Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1858-08-26

Y
to investigate his books and assets He OBJ
tanned it. ..-
If any one was disappointed at this, it was
Michael Armstrong. His will for once was
foiled For reasons best known, at that time
to himself, he wished now that the house was
destroyed, to have all the books and papers
removed out Of the reach of Mr.. Fordvce. ft
was not to be- ..... ... .
Mr. Fordyce, from the hour of the meeting.
almost lived in his private 0fice-room Day
after day was he seen arranging papers and
making extracts from the eathern bound led.
gers Night after night his green shaded
oHice-lamp was lighting him through the same
heavy, weary task lie had removed his
writing desk from the back of the room to
that window On the left of the ground floor,
where Michael Armstrong used to sit. He
worked chiefly alone, and seldom called in the
help of his secretary, except for some intricate
parts of the cash accounts. fl. ... ... ...
In this way the time went quickly on, and
Mr.. Fordyce had arrived within q few DAYS
Of the completion OF his labors.
1t was on Wednesday erening-=a winters
evening in the latter part Of January-about
half-past seven O'Clock, that Mr.. Fordvce and
Michael Armstrong were alone together, after
all the clerks had gone, at the window in that
room, deeply engaged in mass of papers
There deemed to be an angry discussion de-
tween them. Mr.. FOrdyce was pointing firmly
to some white paper leaves, which shone
brightly under the condensed glare of the
shaded lamp. Both faces were covered with
a dark veil Of shadow arising from the re-
flected covering of the lamp but Michael
Armstrong; keen eyes flashed evily, even
through the mist of that dim light. The next
moment he was behind Mr. Fordyce's chair,
with his hand firmly twisted in the folds of
the old merchants neckclOth There was a
short and hopeless struggle Two arms were
thrown wildly into the air; body fell off the
chair on to the grounds and Mr.. James For
dyce had learned more in that instant, than
all those piles of paper would have taught
him if he had examined them for years He
was dead dead too, without any outward
marks of violence upon his body. -.
Nor was this all. .. at
Esther Barnard was sitting without light
in the dark recess Of her farorite window:
sitting Spell-bound, paralyzed, parched and
speechless, gazing upon the old Office window
and the grcen-coyered lamp, under the shade
of which this terrible drama had Just passed
before her eyes. She could make no sign Tho
whole fearful past history of Michea Arm
strong was made clear to her as in mirror,
although the picture was shattered in mo-
ment, as soon as formed She must have sat
there the whole night through needless of the
calls of her sick father in the adjoining room
to nurse whom she had stayed away that even
ing from church. They found Ter in the morn
ing in the same position with her reason par
tally gone.
Michael Armstrong came in the next day
pnhctuay at the business hour He appeared
even more collected than usual for he believed
all the evidence against him was now destroyed
for ever. A rigid Investigation was instituted
on the part of the creditors; and the mind
wanderings of poor Esther Barnard were of
great Importance in making out a case against
him. 1t may he that her sad affiiction was
ordained to bring about his destruction, for /
do not believe that if she had retained her
reason, she wOuld ever have been induced to
speak one word against him Her heart might
have broken, but her tongue would have re-
naned silent. As it was, her accusations
were gathered to gether bit by bit--gathered
as | gathered much of this story, from her
lips in happy intervals, filling up from imagina-
ton and person al knowledge all that seemed
unCOnnected and obscure
The investigation never reached the courts
of law Michael Armstrong saw with the old
clearness of vision the inevitable result of the
chain of esidence-saw it traced up from
speculation to forgery from :orgert to his
poisoning of Mr. Robert Fordyce, from the
poisoning to his forgery of the letter transfer
ring the early crime and from the letter to
the destruction of the house and its last survi-
wing representative To avoid the expected
punishment prepared as he always was for
emtrgency-he poisoned himself in that pri.
vate room before our eyes Whether the cap
ital of which he had Sapped the firm, had been
productive or not in his hands we never knew
He was never known to acknowledge any kim
drcd and no one ever acknowledged him
He died, and made no sign silently and sui
leniy, with his face to the wall.
At one time iudulged in hope that Esther
Barnard might Recover and | had pre-
pared home for her, even without the selfish
desire of being rewarded with her poor broken
heart, Her father died. and | cherished her
as q brother. Her melancholy madness, at
times, was relieved with short lucid intervals
during which she thanked me 50 touchingly and
Sweetly for supposed kndnesses, that it was
more than n reward 1t was my pleasure to
watch for such happy moment patiently for
days, and weeks, and months In one Of them
she died at last, in these arms, and, | buried
her in the ground of her old church outside
the gateway Our firm was never, in anyform,
restored, though still cling to the old place
I Lave seen it sink gradually, step by step, I'M
/ til it can scarcely sink lower bnt it is still
near Esther. There is little happiness in grow
ing SO very old.
The old clerk told his story truthfnlly and
clearly, and if there was indistinctneSS of ut
terancc, it was only towards the close. Much
Of it may have been the phantom Of an old