The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-01-05
The Travelling Post-Ofce.
AN ENGLISH STORY.
Concluded


childish creature, who did not look q
day older than when had last seen her
in nv travelling post-otlice, was a Wild
ow in strange land, far away from
any friend save myself. | had brought
her a letter from her father. The trst
duties that devolved upon me were
those of her husbands interment, which
had to take place Immediately. Three
or four weeks elapsed before l conld,
with any humanity, enter upon the IN
vestigation of her mysterious completely
in the daring theft practiced on the
government and the post-offce.
did not see the despatct-box again.
In the midst of her new and vehement
grief, Mrs. Forbes had the precaution to
remove it before was again ushcred in
to the room where / had discovered 1t.
| was at some trouble to hit upon any
plan by which to gain second sight OF
il: but was resolved that Mrs. Forbes
should not leave Alexandria without
giving me q full explanation. We were
waiting for remittances and instructions
from England, and in the mean time the
violence of her grief abated, and she re-
covered good share of her old bnoy-
ancy and lovcliness, which had so
delighted me on my first acquaint-
ance with her. As her demands
upon my sympathy weakened,
my curiosity grew stronger, and
mt last mastered Inc. / carried with
me a netted purse which required mend
| inr. and l asked her to catch up the
broken mcshes while l waited for it.
Il will tell your maid to bring your
] 4 tn door
calling the servant. "Your mistress has
red morocco work box" said to her,
as she answered my summons.
"Yes, sir" she replied.
"Wherc is ii -
/ "In her bedroom" she said.
"Alrs. Forbes wishes it brought here
| | turned back into the room. Mrs.
Forbes had gone deadly pale, but her
ewes looked sullen, and her teeth were
clenchcd under her lips with an eX.
preston of stubhOrnncss. The maid
brought the work-box. walked, with
it my hands, up to the sofa where she
was seated.
"Yon remember this mark 7" | asked.
II think neither of us can ever forget
| it,"
She did not answer by word, but there
was a very intelligent gleam in her blue
eyes.
"Now," continued softly, 81 prom
| ised YOUR father to befriend you, and
am not man to forget promise,
but YOU must tell me the whole simple
truth"
was compelled to reason with her,
and to urge her for some time. i con
10 \ Cav 20, nd h4r
| that there was an English consul at Al
eXandria, to whom | could resort. At
| last she opened her stubborn lips, and
the whole story came out, mingled with
sobs and showers of tears.
She had been in love with Alfred, she
said, and they were too poor to marry,
and papa would not hear ofsuch thing.
She was always in want of money, she
was kept so short; and they promised to
give her such great sum-vast sum
five hundred pounds.
But who was il bribcd your in
quired. :
A foreign gentleman whom she had
met in London. called Monsieur Bon
nard. 1t was Il French name, but she
was not sure that he was Frenchman.
He talked to her ahOut her father being
a surveyor in the post-otficc, and asked
her a great number of questions. A few
weeks after, she met him IN her own
town by accident she and Mr.. Forbes:
and Alfred had long private talk
with him, and they came to her, and
told her she conld help them very
much. They asked her if she could
be brave enough to carry off little red
box ont of the travelling pOst-otlice,
containing nothing but papers. After
awhile she consented. When she had
confessed so much under compnlsiOn,
Mrs. Forbes seemed to take n pleasure
in the narrative, and went on tiuently.
I'VE required papa's signature to the
order. and we did not know how 10 get
it. Luckily he had fit of the govt,
and was very peevish and l had to
read over lot of official papers to him,
and then he signed them. One OF the
papers l read twice, and slipped the or
der into its place after the second read
ing. / thought / should have died with
fright /; but just then he was in great
pain, and glad TO get his work over l
made an excuse that i was going to
visit my amt at Becky, but, instead
of going there direct, we contrived TO
be at the station at Eaton minute or
two before the mail-train came up. l
kept outside the station door till We
heard the whistle, and just then the
postman came running down the road,
and | followed him straight through
the booking office, and asked him to
give you the order, which / put in his
hand. He scarcely saw me. just caught
glimpse of Mons. Bonard's face through |
the window of the compartment next
the van, when Alfred had gone. They |
had promised me that the train should |
stop at Camden-town if l could only I
keep your attention engaged until then.
You know how i succeeded"
But how did you dispose of the box"
asked. You could not have concealed .
it about you; that l am sure of"
"Ahw she said, nothing was easier.
Monsieur Bonnard had described the
van to me, and you remember put the
box down at the end of the counter,
close to the counter where / hid myself
ut every station. There was door
with n window in it, and asked if /
might have the window open, as the
van was too warm for me. believe
Monsieur Bonnard could have taken II
from me by only leaning through the
window, but he preferred stepping out,
and taking it from my hand, jnst as the
train was leaving watford,-on the far
side of the carriage, You understand. 1t
was at the last station, and the train
came to stand at Camden. After all, the
box was not out ofyour sight more than
twenty minutes before you missed il.
Monsieur Bonnard and hurried out of
the station. and Alfred followed us The
box was forced open,-the lock has
never heen mended, for it was pecu-
liar one.-and Monsieur BOnnard took
possession of the papers He left the
box with me, after putting inside Of it
n roll of notes. Alfred and were mar
r;ed naxt u,orpino and went back TO L