Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1867-11-29
The Forged Check.

Charley Stanford and | were en-
gagged to be married. That might or
might not have been the reason why
| refused to believe him guilty of the
crime of forgery, of which he stood
accused, and for the commission of
which he was lying in prison, await
ing trial. | did not believe in his
guilt, but | seemed the only one to
have doubted, and [ was but a poor
sewing girl with neither money or in
huence; so it was likely to go hard
with Charley Stanford. | was so
poor that | could not spare day
from labor to grieve, or to comfort.
him. | managed to get him a word
that | believed in his innocence it
was all [ could do, and | then went
to Mr.. Lamont's to fulfill an engage
ment for sewing. | went out by the
day or week, and Mrs. Lamont, though
rich lady, was not above the econo-
my of employing me.
| don't know that it would have
made any difference to her if she had
known that | was engaged to Charley
Stanford, but she did not know it, and
it was her husbands name which my
unfortunate lover was accused of
forging.
Mrs. Lamont had never heard of
me; but | had heard of her when she
was not the grand lady she was now.
She was a Miss RyersOn before her
marriage, the daughter Of a boarding
house keeper, and Mr.. Lamont and
Charley boarded with her mother
Mr.. Lamont, though a wealthy mer-
chant, was a plain man, and did not
scorn the fare that was good enough
for his clerk.
may as well explain here that
Charley was the son of an old friend
Of Mr.. Lamont's, and that the rich
merchant had fancy to him, when
this unlucky charge was made, which
it seemed more than probable would
| shipwreck name, fame, and prospects.
| often heard Charley mention
Miss Ryerson, who was a snowy,
handsome girl; but he never spoke
as though he liked her, and | more
than guessed that it was not her fault
if he did not.
Charley was very fine looking
what we women call a splendid look
ing fellow, and though he never said
as much to me, Che was too honorable
and delicate,) ! think that in those
days Miss RyerSon liked the mer-
chants handsome clerk great deal
better than he liked her.
Mr.. Lamont on the contrary con-
ceived violent passion for Miss Ry-
erson and she married him, for the
sake of his money, of course.
After the marriage, Mr.. Lamont in
sisted upon Charley's coming to live
with them, and threw out vague hints
Of adopting him at some future day,
making him partner, or doing some
thing as great for him.
Thus much of Charley's relations
with the Lamont's. He could have
nothing 10 gain in committing such a
crime-nothing, that is, compared to
what he run the risk Of losing through
discovery. Yet the evidence against
him was powerful enough to convince
OF his guilt man who would natural
| ly be reluctant to believe sucn thing
of him, and unless some unlocked
for event occurred to disprove chat
evidence, it must convict him IN a
court of justice.
The forged check had been present
ed at the bank and cashed just be-
fore banking hours were over, and
the teller could tell nothing as to
: who presented it, beyond a general
impression that it was a young man
with heavy black whiskerS and
moustache like Charley. In short
being accustomed to cash Mr.. La.
mont's drafts through Charley, he had
: not observed but that it was he who
presented this one; but could not
swear either way why he had a con
t fused recollection, too, about a pain
Of epauletS; but upon some insinuat
1 ing he must have had an early dram
: that day, he concluded that the epau
: lets must have belonged to another
: party entirely.
The forgery bore about as strong
e resemblance to Charley's hand as tt
Mr.. Lamont's when you looked sec
e ond time; and Mrs. Lamont produc
S ed something the house-maid ha(
. found in Charley's room, some tori
a sheets of paper, scrawled over ant
a over with Mr.. Lamont's name writer
d on it just as it was on the forge'
: check. They found more such speci
t mems in Charley's trunk, and rol
e of bank-notes which Charley denie'
all knowledge of, as we'll as of tn
/ sheets Of paper with Mr.. Lamont
d name on them. | had plenty to thinl
(, of while | sat there in Mrs. Lamont
e back parlor, sewing, and sometime
u of an evening Mr.. Lamont came il
i and sat talking over Charley's cas-
= with his wife, so unconscious of me
and my nearness to Charley, that
could scarcely bear it. | noticed i
t. these talks that Mr.. Lamont leane,
" toward Charley with some kindnes
+? still, and would have explained tn
h things against him if he could; bu
; his wife took an entirely opposit
e view of the matter, and could Sc
o influenced her husband by her repre-
f sentations. She laughed scornfull
IS at the supposition that Charley was
,e after all, innocent. She told her huS
e band he had been shamefully decei'