of this conversation was lost upon Wolfert Webber. Uo letttrnt l pensively home, lull of magnificent ul of buried riches. Thu soil of his nativo island teemed to b" turned into g .Id dust, and every field teemed with treas ure. His head almost reeled at tho thought how often ho must have heed lessly rambled over places where count less sums la , scarcely covered by tho turf beneath his feet. His mind was in a vertitro with this whirl of new ideas. As he came iu sight of tho venerable mansion of his forefathers and tho little realm where the Webbers hail so lung and so conti ntedly flourished his gorgo rose at tho na 'roivness of his destiny. "I'nlueky Wolfcit!" exclaimed he, "others can go to bed and dream tin ni Fedies into wh do mines of wealth; they have but to Je ize a spado in the morning, and turn up doubloons like potatoes; but thou must dream of hardship, ami rise to poverty must dig thy held from year's end to year's olid, ami und yet raiso nothing but cabbage..,:" Wolfert Webber went to bed with a, heavy heart; and it was lung before tho golden visions that detmhed his brain permitted him to sink into repose. Tho same visions, however, extended into his sleeping thoughts and assumed a moro doiinito form. Ho dreamt that ho had discovered an iiuineii.o treasure hi the center of his garden. At ei cry i.troke of tin; spado ho laid bare a golden ingot; diamond cro-.es sparkled out of the dust; bags of nioui y turned up their bellies, corpulent with pieces of eight, or vener able doubloons; anil cheslH, wedged clo. o with moiilores, ducats and pMarecus, yawned before hi.s raiished eyes and loinitcd forth their ".littering content:.. Wolfei t awol.o a poorer man than over. Ik. had no hi art to go about his daily concerns, which appealed no p.iltry and profit lens; but sat all day long in tho chimney corner, pieruritig to himself ingots aud heaps of gold iu tho fire. The next night his dream was io pouted. He was again iu his garden, digging, and Inyingopcii.stoivsot hidden wealth, Thero was mnii tliing veiy sin gular in this repetition. Ho passed an other day of reverie, nnd though it was cleaning day and the house, as usual in Dutch households, completely topsV tlll--vy, yet he tat unmoved amidst, tho gen eral uproar. The third night ho went to bed with a palpitating heart, lie put on hi.s red nightcap wrong side outwards fur good luck. It was deep midnight before his anxious mind could n'ttlo itself into t.leep. Again tho golden dream was re peated, and again ho law his garden teeming with ingots and mouoy bags. Wolfert rose tho next morning in com ploto bewilderment. A dieam threo times repented was never known to lie; and if so, his toituue was made. In bis agitation ho put on his waist coat with the hinel pari before, and this was n cotroboration of good luck. Uo no longer doubted that a lingo ttoro of money lay burieel somewhere in his enu hao field, coyly waitlug to bo pought for, and ho half repined at having no long been forutolu'ng ubout tho iur fact) of tho boil instead of digging to the center. Ho took lua scat at tha breakfast table full of threo ipeculu lions; asked his dju0hter to put a lump Ot cold fato Ids ten, ml ou huudjng Ida wife a jilato of slap jacks, tagging her to help herself to a doubloon. His grand care now was bow to securo this itnmcnso troatmro without it being known. Instead of working regularly in his grounds in tho day timo, ho now Btolo ftom his lied at night, and with Bpado aud piokax, went to work to rip up and dig about his paternal ncroo, from ono end to thoother. In a littlotimo the wholo garden, whioh had presented siK-h a goodly ami regular appearanco, with its phalanx of cablmgus, liko a vegetable army in battlo array, was ruduood to u Bcuno of devastation, while the rclontlesa Wolfert, with nightcap on head, aud Itinturn and spade in hand, stalked through tho slaughtered ranks, tho de stroying angel of his own vegetable world. The tleslivying anpel nf his oien C(ytaUe uvjWtf. Every morning boro testimony to the ravages of tho preceding night in cab bages of ull ages and conditions, from tho tender sprout to tho full grown head, piteously rooted from their quiet beds liko worthless weeds, and loft to wither in tliOBiinshine. It wns in vain Wolferfs wifo remonstrated; it w:i3 in vain hi.s darling daughter wept over the de struction of bomo faveirite marigold, "Thou i-halt havo gold of another gnesa sort," ho would cry, chuck ing hor under tho chin; "thou shalt havo a string of crooked ducats for thy wedding necklace, my child." His family began really to fear that tho poor man's wits were diseased. Ho muttered in hi.s sleep at night of mines of wealth, of pearls and diamonds and bars of gold. In U10 daytinio ho was moody and ab stracted, and walked about as if in a trance. Damo