The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1864-12-01

4. Soon there was light tap on the
door, and 10 banker said, "Come in"
in an ordinary tone. ..,..-.g... .
The servant opened the door, ushered
in the stranger, aud Immediately with.
drew. The latter was man verging on
sixty, of rough appearance and coarse at.
tire. lie wore an old grey overcoat,
buttoned to the throat, aud pair of green
goggles, and his whole dress was COM
pletely saturated with rain.
"Take seat" said the banker, point.
ing to chair near the fire.
"No, thank you, III stand" was the
gruf reply. "You got my note, aud OF
course know my business. at.
Z "You allude to this, I supposed" re.
turned the banker, producing the letter
which had caused him 80 much pcrtar-:
baton moment before.
eyes" f..-
Il do not understand it! you must
hayo made some mistakev'
mo, no mistake at all. I was present
twenty years ago come the tenth Of next
October, and saw you shoot him, and If
you 20 for to deny it, I'll have yoa in
prison before morning. I've laid my
plans aud goteverythipg sure, and If yod
90 to playing innocent aud refusing my
terms, I'll take care to see you die
stretching hemp"
- The banker, in spite of himself, turned
pale, and staggered to ascat.
=. "What do you WANT" he groaned.
ga hundred thousand dollars-not q
cent less!"
II cannot-it would ruin mc"'.
. "Just as you say.' rejoincd the other.
moving towards the door; "you know
what will follow if 60 this way"
ooh stop. do not 60 out" cried the
man Of crime, in terrible alarm.
He, argued, urged, pleaded, implored
fer mercy at less fearful cost. In vain.
At last the banker, seeing ruin, dis
grace and death before him if he refused,
agreed to meet the stranger, with the re:
quired sum, on the following night, in
front of St. Paul's Church. Both were
punctual to the fixed time, and bills and
checks to the amount Of one hundred
thousand dollars changed hands.
"A month later there was tremendous
run on the bank of which Edward Ste
phens was owner. It was soon broken
and closed. The sheriff was set to work
by his eager creditors, aud all the real
estate and personal property Of tie late
millionaire was seized and sold, leaving
him bcggar End the just claims unsatis
fed. Fashionable friends deserted the
family, and the proud. nobleman refused
the hand Of ruined bankers daughter
In The very midst Of this disgrace and
tribuIation, Edwurd st phous eupouu-
tered the man who had turned SO pale
aud became SO agitated in his presence a
short time before. .... . -
"Your face seems somewhat familiar,
but l cannot place you" returned Ste
phens. ~sT ....... ., .s., Fl, ,..,..
"Permit me to bring myself to your
recollection then, as | wish you to know
me- A little more THAI six weeks ago, |
was talking with you on business, and
you observed that turned deadly pale
and became sgitatcd. a.e aa
"Ah, yes, remember you now" yra
Let me tell you why l was thus affect
ed: My eye had just Glanced upon q
curious seal, which once belonged to o
merchant named Philip Sydney, who was
shot in the Western part of this State
some twenty years ago; and on looking at
your features closely, l knew you to be
the villain who perpetrated the foul
dccdw ...
"Merciful God" exclaimed the CT de,
rant banker, with blanched face and
quaking form.
eyes, / know" pursued the other; and
a week after, l disguised myself and bad
an interview with you inryonr mansion.
You remember that OF course
"But," gasped the trembling wretch,
"did l not pay you your own price to
keep my fatal secret?"
"Yes. With that money, and what
other could command, l was enabled to
buy up enough Of your own bills to osusc
that run upon your bank which broke i.
and forced ruin upon youe'
"And what would you now that 1 am
ruincd," inquired the other with the
deadly calmness Of desperation.
"Now that I have bad my revenge,
want you to know that | myself am tht
man you attempted to murder and die
rob! Tam Philip Sydney? Behold ths
scar whore the ball struck and glanced!
and he lifted his hat and showed it.
a"God be praised!' ejaculated the other
"God be praised that you still live," ane
unable to restrain his emotion, burst inte
tears, HOh! sir" he continued. "yo,
have taken a load from my conscience
a weight from my soul! Though power
ty, beggary, disgrace and death are star
ing me in the face, am happy in th'
knowledge that I am not guilty Of mar
der-more happy than. have been fo
years, with all the luxurious surround
ings Of wealth 1t was my frst snd las
crime. have never been able to tel
how was tempted to go outrage my na
ture as on that fearful occasion. Now
sir, DO with me what you will-only,
pray you, be nerciful to my innoesn
family"
II forgive you," returned the other
extending his hand. "You have beer
| 4 - a.