Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-07-05

ioudu tiulc duu oppOL OLtuulIy w oVuu
him reeling to the ground. Orloff
was the weaker man, but he outdid me |
in skill and dexterous feint threw
me off my guard, leaving the revolver
in his hands.
Purple with passion, he fired in
stantly, and felt a sharp sting in my
left shoulder; and then all earthly
things seemed to be fading away, and
world beyond opening to view.
When | recovered, | found myself
laid on mattress on the Office table,
and my wife tearfully bending over
me. There was a calm faced sur
geon, too, who showed me the ball he
had extracted, and told me to cheer
up, for | should be better in a few
days, for no damage was done. Mr..
Moss was there too, and came to my
bed-I mean my table-side, and whis
pered how he had been called up by
the police, who, hearing a piStol-shot,
had come up stairs, and arrested Or
loft and the Baron, and, finding me on
the ground bleeding, had sent for
surgeon and my wife, having found
my private address from a letter in
my pocket.
was only faint from loss of blood
the bullet did little damage, and pre-
ferred getting up, and then gave an
account Of the evenings adventure,
not noticing at the time that tall in
spector of the police was in the room.
"Will you kindly show me those
| pieces of paper ?" he said advancing.
a have the men in Mr. Moss's office
but beyond the assault on you l have
no evidence against them; but l know
them we'll"
l produced them, and the inspector
fastened on the one which seemed to
be plan, then looking around, said,-
This is a plan Of your Office"
Call me Jew if it amt ~ exclaim-
ed Mr.. Moss taking it.
"Yes, it is certainly plan Of your
Office. See, here is the doorway, and
there comes the other room. Then
there is a cross against the fireplace
in this room, on what | Judge from
the lines to mean the fourth board
from the hearthstone, and another
cross against the sixth from the hearth
stone in the other room. Get a crow
bar Mr.. Moss"
"There's one down stairs"
| do believe that if you'd asked for
a crocodile he would have got one
| "down stairs"
Crowbar and a policeman to WELD
it were soon produced, and then the
mystery was unravelled.
Close to where | sat were unearth-
ed several copper plates for the forg-
ing of Russian rouble notes of various
amounts and in the back room, un-
der the flooring were found several
hundreds of well-executed torgeries
carefully soldered up in a tin case, to-
gether with correspondence implica-
ting Orlof and the Baron. 1t ap-
peared that Brunton was engaged by
a New York gang to engrave the
plates, and that he had never seen
his employers, the agent between
them being the Louise before men
toned, whose fair hand | had been
compelled to decline. Brunton had
evidently become frightened, and had
! fed. He was no traitor, or he would
have decamped with the plates. Per
haps the dread of having to espouse
Louise may have had to do with his
flight. She was very handsome wo-
man, if may Judge from photograph
! of her found in the tin case, but look
ed like one accustomed to rule, and
who would not hesitate to administer
wholesome correction to her spouse.
Assisted into a carriage which was
waiting, | had the satisfaction of see
ing the Baron and Orlof brought
down in handouts, the Baron regard
ing me with a sweet smile, and Orlof'
scowling on me like a fend. | did
not prosecute, for they were so we'll
known to the police as forgers, that
r there was evidence enough for the
Russian Embassy to procure a convic-
tion and a sentence of ten years pen
al servitude; and in due time | recov-
cred, and dismissed the matter from
my mind.
But | had not heard the last of it.
About twelve months after the trial
and condemnation of the Baron and
his friend there came one night a tim
, id knock at my Office door, and my
clerk (for | had such luxury them
ushered in what, at first sight, seemed
l to be a moving bundle of rags. Strict
; y speaking, the bundle of rags insist
ed on seeing me, and ushered itself
! in, spite of all remOnstrances.
: 1t came and stood before me. and
!, resolved itself into the resemblance
of q mana lean man, haggard, sunk
en- eyed, ragged, and dirty, but with a
D face something like my own; and
= without putting question, l knew
that | stood face to face with Carl
i Brunton, and I addressed the rags by
that name.
81 took that name," the poor, shiv,
ering thing replied, "but my name is
0 but no matter. May l speak tc
!. you ?"
ayes, go on"
"Will you give me some drink first
l have had none to-day, and feel de
L lirium tremens coming on. 0, how
J cold it is, and how l shiverr'
sent the clerk for some brandy
e which he took raw. and with shaking
: hand held out the glass for more.
81 imagine it is Mr.. Moss you want
e to see, is it not? If so, you will find
him tomorrow, at ten o'clock
"No, no. you, you want-I-I an
: very poor, very poor. Will you give
). me sixpence ?'
<, l gave him half a crown.
: "Now what can | DO for you ?"
u al left some property here whel
E. | went away. You won't refuse tt
u give itup? ] seem poor, but am ricl
L -ah so rich !-and l will pay vol
'r WE'LL"
e "You mean the forged rouble-note
and the plate you engraved then
II from ?"
,e "Ah! Who told you that? Thel
you have found them, and used them