The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1870-04-05

, on account Of the old mans downcast
, looks, and the furtive, meek way he had
of watching O'Neil's slightest movement.
O'Neil himself did not say n word to us,
but stalked off home two hours before he
had right to go, leaving us four in an
, agony of curiosity and suspicion We
worked ourselves to such a pitch that had
Baxter but given us the word. We would
have denounced Browler to the police
and had him in the station-housc in twen-
, ty minutes but Baxter advised u.s. in a
r whisper, to let the plot ripen, and then
crush it at one fell swoop; to which We
r slowly assented, grasping hands over our
lunch baskets to demonstrate our unity.
On going gloomily and sternly back to
, my policy book, | found bit of paper
between the leaves addressed to me, and
marked Z" confidential which ran thus
, Dear Smythc would you do me the great
, kindness to call on me at No. 100 Cock
, loft street, at eight this evening? Yours,
in trouble, David Browler."
looked over at him and he was watch
ing me anxiously over his pcnrack. |
was indignant that he should try to drag
me into his rascality, and | nothing but
: boy and so tore the bit Of paper to
, flinders, and flung them on the floor
with as much contempt as | could get
into my motions His lip trcmbled Just
like crying baby's; and his eye
dropped under mine, and he went to work
again
Ten minutes after, was conscious of
being a cruel brute. People are always
very civil and kind to a man who is to be
hung, and why should not ] try to be
obliging to man who certainly deserved
it? | determined to accommodate Brow
ler To get him to understand this was
obliged to whit until the other fellows
had gone, and then slipped around and
whispered over the top of his desk as if
Baxter was only yard off--and it sur
prised me to see how very kind could
speak to the hoary old william after all.
I'll come, Browler," said |
He lifted his head up quickly aud ap.
peared very much pleased.
You'll do me great kindness, ii you
will, Smythe"
Shall fetch anything ,"
:" No, thank you-eight, sharp"
With that went away. Although |
knew Baxter and the others would be
awfully enraged if they got an inkling of
what | was about, and although | was
positive that old Browler was endeavor-
ing to get me into some hangman's scrape,
yet when | found out that | could do a
great favor for him, thought of the ma
ny holidays and advance salaries | had
wheedled him out Of Besides that, he
|, was not 80 much sly and deceitful in get
ting me to visit him as he was begging
and asking, and began rather to fancy
the idea Of a little diplomacy specially
as | should find out what this was all
, about
Although had never been there be-
, fore, | had but little trouble in find Cock
loft street 1t mi ght have been a quiet
sunny place in the day Al any rate
. it was sober and dark enough in the
, night. The houses were like mems stock 5,
| eminently old-fashoned and highly re-
spectacle. also found Brower easily,
and he shook my hand cordially and
dragged me into his sitting-room, with a
joviality that | never supposed he was
, capable Of It looked very strange to me
, to see his glasses and bald head any
, where but in the Office, and that coupled
with wondering how a man could be so
pleasant and affabe and deeply-dyed
| william at the same time, made me feel a
little i'll at case. Nor was this at all ban
ished by the solemn entrance in single
file Of Browcr's three thin spcctaced re-
lativcs
Mr. Smythe," said Browlcr, bowing
allow me to introduce my sisters Miss
Amabel, Miss Belinda, and Miss Cora
Alphabetical order, you observe, A.B.C.,
while close up with D-David n pretty
idea of my honored father, who set out
to finish the alphabet, but my mother .a-
terierred by dying and my father quench-
ed all hope by following suit two months
after" bowed three times success
sively, and the three thin sisters smiled
, reprovingy at Browler, who set chairs
, for us
After some triiing Interruptions, in.
Guiding dish of pippins, jug of cider
and general overhauling of the common
> enemy, an open-6re, Browler proceeded
to business, placing himself in front oi
the semi-circle We formed, with his ten
fingers spread out in fan-like and ex.
planatory manner The three sisters
turned their close attention to thcil
, , brother boots, and prepared to listen
closely.
Mr.. Smythe," sad Browler, deliber.
ate, "what | say shall be very concise
and is in n measure an autobiography.
He paused an instant, aud pressed hi.
, lips together | simply bowed, while the
three sisters gave an adjusting rustic oI
their skirts.
"Some years ago, in the far South, there
was an exceedingly wealthy firm doing
, business in cotton and rice, by the name
of O'Neil 4 Co, the head of the firm be.
ing the parent of the young-man who en-
tered our place to-day. Our head office
; was not a very large one, and was the
only ook-keeper. | had been brought
; up in their employ, and one of the results
, , of my twenty years steady labor was a
deep attachment for the principal, Mr.
O'Ne.l In spite of this, and my ordina-
: ry sense of honor and duty, ! became
what people called an unmitgated scoun-
drel" Here another rustic occurred ,and
to my disgust, an undoubted smile gath.
. cred upon the lips of the Mephistophies-
1 Browler This wickedness extended
: through period of several years,and was
known to two persons, though they were
i not in collision. Business was carried
on, on an unsound basis but without con
j traction, until the 10th of December nine