The Van Buren press., 1869-07-20
VAN BUREN, ARK, JULY 49, 1869.

, We'll give me the twenty, and waei
you get the reward you may remit th'
balance to the address which l shall Civ,
you"
The bargain was closed job handat
over the XX, and, with trembling hand
received the object Of his wishes, ,togethel
with card on which the stranger hat
written his address, and the two wen
their several ways.
job Quigley, it is time to inform thC
reader, was a thrifty grocer in an interior
village. lie was considered sharp man
at home, up to the tricks of trade, and Of
hot more thau average honesty. lie was
in no sense vicious man, Int was man
of easy virtue. As long as there was nc
temptation to do wrong, or the risk OF
discovery was great, he was a pattern OF
| uprightness Under opposite circum
stances, we have already ,.ad soaie insight
as to his character
Job sough, the first oplfJrtunity o
privately scrutinizing his p:ye. u tuin
ed out Of greater value than he had an.
ticipated. There WAS rising twenty five
hundred dollars, and not scrap of writ
ing, OF an indication OF any kind, afford.
ing the slightest clue to the owner
Jobs integrity stood q poor chance
under the circumstances. The tempta
ton was very great, and the chances OF
detection exceedingly small Indeed, he
had had but one purpose from the begin
ming, and that was to keep the money
and say nothing about it.
Evening came, and as ho walked down
Broadway, a flaming play-bill headed
" The Forty Thieves attracted his no
ticc, He had q taste for theatricals, and
the name of the piece striking his fancy.
he concluded to sce'it. He didn't get to
New York often. and for once felt that
he could afford TO DO the handsome thing
by himself.
He had no money with him bnt that iD
the newly found pocket book, from which
he selecte the sn .ilc,t Dill tc coull / nd
and going up to the Office called for Il
ticket, which he received with his change.
lie was making his way to the entrance,
when hand was laid on his shoulder
Turning about, lie found himself face
to face with keen-looking midile-aged
man, plainly but gcnteellv dressed, by
whom he was thus accostel:
Where did you got the bill you just
now passed at the oiiicc: =
Heavens could ii be the owner or the
lost pocket book Job was struck dumb !;
his tongue Glove to the roof Of his aoath.
. You must come with me-" added the
stranger; " the more quietly tho better"
and passing his arm through Jobs he led
him away without being observed by the
crowd. and calling q coach, assisted him
in, and took seat by his side The driv
er received his direction, and set off at
pace which left Job little time to collect
When the coached stopped he was
handed out, and led through door, over
which was brilliant light, into room
in which man in blue uniform sat at q
desk behind a railing, while several Others
in the same garb, stood orloungcd about
in the various attitudes in which people
do nothing.
Although from rural district, Job
wasn't SO green rs not to have susplc-
ion Of " here he was He knew the police
uniform, and knew there were such things
as station houses.
His blood ran sold at the thought.
The money in his pocket might he identl-
fled as the proceeds Of some robbery, or
morse, as the property of some murdered
man. The very idea gave him choking
sensation.
Whats the charge against this man y
inquired the officer Al the desk
9 saw him pass q counterfeit bill at
Niblo's,' answered the keen-iookinS
man" one Of new and dangerous IS
sue--and on being questioned, lie gave
no satisfactory answer,
"lIave you scached bis person ~
"Not yet"
Let it be done at once.
Job WAS gone through" with proies-
sional expedition.
One Of the first things brought to light
was the fasa, pocket hood. ltw was quick
" opened, AM tho roll ofb.lis examined.
Every one counterfeit, and all OF the
same issue. said the officer. The ease
is q very clear one. No honest man
would be found with such a quantity OF
base, and no good money upon him.
Lock him up for the nisht.'
Job essayed to speak, but his tongue
refused its office. and in another moment
the clang OF an iron door, the harsh graf
ing of the key in the lock, told him he
WAS the inmate Of prisoners cell.
Ona bare, hard bench, he passed q
night of solemn reflection. He was not
guilty Of the crime laid to his charge, FOL
he had passed the hill in ignorance OF its
character, but had he not meditatcd
another crime, equally helpous. he would
never have been accused OF this And
there, in that miserable dungeon, Jol
thought out n lesson hs had never learn
cd before: 1t is never safe even to con
tcmplatc doing evil
In The morning. he was arraigncd be
fore the Judge, amid a crowd Of debasel
and abandoned wretches from whose
contact he shrank with horror.
He was able, by this time, to give al
intellgible explanation Of the circun
stances against him; and when the land
lord with whom he stopped, and severa
friends who knew him, came forward II
his behalf, he was released, on redeemint
the bad bill, with an admonition hcroagte
to trust in serious strangers less. an'
read the newspapers more. kcager.