The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1860-11-10
The Detected Traitor.


and started to pass out
Mr.. Clair, shall desire your lesenc'
in my office ere long, said the me9chsnt
; DO not leave the Office until ] haae spo
! ken with you 81
, There was an ominous sternnessIn hi
tone that attracted the quick eer OF Thorn
ton Clair, and as he gazee after his pom
pous chief, who strobe on with unusua
haste, his eye caught that Of Hiram Aoulc
the Cashier, peering with unconcealec
molice through the mahogany bars IN The
desk. Thornton Clair had arrived in Ne"
York four months before, from some city
Of the far West, and upon applying tt
James Agmoor, his manly and intelligen
face had so pleased that gentleman thai
his services were Immediately accepted
and he was given the responsible post o.
collector.
This was by no means agreeable u thu
envious Mould, nor did his vexatidh di
minish as he saw that James Agmoor 9e;l.
grew more and more attached toy Ia
young man. ix :
While Clair stood awaiting the eXpsoted
summons, and as Mr Agmoor entered his
private Office, the cashier moved FROM h,i
seat and following his principal, carefully
closed the green baize door after hirI
1t was strange to see the proud fand
pompous Air OF the lordly merchant change
to one of ill-coEcealed fear and d!sgusf, a
the cashier babe him GOOD day, and seated
himself near him, facing him, and havine
the Office table between them
"You have considered my propositions
James Agmoor,' said he in a smoothe
sott.voice, sleek and silky As the precious
fabrics that were about them.
James Agnoor buried his face in shis
hands for a moment. and then swecpin z
back his saow white hair, said huskIly
Il have, Hiram Mould, ! haye!' and
his tlce pale and red by turns, again
,oueL; the cover Of his trembling hand
I've told mv dau -hter that YOU de
mauG,d her for wife. She told me Il
til Won that Sic had rather be hsgga gal
in the streets than the wife Of HiraiH
Mould ~
" told he. all bur-t from the lips oi
the au.vcriu- merchant - told her I'll al
Hiram Mould was the master Of her ia
ther. that ere she was born, hadcom
r.ittcd q crime-a crime whose ever pre-
sen; guilt has blauched my hair befpre
have numbered my fogtyh,th year
And then she r-leuted
She asked me to tell her Of that c me.
replied A-uoor - ne spoke his eye-
grew bright and looked Hiram Mould full
IN The h,ee, Il tod hsr--sLe ii ihe
decd was not a criM--that the blo3 twas
dei1 in -e.l defence that killed chfrle-
Naapcr and 80 !, was Hiram Moa.Hy you
know it was
'Yer.. We in court Tie only wifnez.
Of the act, Jamcs Agmoor, would xiEe Al
It wa>-prsmyd.;atei murder
Jane = sgluoors eyes closed with sh,li
der, aud again ,Ae trembling handlesL ID
i.s psiiiJ face. T.
( i would swear. resumed !iiram Jbunei
his sharp. white teeth c!istcued kfrorl
/ h;~ sncciiug Hips, and the jury wot6a be
/ Iieyc every word, that .oue >ummersesen-
, iur. somo twenty years ago, ! Saw j an e.
I A-moor. who had refused - fight ii T. II
and orcn combat with Ch ri.s HlIcr,
croucliu, in the bushes taat GorCefe,l
the i.s-z!l ,.:.g ;l,i, ,.sas tc.-Cy .re2-s ~s'lZi
/ a. Charles Harper was riding uiscspec;-
: iusly ty. SAW James AEmooV spring from
: hi, covert aud strike him TO the earth
/ with "a club would swear that Jane,
+ ! h-u.ooa ;arn and theyc numbered Charles
/ Ua~r,r. and buried the body where !
/ could fad tu- bone, aye, End the watch
. tina, should identify the body
Al Ill-e." cried the merchant srous-
iuc himself = moment " twas James i :
moor who wa, DRAGGED from MS horse 10y
,ha:les Harper, wa, Hiram Mould
. who PROMPTED the assault :or purposes Gl
I..s o,yu-lecau,e lie hated each with q
deadly hate Nou. Hiram Mould, made
us. who TIL then were botom friends, BIT
ter enemies tie struck me, | returned
tine blow. he drew his knife and stabbed
me. I.t before fell -cuseless ! wre-ted
the weapon from hIm 4ud dealt him tt
tai thrust. that pro-tIatcd ham aiso-we
q sr.. .--.rr- 7
swoou. he dead. When 7cu-e and feeling
returned - me. I was in your house
You. Hiram Mould, hid the body where
ycu can iiud the remains 10 convict me
The public believed tAat Charlie Harper
was murdered YOU created that belief
bur TO use me a.l my life. YOU took success
fal care that the finger OF suspicion should
not uoiut at me, lest the law might Xii
. the goose that lays the golden egg
While the tortured man was saying all
tn, fsr more incohcrcntly than We have
written II, the unmoycd corspiGGtor bad
rapidly sketehel 4 picture OF 4 gibbeteI
tcion. and a. the merchant concluded, Hi
ram Mould placed the significant sketch
before him.
such shall be your fate if Rachel Ag
moor refuses to become my wife said h'
pointing to the hideous picture, with hl:
long lean foretingcr.
A.ain the merchant YIELDED to the ter
ribie threat, and lis head rank upon hi
bosom
. .. y ow call in Thornton Clair end diSmis
him ut once said Hiram stcrnly. " III
loves your daughter-she perhaps love
him You have tooiishly allowed him t
E visit at YOUR house. 1t shall be my ear
that he does not find otter employ
/, in this city"
! - am in your power groaned the un
happy man, rising and opening the door
, but a, he did so, his daughter Rachel steI
ped quickly away from the side OF Thorn
ton Clair. with whom she was eagerly con
versin@ and said
wish TO see Hiram Mould immediate
". dear father" and gliding by her aston
isLed parent, She entered the private oi
flee.
, The merchant closed the door, and turn
ed to address his child.
Tall and queenly in her person, lovely
brunette of eighteen summers. with larg
black eyes, usually full of softness as be
came her amiable and affectionate nature
but then flashing scornful fires as her re'
, lips curied with scathing contempt ka
, cllei Agmoor motioned to her father t
pause for moment, and bent her gaz
upon Hiram Mould.
He seemed III at ease as those superl
ewes slowly scanned him from head to foo
bathing him as it We're in wordless scorn
= lie rose to his feet, and recovering his ma
4 tural GOODNESS, said:
Il am happy to see that Miss kache
: Acnoor considers so humble "a person a
Hiram Mould worthy of so continued
: gaze
;. "This is the thing that dares to hope I
r call me wife, said Rachel; and thOug
:, the words were cutting, the tone and mar
ner penetrated to the marrow of the ra'
Gals bones and flashed bitter words I
L :.