Page:History of Cinderella, or, The little glass slipper (1).pdf/23

 murdered; and as no one knew of their death so no one sought to give them burial.

The wicked uncle, supposing they had been killed as he desired, told all who asked after them an artful tale of their having died in London of the small pox; and accordingly took possession openly of their fortune.

all this did him very little service, for soon after his wife died; and being very unhappy, and always thinking too that he saw the bleeding innocents before his eyes, he neglected all his business; so that, instead of growing richer, he every day grew poorer. His two sons, also, who had embarked for a foreign land, were both drowned at sea, and he became completely miserable.

When things had gone on in this manner for years, the ruffian who took pity on the children, committed another robbery in the wood, and being pursued by some men, he was laid hold of, and brought to prison, and soon after was tried at the assizes, and found guilty---so that he was condemned to be hanged for the crime.

As soon as he found what his unhappy end must be, he sent for the keeper of the prison, and confessed to him all the crimes he had been guilty of in his whole life, and thus declared the story of the pretty innocents; telling him at the same time, in what part of the wood he had left them to starve.