The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-01-04
The Travelling Post-0ffice'
AN ENGLISH STORY.
TCORtiRHed.1

Continued.
The tall dark-haired girl had left her
seat, and now stood beside her mother.
Certainly she was very unlike the small
golden-haired coquette who had trav-
elled up to London with me rs Anne
Clifton.
"Madam." / said, scarcely able to
speak, sis your other daughter slender
| little creature, exactly the reverse OF
this young lady"
NO" she answered, laughing; "Snsan
is both taller and darker than Mary.
Call Susan, my dear"
In few seconds Miss Susan made her
appearance, and had the three before
me,-A. Clifton, S. Clifton, and NJ.
| Clifton. There was no other girl in the
family; and when described the young
lady who had travelled under their
name, they could not think OF any one
in the town-it was small one-who
answered my description. or who had
gone on visit to London. / had no
time to spare, and hurried back to the
station, Just catching the train as it
left the platform. At the appointed
hour ! met MOrville at the General
Post-oifice; and, threading the long
passages of the secretary's offices. we
at length found ourselves anXiously
waiting in an ante-room, until we were
called INTO his presence. Morvllle had
discovered nothing, except that the
porters and policeman at Camdentown
station had seen young lady pass out
last night, attended by swarthy man
who looked like foreigner, and carried
n small black portmanteau.
scarcely know how long we waited.
1t might have been years; for l was
conscious of an ever-increasing diff
Guilty in commanding my thoughts, or
fixing them upon the subject which had
engr0ssed them all day. / had not
tasted food for twenty-four hours, nor
closed my eyes for thirty-six, while,
during the whole of the time, my nerv-
Gus system had been on full strain.
Presently the summons came, and l
was ushered, first, into the inner apart
ment. There sat five gentlemen round
table, which was strewed with a
number of documents. There were the
Secretary of State, whom we had seen
in the morning, our secretary, and Mr..
! looking man, whom | afterwards knew
to he the Premier; the fifth recognized
as our great chief, the Postmaster
General. 1t was an august assem-
blagc to me, and l bowed low; but my
head was dizzy, and my throat parched.
"Mr Wilcox" said our secretary, you
will tell these gentlemen again the cir
cumstanccs of the loss you reported to
me this morning"
| laid my hand upon the back of a
chair to steady myself, and went through
the narration for the third time, passing
over sundry remarks made by myse If to
the Young lady. That done, added the
account of my expedition to Eaton, and
the certainty at which | had arrived
that my fcilow-travcller was not the
person she represented herself TO be.
After which, inquired with indescriba-
ble anxiety if Mr.. IIuntingdOn'S order
were forgery'
81 cannot tell, Mr.. Wilcox" said that
gentleman, taking the order i'll his
hands, and regarding it with an ar OF
extreme perplexity. 81 could have
sworn it was mine, had it been attached
to any other document. l think Forbes,
handwriting is not so well initiated
But it is the very ink use, and mine is
q peculiar signature"
1t was n very peculiar and old-fash
ioned signature, with flourish under
meath it not unlike Il whip-handlc, with
the lash caught round it III the middle;
but that did not make it the more diff
cult to forge, as j hunlbly suggested
{ Mr.. Huntington wrote his name upon q
paper, and two or three of the gentle
men tried to initiate the flourish, but
vsinly. They gave it up with a smile
upon their grave faces.
"You have been careful not to let a
hint of this matter drop from you, Mr.
Wilcox ?" said the Postmastcr-General
Not a syllable, my lord," answered
at is iuperatively necessary that
the secret should he kept. You would
be removed from the temptation of tel
ling it, You had an appointment in
some office abroad. The packct-agcn-
cy at Alexandria is vacant, and | will
have you appointed to ii at once"
1t would be good advance from my
present situation, and would doubtless
prove Il stepping-stonc TO other and
better appointments: but l had 4
mother living ut Fazeley, bedriddcn
and paralytic, who had no pleasure in
existence, except having me to dwell
under the same roof with her. My
head was growing more and more dizzy,
and a strange vagueness was creeping
over me.
Gentlemen" / muttercd, ~ have a
bedridden mother whomI cannat leave.
/ was not to blame, gentlemen |
fanced there was stir and movement
at the table, but my eyes were dim, and
in another second had lost conscience.
When / came to myself, in two or
three minutes, found that Mr.. Hunt
ingdon was kneeling on the floor beside
me, supporting my head, while our
secretary held q glass Of wine to my
lips. l rallied as quickly as possible,
and staggered to my feet; but the two
gentlemen placed me in the chair
against which had been leaning, and
insisted upon my finishing the wine be-
fore tried to speak.
Il have not tasted food all day." /
said, family.
"Then, my good fellow, you shall 60
home Immediately" said the Postmaster
General; ''but be on your guard! Not
word of this must escape you. Are you
) a married mani"
"No. my lord" answered.
$50 much the better" he added, smil-
ing. You can keep secret from your
mother, dare say. We rely upon your
honor"
The secretary then rang bell, and !
was committed to the charge of
the messenger who answered ii; and in
a few minutes was being conveyed i'll q
cab to my London lodgings. A week
afterwards, Tom Morville was sent out
to postotfice in Canada, where he set
tied down, married, and is still living,
perfectly satisfied with his position, Is
he occasionally informs me by letter.
For myself, remained, as desired, in
my old post as travelling clerkIuntil the
death of my mother, which occurred
some ten or twelve months afterward. l
was then promoted to an appointment
as clerk in charge, upon the first va
cancy.
Tie business of the clerks in charge
is to take possession of any postotfice In
the kingdom, upon the death or resig-
. -. -1,n,, atI.