Webber held frequent councils with all the old women of tho neighborhood, not omitting tho parish dominie; scarej an hour in tho day but a knot of them might bo neon wagging their w bite; caps together round her door, whilo tho poor woman mado somo pite ous recital. Tho daughter, toj, wns fain to seek for more frerient cur 'lation from the htolci inter iews of her f t'-orcd hv.uin, Dirk V.'aJ Iron Tho delectable little Dutch bongs 11 i; 11 which she used to dulcify tho house grew les and loss frequent, and bho would forget her hew ing ami look wistfully in her father's fa 'e as he Pit pondering by the fireside. Wolfert caught her oyo ono day fixed on him thus anxiously, anil for a moment was roused from his golden reveries "Cheer up, my girl," said he, exultingly, "why dost thou dioop? Thou shalt hold tip thy head one day with the aud cho hi liermerhorns, tho Van Homes, and the Van D.uns the patroon himself shall bo glad to get thee for his bon!" Amy shook her head at this vainglori ous boast, and was more than ever in doubt of the soundness of the good man's intellect. In the meantime AVolfert went on dig ging, but the lield w:i3 extensive, and as his dteani had indicated no precise spot, he had to elig at random. Tho winter set iu before one-tenth of the Kceno of prom ise had been explored. The ground be came too frozen and tho nights too cold foi tho labo'-s of the spade. No sooner, however, did tiio if timing warmth of spring loosen the soil, and thosinull frogs begin to pipo in tho meadows, but Wol fert rosuineel his labors with renovated zeal. Slill, howuvor, tho houu of in dustry wero leversuei. insteul of work ing cheerily all day, planting ami setting out his vegetables, he remained thought fully idle, teitil tho bhados of night bu;a uioiied him 10 his hccret labors. In this way ho continued to dig from night to night, and vvouk t j week, ami month to mouth, but not a stiver did he bud. On the contrary, tho mote bo digged ll.e poorer he grew. The rich soil of hi.s garden was digged awuy, and thoeaud and gravi 1 from beneath wits thrown to the surfi.ee, until the whole Held pre teiited an aspect of sandy Dirronues-s. In tho meantime tho Reasons gradually rolled on. Tho little frogs t lua had piped iu the meadows in eaily spring croaked iis bullfrogs in tho brooks during tho summer heutsand the n sunk into si! nee. The peach tree budded, blnsgi.mci. and bore its fruit. The hivii'lows ami mar tins cariu, t wittored about the roof, built their no- ts, reared their young, held their congress idung tho uaves, and then winged their flight in search of another spring. Thu cat. rpillur tpttii its wind ing tihect, dangled in it from the great buttonwoo.t ti'"o that shaded the heiu.M, tunitd into 11 moih, iluttercd with tho last sunshine of suuiuior, and disap peared; ami dually the leaves of the but tonwood tree turned yellow, thuu brown, then rustled ono by one to tho groiuul, and whli ling about in little eddien of wind and (lust, whispoted thut winter was at baud. Wolfert gradually awoke fiom his dream of wealth as tho wrur declined. Ue had t eared no orop to supply tho wants of his household during the steril ity of winter. Tho season wua long and f-ovcre, and for tho first timo tho f.unily was really btruitened in its comforts. Dy dorcc3 a revulsion of thought trxik place in Wolfon'a mind, cxmimon to thoso whoso golden drcamu have liccu disturbed by pinching realities. The idea gradually stole upou him that ho r-hould ceimo to want. Ho ulrosdy coiiL-idorcd himself cuo of tho most unfortunate mon in tho provinoe, having lost suoh au incalmikiblo lunount of undi-covorcd tietufitie, and now, whoa thousand of pounds had olndod hln search, to bo porploxed for chilling and pence was oruol in tho oxtiome. Haggard coro gnUwred about hit hum j ho went uliotit with u money baking air, his oyc.s bent dowuvvauLs into tho dust, and carrying his bunds in his pociwts, aa men aro apt to do when thoy ha.ro noth ing else to put into them. Ho oould not oven pass the city ulmshoiu-iu without giving it a rueful gLinco, as if 28tiTJ6d to be his futtiro ubodo. Tho strangeness of his conduct and ni his looks occasioned much Fpooulution and remark. For a long timo ho was Mispootod of boiug crazy, and then evry body pitied him; at longth it began to bo suspected that he was poor, and thon everybody avoided him. The rich old burgers of hia acquaint ance mot him outsido of tho door when ho called, entortained him hospitably on ! tho threshold, pressed him warmly bv tho baud on parting, shook their hwids us ho walked away, with tho kind hearted expression of "pejor Wolfert," and turned a oirner nimbly, if by ehaJico they diw him npproaching as they walle 1 the streets. Even Da Uirber aud cobblor of tho neighborhood, and a tattered tailor in an alley hard by, threo of tho poorest and merriest rogues in the world, oyod him with that abundant sympathy which usually attends a lack of means, and thero is not a doubt but their pockets would lin o boon at hLs command, only that they hap; ened to bo empty. Thus ovoryliody d"f crted tho WobW rniui.