The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1868-11-28

and afternoon before me. | left no corner
or crevice unexplored. l ransacked his
clothes, books, and papers. I turned
every pocket inside out, 1 peered behind
the mirror on the mantlc-piece, emptied
his dressing-case, tobacco-box peered even
into the cruet-stand, prodded the stuffiing
OF the chairs and sofa, and turned up the
corners OF the carpet. All to no purpose.
My search brought to light other keys,
which sufiiced to open every closed recep-
tacle in tho place. But not vestice of
the receipt or clue to its hiding-place
could be found. After long and fruitless
search, l turned away with heavy heart,
convinced that, if he still held the receipt,
1t must lie carried about his person, or
else lodged i'll some distant keeping which
l saw no possibility of reaching
Disappointed and detected, turned my
steps towards Remington, hoping to gain
strength of heart and acuteness of inven-
ton from sight of the beloved face For
Rates gentle and reliant nature ever slim
ulatcd and fortified me,-taught me endu-
rance, taught me to hope against hope. l
found her alone. Though she read in my
countenance that 1 had no good news to
bring as yet, her patient, accomplishing
voice nerved me as of old, and regaincd
confidence. After all, fortune had be-
friendod us generously; for much was al
name. did not despair of accomplishing
all i'll time. But time. There was the
rub. Would time be accorded us?
AS if in answer to the inquiry, her IA
Tiers knock was heard, and Kate, looking
out of the window, saw that he was &c
companied by Murdon. Her terror rose
80, go,-goE' she cried, cxcitedly :;
''there will he {; scene if he meets you here
again. He is SO violent, and then he has
my father i'll his power, and fathers health
is so shattered. Not for your own sake,
but for mine, do, pray, avoid him."
Unable to resist her entreaty, slipped
into an adjoining room, and, as they as
cendcd the stairs and entered the sitting
room, passed down. Murdon's top-coat,
an iil-fitting wrap-rascal which descended
to his ankles, was hanging in the hail.
He had Invested himself of his over-coat,
purposing to pass the evening at that
house.
There was last hope that might find
the receipt in one Of the pockets. Quick
as thought I passed my hand into the
pocket i'll the breast of the coat, and found
a bulky pocket-boolz. 1t was full of old
letters. But there was an inner receptacle.
Victory! The receipt, with William
Wylde's counterfeitel signature in a shaky,
iN-dis9uiset hand! A poor laundering at
tempt at forgery, this, which would not
have taken in a charity boy. 1 stifed the
cry of triumph which rose to my lips, peck
eted the forged receipt, substituted the
veritablc one, and returned the pocket-book
to the wrap-rascal. Then I calmly remount-
cd the stairs, and entered Graham sitting
room.
Murtlon was lolling on the sofa as enter
ed, and looked up with his supercilious, in
solent stare. ''lIallo, Mister Skulk,' he
began, Il thought you were ill in bed but
it seems you re not too i'll to poke your nose
into places where you are not wanted.'
Not noticing him directly, l turned to
| Kate with 4 look which she understood, -
Il look which caused her face to brighten.
Taking her hand as if to say good evening,
| | whispered, g Your father is safe back
me up" She smiled, and turned to the
old man.
Mr.. Graham" I asked "why do you
suffer this underlined person about your
house?'
The old clerk started, flushed, and began
to stammer. "That, George, me !!
why, that is NJ. Murlon-and-''
g He is the wosst-conditoned cur on the
face of the earth," l answered, deliberate
| ly. lie is a compound of insolence and
falsehood; a tyrant without the power
which he affects n bully, but an innocuous
bully, and no companion for you and your
daughter. That what Murdon is, Mr..
| Graham
lie started from the sofa with an OATH
eff you approach me-" cried, stopping
him, ''Ill knock you down."
| / knew him then for a coward, for he
stopped short in the blow which he had
meditated, and turned green and yellow
He was a bigger and older man than /, but
he held back and ground his teeth as
lcaped insult on insult upon him, in my
bitterness and my triumph.
"You don't know what you are. doing,
you braggart young fool - he at length
muttcred, livid with rage. "You are ruin
ing your precious friends here"
"You lie" retorted there is moth
ing you can do which can harm hair of
their heads
"Isn't there?' he cried. 81 can send
this old man to penal servitude; 1 can beg
gar his daughter; and | arM."
can empty threat,-a Dragging boast,
as mendacious as all you ever say
lie shook a trembling finger at the old
man, whose state of terror cannot hope to
describe. O. He is a forger," Kissed Muir
don. GA thief and forger.''
"Pooh,' 1 returned. "What has he
forged? Why do you waste words p
Where are the proofs p
''I'll show You what he has forged, if
that's any satisfaction, my young cham
pion, and the proofs shall be laid to-mor-
row before other eyes than yours" And
he strobe vindictiyely out of the room.
In moment he returned with his pocket
book. 1 was holding the hand of Kate,
who stood calm and confident by my side.
The old man had sunk into a chair, and
was wringing his hands. "There," cried
Murdon, opening the book with a tremb-
ling hand, "ifyou must know your friend $
handiwork, look at it F; but keep your fin
gers OFF,
"Look at it yourself, before you boast, -
l answered. care the names of the wit
nesses forged too?"
In an instant his face fell as he glanced
at the receipt. He knew that he was dis