Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-03-22

me had been received. was looking
carelessly over the newspaper, and
thinking about going home, when one
of my clerks came in, and said that a
stranger wished to see me Immediate
ly on very important business.
did he mention his name" | en-
quired.
"No sir"
"Did you ask him for it?"
Yes, sir. And he said you would
be none the wiser if he told me what
it was"
"Does he look like a begging letter
writer ?"
He spoke sharp and decided, sir,
and said it was in your interest that
he came, and that you would deeply
regret it afterward if you refused to
see him."
"He said that, did he? Show him
in at once, then"
He was shown in Immediately; a
middling sized man, with a sharp, un-
wholesome looking face, and with a
flippant, reckless manner, dressed in
style Of shabby smartness, eyeing
me with bold look, and not so over
burdened with politeness as to trouble
himself about taking off his hat when
be came in. | had never seen him
before in my life, and | could not form
the slightest conjecture from his ap-
pearance toward guessing his position
in the world. He was not a gentle
man, evidently; but as to fixing his
whereabouts in the infinite downward
gradation Of vagabond existence in
London, that was a mystery which |
was totally incompetent to solve.
Is your name Trowbridge ?" he
began.
Yes" | answered, dryly enough.
"Do you bank with Marsh, Stracey
Fauntleroy & Graham ~
" Why do you ask ?"
Answer my question, and you will
know"
Very well, l do bank with Marsh
Stracey. FauntIeroy & Graham-and
what then"
Draw out every farthing of bal
ance you have got before the bank clio
scs at five to day"
Istared at him in speechles3 amaze
ment. The words, for an instant, ab
solutely petrifed me.
Stare as much as you like, be
proceeded, coolly. l mean what ]
say. Look at your clock there. II
twenty minutes it will strike five, and
the bank will be shut. Draw out ev
cry iarthing,I tell you again, and look
sharp about it,
Draw out my money" | eXclaim
ed, partially recovering myself. "Art
you in your right senses? ? Do you
know that the firm l bank with repre-
sents one Of the first houses in the
world? What do you mean-you
who are a total stranger to me-by ia
king this extraordinary interest in my
affairs? If you want me to act OIL
your advice, why don't you expIaiI
yourself?"
Il have explained myself. Act OIL
my advice or not, just as you like. |
don't matter to me. have done wha
| promised, and there's an end toit"
He turned to the door. The min
ute hand of the clock was getting Oh
from the twenty minutes to the quar-
ter.
Done what you promised" l re
peated, getting up to stop him.
Yes, he said, with his hand on tn
lock. Il have given my message
Whatever happens, remember that
Good afternoon"
He was gone before [ could speaI
again.
| tried to call after him, but m
speech suddenly failed me. 1t wa
very foolish, it was very unaccounta
bic, but there was something in tn
mans last words which had more tha
half frightened me.
Hooked at the clock. The minut
hand was on the quarter.
Ny Office was Just far enough frol
the bank to make it necessary for m
to decide on the instant. fl had ha
time to think, | am perfectly certai
that should not have proftted by tn
extraordinary warning that had iu;
been addressed to me. The susp
| cious appearance and manners of th
stranger; the outrageous improbabi
ity Of the interference against tt
1 credit of the bank, towards which b
4 words pointed; the chance that son
: underhanded attempt was being mad
by some enemy Of mine, to frighte
!, me into embroiling myself with one G
+ my best friends, through showing g
ignorant distrust of the firm wi
which he was associated as partner
all these considerations would unque
t tionably have occurred to me if
e could have had time for reflection
and, as a necessary consequence, n
> one farthing Of my balance wou
t have been taken from the keeping {
/ the bank on that memorable dav.
Il AS it was, | had just time enou!
: TO act, and not a spare moment f
= thinking. Some heavy payments ma,
at the beginning Of the week had
far decreased my balance that the su
i to my credit in the banking book bal
= ly reached fifteen hundred pounds.
| snatched up my check book, wro
" draft for the whole amount, and to
u one of my clerks to run to the bal
IL and get it cashed before the doc
: closed. What impulse urged me
=. except the blind impulse of hurry a.
- bewilderment l can't say. | act
\ \ mechanically, under the influence
u the vague inexpIicable fear which t
mans extraordinary parting wor
i0 had aroused in me, without stopping
e e analyze my own sensations-almt
IL without knowing what | was about.
'e In three minutes from the time wh
- the stranger had closed my door t
III clerk had started for the bank, ant
D. was alone again in my room, with
81 hands as cold as ice and my head
0i in a whirl.
y | did not recover my control oV
" myself until the clerk came back W
ct the notes in his hand. He had i