-jon, as if poverty wero contagious liko the plague; everybody tut hoiu-st Dirk Waldrun, who still k.jpt up his rtolen ii Jts to tho daughter, and indeed seemeil to wax more affectionate as tho fortunes of his mi.stre.ss wero on Uio wane. Many mouths had elapsed since Wol fert had frequanted his old retort, tho mral inn. Ho was talcing a long lonely walk ono Saturday afternoon, muring over bis w.viLs and diipriintiiuints, when liia feet took instinctively thejr wonted direction, and on awaking ou of a reverie he found himself boforo tho door of tho inn. For eomo moments ho hesitatod whether to enter, but his heart yearned for companionship; and where can a ruined man fine! better companionship than at a tavern where there is noithersober example uor sober advico to put him out of counte nance? Wolfert found several of tho old fro qucnu.'1's of tho tavern at their usual iiCits, ane seated in their usual places; but ono was missing, the) great Ramm Ilapelye, who for many years bod Idled tho chair of state. Ilia placo was sup plieel by a stranger, who eeemed, how ever, completely at lwrno in tho chair and the tavern. Ilo was rather undar size, but deep chested, square and inn,, enhr. His broad shoulders, double joints ami bow knees gavo tokens of prodigious strength, nis face was dark and weather beaten; a deep scar, as if from the sheh cf n cutla. s, had almost divided hi.s no.-o and uudo a gash in his upper lip, through wdiich his touthshonei liko a bulldog's. A masse,!' iron gray hair gavo a grizzly finish to his hard fa vored visago. His dress was of an am phibious character. Ho woro an old hat edged with tarnished laro antl exekrd iu martial style, ou ono sido of hl3 head; a rusty bluo military coat with brass but tems and a wide pair of bhort petticcat trousers, or, rather, breeches, tor they wero gathered up at the knees. Ho or dered everybody about him with an au thoritative air; talked in a brattling voice that sounded liko tho crackling of thorns muler a pot; ebimncel th-? land lor i iind servants with perfect impunity, an 1 was waited upon with freator obse quiousness than hud ever Ikjoii shown to tho mighty Hamm himself. Wolferfs curiosity was awakened to lenow who and what was this Btrauger who had thus usurped absolute sway in t' id ancient domain. He could get nothing, however, but vague information. Peechy lVauw took him aside, into a remoto corner of the hall, and thero in an under voice, and with groat caution, impart, d to him ull that ho knew on tho subject. The iun bad been aroused several months before, ou a dark stormy nigut, by r ' p.xated long shoutH, that t.eem.s.1 liko tho bowlings of a wolf. They camo from the wttK r bide; and at length woro dis i.ngi'ishi'd t.i bo hailing tho house in tha 6'jafai iug manner. "Houbo-a-hoy!" Tiio landlord turned out with bis head waiter, tapster, hostler and erruuel bov thut is to say. with his old negro Cuff. On ap proaching tho pl.ico from wheuce tho oieo proceeded, they found this am phibious hxiking peivona ;e at the vat r s edge, quite alono, an I seated on a brvat o iken 1 ea eho.st. How ho camo tki.r., whether ho had been set on bIk r from bomo boat, Ian I ou l.ij cheft, for bi did not uunitr questions, something in lu or had floated to nobody Ceiuld tell, st em dispofesd to aud thvro was lo..ks and imuimus ih-.t put a r.tcp toall questioning. Suffice it to tay, lie took - j-o.ssioh of a corner room of tho inn, to whieih his chest was removed witii great difficulty. Hera ho hud rem lined ever einco, keeping about the inn and its vicinity. Sometimca, it it ii true, he disappeared for ono, two or throo days at a lime, going mid roturiv ing without giving any notice or account of Ids movemen 4 Ilo always appeared to have plenty fsnonuy, though ot'ton of very btrauge, o- uidiah coinage; and ho rogulsrly paid Wj bill ovi-ry ovrniivj bc foro turning in. He had fitted up hia roc a to his owe. fancy, hni lugr.lunga hommcclt from tha c.-iling insteail of a led, and dnoornted tho wails with rusty pUroisund cutkuiseis of foreign vvurkmanship. .kgraat partef his timo was passed in this room, beared by tho window, which commended a wide view of the eouud, a short oldfiuh ioued pipo in bin mouth, n glaai of ram toddy athisolbow, undapocliettolosoopo 111 hii hand, with whioh he roocmnojtarwl every loat that moved upon tho watejr. Large semnre riggod vef fdfl Boomed to cx cito but bttlo attention; but tho nm- 1,1.. nt 1... jtrw.o ..ifl ntiWIiinr' s.tl. t. der-of-myttou nail, thut) a b$Ti cr