The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1855-02-07

with me. So 1 hurried and without an
one being made aware of my purpose o
1 route, to confer with you and see wha
could be done. For myself. l have N
! fears whatever, 1 assure you. But Bar
clay between us think 1 knoa0 1UhO Z
tile real forger anil ro6er /
"Possible exclaimed, astonishec
'where is he ?" @ ~
4" In Baltimore. pF.as
What the duce are you boing here
then ? Why did you not denounce hin
and save your own credit 2"
{" No no Barclay wait till you hear all
am engaged to be married to Cornellis
Dutonte, and in few weeks we inten
ded to have been welded Yon are my
friend the friend of my early years
and you will be discreet when tell you
/ am satisfied that her father is the man
who has committed those two outrages
" What?'
ss-snl Dou't breathe too loud. /
feel certain of it and 1 will tell you
how and why suspect him."
Go on, then"
"When 1 have been hard pressed
with labor, in the busy season of the
year. / have sometimes taken my file of
cancelled bank checks home, at evening
for examination at my leisure when the
monthly bank account was made up
The old man has frequently assisted me
in this work, aud thus had the opportu-
nifty to ascertain the character and form
of our checks. I've months since I
missed one of the cancelled blanks; but
as it had been paid at bank, and was of
no use, [ did not suspect what might
have become of it. It was printed in
blue ink, and the firm cypher only was
engraved upon the corner. / no1o see
how easily it may have been copied
and counterfeited and the signature at
tached, by skilful hand. No one but
he bad the opportunity to do this
Then as to the ROBBERY, Dufonte had often
called to see me of course, at the store,
where he would tarry sometimes an hour
at time. He has chosen his opportu-
nifty, 1 have no doubt, and purloined
the Jewels. But what renders the trans
action the more infamous is the fact as
L believe it to be that, when this affair
has been discovered, he has unqnestion-
ably found access to my reom in my alb
sence, by means of false key, and de-
posted part of the gems where suspi-
cion must inevitably light on me, to save
himself"
Well, Ned, your story is plausible
one, God grant you a safe deliverance
from your dilemma But can it be pos
sible that the man who knew you to be
engaged in marriage to his daughter,
could be SO heartless and villainous as
this ?''
lie is coward you see, Barclay
How he has obtained the means hither-
to to keep up his apparent respectable
ty, as have already said, L do not
know; but am now convinced that he
is, sub rosa, a dishonest man. This fact
tif am correctly cannot, ought not to
injure Cornelia in my esteem for she is
as guile less as she is affectionate and
beautiful. 1 will vouch for her"
What then do you wish to do Ned?'
would avoid an exposition and its
and save him and her if
possible said Ned, anxiously. " For
l am sure if my suspicious prove to be
correct, Cornelia would die of shame aud
terror at her fathers error and the dis
grace that must follow.
How can aid you then ?'' Iinquir-
ed
Well, the forged check is for six hun.
dred dollars, and the lost gems are said
to be valued at venture, at about five
hundredmore. 1 have saved something
over six hundred dollars out of my sal
ary for the past two years with which
Intended to get married. This happi- |
less I will forego for the present, and
IAN thus make good the amount of the
,heck. Now if you will loan me five
hundred dollars. l will pay for the lost
ewels, arrange the whole thing with my |
employers, [who are reasonable men.
md to whom 1 will frankly explain all
NY suspicious, and thus save him and |
Ter, and myself Will you assist me
[ will. pay you within the next eight |
noaths, on my honor, Barclay"
L could net withstand this appeal,
hough have not seen this former
riend for nearly five years, and 1 had
10 means of knowing that his whole
story was not ruSc to swindle me out
If five hundred dollars neatly Such
hings had been done. I lived in New
ork city, where similar operations were
,yery week as plentiful almost as black
berries in August. But the most i'm
,ortant bar to my wish to crafty my
riend, was a almost insurmountable one.
hadn't one hundred dollars at that
moment in the world, to say nothing of
i've times that amount And 1 said
" Ned, appreciate your uncomfort-
ble fix, but swear to you, haven't
rot this money"
s Can't you get it Barclay?"
" Well, when?
"To-night, L must fly hence or re-
urn by to-morrow's boat. 1 can't must
ot, qcont go back to Baltimore unless 1
an see my way out of this peril before
turn my steps thither No, never
ever u
81 don't know about this, though,
Jed )" continued, on reflection. "Come,
axe a glass of Madeira with me, and
et US see how far you ought to go to
ave this scoundrel."
"No; thank you, Barclay. 1 haven't
asted drop of wine for seven years
Ixcuse me; but for Heavens sake,
train a point and procure me this mon
Y. I arrived here this afternoon, and |
'atohed for you three long hours, for '
~ only hope is with you. l saw you )
ave the store, for 1 would not venture
i under the circumstances, lest some- l
hing might occur to involve me in the ;
lture in this affair, and I did not want |
ou to suffer from having been seen in
~ company.
This honorable and considerate act l
ould not but value, though it might