Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1862-01-17


| Dclapres sprans to his feet, and his eyes
took a cold, deadly CLEAN as he fixed them
ON the banker. /" You refuse to serve him."
he sad, because il is not your duty, or, in
other words, because ii would not please
I the merchants and bankers of the town.
Well, listen do what ask you tomorrow,
or ! will make your bank, your family, aud
yourself an example TO all mercless Danes,
while the walls of Hamburg stand II" and
Before word could be said in answer, he
had gone and shut the door,
Haroldson was not the man TO be intimi-
dated, but he shut mp the bank with unusu-
al care, and looked sober and thoughtful all
the way home. He was sure the French
man was concerned in the transaction, and
their wisest plan was TO give immediate in-
formation TO the police. The police were
accordingly Informed, and Delapres' lodg-
ings visited the same night; but he had re-
moved early in the afternoon, his landlady
could not say whittier, and the whole city
was searched for him in vain. Mex; day
/ the trial came on and Haroldson gave his
/ evidence. 1t was conclusive against poor
Grundler. He would say nothing in his
/ defense but what he had said before. Sem
tence Of death was accordingly passed upon
/ him but in hopes that the boys heart
might fail, or something turn up to throw
light on the mystery, that day three months
was fixed for his execution. The poor fel-
lows steadfastness surprised everybody
he went back to prison without saying one
word; but whether from weakness, or the
terrors OF bis mind, he was soon after
seized with brain fever, and died within the
fortnight. No one thought him guilty, but
they laid him in the prison burial ground
| it was the law for all WHO died within the
walls.
| Nothing more was seen or heard OF De-
lapres, and Grundler's relations thought it
| good riddance so did Christian Harold
son, though he did not say it. The banker
was a prudent man. and things went well
with him: his son hourished at solege no
more forged notes turned up, and his wealth
was increasing. In the safe fashion of those
times, he was not only manager, but one of
the four proprietors of the bank. One
lived in Copenhagen, one in Bremen, and
one at Lubbock they did little in the way
of direction but left the entire management
| to Haroldson, as the right of his family,
and though not stingy, he kept his house and
his son economically, that a capital mig hit
accumulate to buy family estate when
Frederick came TO his greatness. A year
passed quietly away; the young man came
home to see his family-they said much i'm
proved-and returned 10 college again.
Frederck's letters came so regularly, and
were so proper, detailing from week to
week how he spent his time, how he spent
his money, what progress he was making
and what acquaintance he formed they
were all the sons Of grave lawyers or cler-
gymen, steady students and exemplary
characters. Haroldson showed his letters
with great pride to his friends, who all
agreed that they had been mistaken in think
ing i'll of the boy. and that he was correct
in the estimate Of his son.
That winter was particularly dark and
depressing one in Hamburg. Heavy fogs
hung cver the city night and day; the ice
on the Elbe and the Alster was not safe for
country traffic, ahile as usual. it blocked
up the shippings provisions were in conse-
quence dear, business was dull, and there
was little news except what began TO be
whispered about the Danish bank. As the
nights grew long and dreary, report got
up among the bank clerks and servants
regarding tall figure in white--positively
winding -sheet-which came out Of dark
corners, and surprised them in the loneliest
parts of the building. The porter had seen
it first in one Of his nightly rounds; then
it appeared more or less distinctly TO sew
eral of the clerks, but always when they
were alone; and the whole establishment
believed it TO be the ghost Of Edward
Grundler. They had notion that he had
been uajustly condemned, and that there
fore his restless spirit haunted the scene OF
his accusation. The terror this idea in
spired was so great that some Of the Oldest
clerks gave up their places the porter,
whose courage had never been known to
fail before, would not go on his rounds
asoneS and general CONSERVATION reigned
in the establishment. Christian Haroldson
himself did not appear TO be frightened,
though it was generally allowed he had the
best right. 1t was long before any one
dared to tell him of the spectre. When
one Of the clerks mentioned it as the cause
of his resignation, he tried TO laugh him out
Of the notion, insisted that good spirits had
no wish to return to this wicked world, and
that evil ones we're not permitted to molest
honest people but when the man would
not stay, and others went, and when the
head cashier confessed to having seen it,
he took to going about the place after dark,