Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1870-04-22
VOL. 43: NO rs.

J, at it felt myself turn pale; / gelt my knee,
e trembling under Ga
n Marsh, Straeey, Fauntleroy apd Graham
had stopped payment.
The circular had not been Issued more
! than half an hour, continued my clerk Il
6 have just come from the bank, sir The
> doors are shut there is no doubt about it.
Marsh & Co, have stopped this morning. -
! hardly heard him hardy knew VITO
was talking to me. Ny strange visitor Of
= the Saturday before had taken instant pos
session ofmy thoughts aud bis words ofwaTa
ing seemed to be sounding once morein my
cars. This man had knoBn the true eondi-
ton Of the bank when not soul out .ide
doors was aware Of The last draft paid
across the counter Of that ruined house,
when the doors closed on Saturday, was the
draft that had so bitterly reproached my
self for drawing; the balance Where had
the stranger got the Information that had
saved me2 and why had he bro liz to my
ears
was still gr0ping, ike man in the dark
2 =
bewildered By the ursf4thezaable raystsry of
doubt into which they had plunged me
when the discovery OF the stopping Of the
bank was followed almost Immediately by a
second shock, far more dreadful, far heavier
to bear SO far as l was concerned, than the
first
While l and ny clerks were discussing
the failure ofthe firm, two mercantile men,
who were friends Of mine, rau into the office
aud overwhelmed US with the news that one
Of the partners had been arrested for forgery.
/ Never shall ] forget the terrible Monday
morning when those tidings reached ne, and
when I knew that the partner vast Mr..
FauntleToy
was true to him-I can honestly say that
/ was true to my belief in my generous friend
when that fearful news reached me. Ny
fellow merchants had got al the particulars
Of the arrest They ttld me that two ofMr.
Fauntleroy' fellow trustees had come up to
London to make arrangements about selling
stock. On enquiring for Mr. Faunueroy at
the banking house, they had been informed
I that he was not there; and after leaving
message for him they had gone to the >ity to
make an appointment with their stock bro
ker for future day, when their fellow trus-
tees might be able to attend The stock
broker volunteered to make certain business
inquiries on the spot with view to saving
as much time as possible and left them at
his Office to await bis return. He came
back, looking very much amazed, with the
information that the sock had been sold out
down to the last FIVE hundred pounds The
/ affair was instantly investigated the docu-
ment authorizing the selling out was pro-
duced and the two trustees saw on It side
By side With Mr.. Fauntleroy' S signature,
/ there own names forged. This happened on
Friday, and the trustees without losing
moment, sent the officers Of justice in pur-
suit of Mr. Fauutlroy. He was arrested,
brought before the magistrate and reman-
ded 90 tie Saturday On the Monday |
heard from my friends the particulars which
L have just narrated.
But the events of that one morning were
not destined TO end even yet 1 had discov-
cred the failure of the bank and the arrest
of Mr.. FauntIeroy. I was next to be en-
+ lightened, in the strangest and the saddest
manner, on the difficult question Of his inno-
/ ceuce or guilt. Before ny friends had left
my ofice-before had exhausted the argu-
ments which my gratitude rather than ny
reason suggested to me in favor Of the pris
oner, a note NAKED immediate, was pIa.
ced in my hands, which siIeneed me the in
F slant I looked at it. 1t was written from
the prison by Mr. Fauntleroy, and it con-
tanned two lines only, enreatiDg me to appy
( for the necessary order and TO 60 and see
him Immediately
/ | shall not attempt to describe the futter
/ Of expectation, the strange mixture Of dreai
and hope that agitatca me when / recog-
nized bis hand writing and discovered what
/ it was that be desired me to do. / Ieasly OBJ
/ tanned the order, and went to the prison.
/ The authorities knowing the dreadful
situation in which he stood, were afraid Of
/ his attempting to destroy himself and had
/ set two men to watch him. One came out
as they opened his cell door. The other,
who was bound rot to leave him. very
delicately and considerably affected to be
4 looking cut Of the window the moment |
vas shown in
/ He was sitting on the side of bis bed with
his head dropping and his hands hanging
/ listlessly over his knees when first caught
sight of him. At the sound ofmy approach
be started to his feet, and without speaking
a word flung both his arms around my neck.
Ny heart swelled up.
''Tell me it's net true, sir For Gods
sake, tell me it's not true, was all could
say to him.
He never answered-oh me be never
answered, and he turned away his face.
There was one dreadful moment ofsilenee.
He still held his arms around mY neck, and
on a sudden he put bis lips close 10 my ear.
Did you get your money out?' be whis-
pered. "Were you on time on Saturday
altoruon -
broke free from him in the astonish-
of hearing these words
What :" / cried out aloud, forgetting
tie third person at he window. That
man who brought the message" Hush y
he said, putting BIS hand upon my hps.
There was no better maa TO be found, after
the officers had taken mel know no more
about him than you do paid bin Eell, as
chance messenger and risked his cheating
/ me Of tie Grand.
You sent him, then r
Il sent him.
aTy story Is over, g.ntlemen. There Is no
need Of me to tell you that Mr.. FauntloFoy
was found epil,y and that he died by the
hangmans hand II was in my power to
s,,,l,a l,;s l,sf r,nr,ants in the world nv "a