Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1851-11-28
MisrrlIarlrOug.
THE BANK NOTE.

hlt lNN I'AhlHiHE lHh'H''''f =" 'Nl-
ec,ler'" said Lady Leslie, widow residing
near that city, ioa young ctIieer who was pay
ING her a morning visit
clam. Gao do any thing for YOU there'"
"Yes; YOU can do me a great kinknoss.-
Ny confidential servant is gone out for the
day and night; and do not like to trust my
new fuoiman, of whom ! know nothing, to
pot this letter in the Posi-Olicc, as II contains
a ffy pound note"
" Indeed, ihi, Is large sun to lrus, to the
post"
YES bui am told il is the safest con-
,eyancc. Ilis. howe'cr, quite necessary that
sono per,on whom eau iuisi, should pot the
letter IN the box"
Certainly" replied Captain frcoilnd 90
Then with llr iha, showed he considered him.
sclf a person to be trusted, be deposited the
letter IN sal-ly ~ hl, pocket book. and louk
leave. promising hc would return to d'nner
the next day. which was Saturday.
Ga his road, ,Frccland met somr uG his broth
er olTlccr., Nho were going lo pas, the day
and nigh, At Great Malvern, and as they ear.
nc,lly pressed hlm to accompany them, be-
forgot the letter entrusted 10 hls care and,
having despatched his servant io Worcester
@r hi' 'oe dc nut (nighthap) and other things
hc turned blck with hI, companions, and pass
81 the rcsi NJ thr dll IN that saunlrung, bot
amusing ldlrnos', that dolos fer mSa's, (sNcct
doing uuIhlng,) which may b. rrckuncd cum-
panuNsly ,Iruou., II Il lead, to the forget
iulncs, Of l',lr du,,cs only, aud j. not attend
cd by the pu,ilI,e infringement II greater
ones But, in not putting this imPor'an, let
Ter into the post. as b. bal engaged Ia do,
Frcclaai violated a real duty and be might
have pot u ~ At Malvern, bad nU, the encoun.
ter with hls brother officer hinished the com
mission given him entirely from his thoughts f,
nor did be rrmcmbcr Il Illl, as they rode thro'
the village The neat morning., on their way to
Worcester, they met Lady Leslie walking on
the road.
At Sigh, Of her, frcclird recolloctci with
shame and confusion that be- had not luldlIsd
the charge committed 10 him, and fam would
be- have gssscd her upob.oNcd lor, A. she
VA, woman ut high talents, and some s",cr.
~, Ice vas afraid that hi' negligence, II a'n~-
I'd, uuuld no, only cause hlm Io forfeit her
favor, but expose him To her powerful sar.
casm.
10 avoid being recognrlrj, was however,
impossible and as soon as SON - Lady Is
l,s ss~ h,m, si.s sAcl,"-,d, q" Oh, Captain
frrcland, am ~ glad tn see YOU ! have
bccn qultc uneasy concerning nv letter .inc,
gave It to your care, Gbr twas Of such CON
sequence Did you Pu, II into the post yes
irrily %
"Celalny," replied Frccland hastily aud
IN the hurry Of the moment, "ccrilruly. How
could YOU, my dear madam, doubt my obcdI-
cucc 10 your commands :"
Thank $50 thank you" cred ,ba. "IIo~
you have relieved NV mind "
IT, had done 50 be-, be bad painfully bur.
dcned hi, own. To be- surc, It was onI, a
white lic--lhc llr % rr,R. Sull b. wa. not
used lu uticuug llssh"-l., and les felt The
mranp,ss ard Degradation ~ thu. tie had
In learn that Il VAS mischle,ous also and
tlli none can pr,'u'-e To siy where the com
sequence, II the most apparently u'nl lc
will end IS ,oon As frrsIari parted with
Lady Is.,lir, be babe his lurad- hrcwril.aud
putting spur- To hi, horse, scarcely slackcuod
hls pace tII be reached a general rusI-oafcr,
and Deposited the letter ie ,aly'y.
Nov then, thought be-, II hope shall
be- able To return and dine With lady Leslie,
without shrinking from her penetrating ey'.
H. ioand her, when be arrived, very pen
slyc and absent, 50 much ~ ,ha, she felt It
necessary tn apologize In her guests, inform
ing them that Mary Benson, m old servant oi
hcr, Was seriously ~, aud painfully clrcum-
s,anccd AID that she feared She had not done
her duty by her
10 tell you the uu,h, Captain freelani, "
s,id She, speaking To him IN q low voice, 81
blame myself ior not having cent nr my cun-
idrntlal servant, Who was not far 10, aud de-
.plichcd him With the money, instead Of trust.
ing II to the pet"
Z" 1t would have been better ,o have done
50, certainly, )" replied Freeland, deeply blush.
ing.
"Yes for the poor woman ru whom ] sen,
II is no, ooly ~ che paint Of being confined,
bu, she has sick husband, unable To be re-
moved aud as (but owing ,o NJ fault Of hls)
he is 90 the point OF bankruptcy, his cruel
landlord has declared that, II ihey do not pay
their rent by tomorrow, he will turn them
oat into the street, and seIle the very bed they
lie on However, as you put the letter into
the post yesterday, they must get the fifty
pound note to-day, else lhey could not for
there is no delivery II letters IN London, on
Sunday, you know"
True, very trne, replied Freeland, in
tune which he ,ainly eudea,ored to render
steady.
Therefore," continred Lady Leslie, "ii
you had told me. when We met, the letter was
no, gone, should have recalled Baynes, and
sent him of by the mail 10 London; and then
he would have reached Somer. Town, where
the Bensons live, in good time, bu, now,
though own it would be a comfort to me to
send him, for fear Of accident, | could not get
him back again soon enough therefore must
let things take their chance and, as letters