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

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from my carelesSness. One afternoon I went
to the Postofice with letter, directed to a
firm In Antwerp with whom we had large deal
ings. dropped it on the way 1t contained
bank draft for a large amount, and, although
every search was made for it that afternoon
and evening, it was without success, The
next morning, about eleven O'clock it was
brought to our counting-house by rather
short young man of singular though pleasing
aspect, named Michael Armstrong. He had
a long interview with the elder partner, Mr..
James Fordyce, in the private room, and what
transpired we never exactly knew but the
result was that from that hour Michael Arm
strong took his seat in our Office as the Junior
clerk.
had many opportunities Of observing our
new companion, and used them to the best of
my ability. His appearance was much in his
favor, and he had a considerable power of
making himself agreeable when he thought
proper to use it. 1t was impossible to Judge
of his age. He might have been ifteen-he
might have been thirty His face, at times,
looked old and careworn, at others, smiling
and young, but there was sometimes vacant
calculating insncere expression in his eye, that
was not pleasant. He made no friends in the
place-nOne sought him-none did he seek
and do not think he was liked enough by anv
one of the clerks to be made the subject of
those little pleasantrieS that are usually indul-
ged in at every Office. They had probably de-
tected his ability and ambition, and they al
ready feared him.
l thought at one time l was prejudiced
against him, because | had been the chance in
strument of bringing lin to the place, and be-
cause his presence constantly reminded me Of
gross act of careleSsneSS, that had bro't down
upon me the only rebuke | ever received from
my employers But | found out too well after
wards that my estimate Of his character was
corrcct-more correct than that of my fellow
clerks, many Of whom were superior to me in
education and position, though not in discern
ment.
My constant occupation-when l was not
actively employ yed in the duties of the Office
was watching Michael Armstrong ; and soon
convinced myself, that everything he did was
the result of deep, quick, keen and selfish cal
cuation. | felt that the bringing back of the
letter was not the result of any impulse of hon
esty but of a conviction that it was safer and
more profitable to do so. coupled with deter
minaton to make the most of his seeming vlr-
tue. What the elder Mr.. Fordyce gave him,
| knew not but Judge from bis liberal char
acter that it was something considerable and
| know that when Michael Armstrong took
his place in our counting-hOuSe he was only
that which he willed to do from the first mo-
ment that he had opened the lost letter, aud
aSccrtained the firm from whom it was sent
There was, at times something fearfuly aw-
fully fascinating in watching the silent, steady
working of will like his, and to see it break
ing down in its progress every barrier opposed
against it, whether erected by God or man ;
Others saw it, and watched like me, and were
equally dazzled and paralyzed.
| Michael Armstrong affected 20 be somewhat
deaf say affected, for have good reason
to believe that the infirmity was put on to aid
him in developing his many schemes. During
the greater part of the day, he acted as pri-
vate secretary of the two brothers, sitting in
one corner of their large room, by that window
on the ground floor to the left, which is now
closed up, like all the others in that portion of
! the building.
have said before that the firm, were often
in the receipt of early and valuable intelligence
which they used legitimate purposes of their
trade. but never for specuationS in the stock
market good deal of our business lay in
/ corn and sugar, and the information that the
brothers got, enabled them to make large pnr-
chases and sales with great advantage. Some
times special messengers came with letters,
! sometimes pigeon expresses, as was the custom
! in those days Whatever words dropped from
the partners table-(and they dropped with
! less reserve, as there was only halt-deat Sc
cretarv in tie room were drank in by that
sharp, calm, smiling, deceitful face at the win
| dow. But, perhaps, his greatest opportunity
was during the opening of the morning letters
many of them valuable, as coming from i'm
portant correspondents abroad Michael Arm
strong's duty was to receive the key of the
strong-room from the partners, when they came
to business in the morning, and to prepare the
books for the clerks in the outer-offices. The
strong room was Just at the back of Mr.. James
FOrdyces chair and as he opened the most lm'
portant correspondence, reading 1t to his bro
ther, who rested on the corner of the table,
there must have been a sharp eye and sharp
er ear watching through the creyiSeS OF the
iron door behind them. The next duty that
fell to Michael Armstrong, after the letters
were read and sorted, was, to take any drafts
that might be in them to the bankers and bring
the eash:box, which was always deposited there
for safety over night This journey gave him
an opportunity of acting upon the information
that he had gathered, and he lost no time in
doing so. OF course, we never knew exactly
what he did, or how he did it but we guessed
that through some agent, with the money that
Mr.. James Fordyee had given him when he
brought back the letter, and he made purchas
es and sales in the stock market, with more OF
less success He never altered in his manner
or appearance never betrayed by word or
signs to any of the clerks, his losses or his gains
and never neglected his mechanical duties, al
though he must have been much troubled in
mind at times, by the operations he was con
ductibr secretly ont of DOORS