Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-03-10

"You! you three gil ladies - aid I.
az confess that they did, said Br0wier
quietly, as If he were mentioning theiI
subscription to race-cup.
stared rather blsnkiy q the four pair
of spectacles which were trained on my
devoted face, and at the four sin.hardened
visages, which were - calm - Il the only
crime they knew Of was an excessive ami
ability. "The hue and cry after me VA
something frightful," continued Browler
but It was unsuccessful. I came TO thil
city, obtained my present situation, and
under the name Of Browler have been Z
happy man, but still . robber-An nm
doubled and confessed robber."
The three ladies' were still - quiet and
demufe % possible, while Br0wIer made
the last reiteration with an elasticity that
nearly approached . tone Of triumph.
"The papers credited me with . defal-
cation amounting TO . quarter OF q
million, though it was really not 20 large.
The misrepresentation WAS effected by sur.
reptitiOus advances obtained on products
under storage, and the replacement BY
forged notes OF checks intended for the
liquidation Of claims. All was skillfully
and neatly done, and the springing Of the
trap found me in possession Of sufficient
funds for my expenses, hey, girisF
"Quite plenty" said Miss Amabei
Eyes, indeed, quite enough" rejoined
Miss Belinda.
Certainly" added Miss Cora.
What sort of people had fallen
among did not know, but sensation of
fear crept over me as realized that they
would not consider the cutting Of my
throat In any more serious light than the
cutting of q dress. Those cold-blooded
staring glasses, the prim slate colored
dresses, the thin cheeks, were to my mind
exemplars Of q systematic cruelty and
villainy, that to fly from was no cow
ardice.
"Mr. Browler," said !, hastily spring
Zone moment, Mr.. Smythe, beg of
you )" he touched me on the shoulder
with his odious white hand, and sat
down again.
any 1rregularity WAS the final act which
the position Of affairs and The
total failure Of the house instantly fol-
lowed. The crash was felt far snd wide.
They rushed through the Bankruptcy
court and paid forty-two cents The war
broke out, Mr.. O'Neil became separated
from his beloved family, and finding him
self without power. to reach ITEM, hit
upon the idea of making money jut of the
war. This was done, 1 have reason to be-
lieve, on an article called burlaps, which
the Government made extcnsife use or
You know that have been discovered by
! singular accident, and l will TO place
myself in communication with ar. ONeil,
who Ia now two hundred mics OIL, and
who by the way is still totallylost TO his
family, wishing to get arrangements for
settlement with his creditors completed,
before making the happy disclosure to his
Samily."
"But where is the money YOU st-you
"StOle. that's IT,"
"Gone mostly for kickshws,"-this
rom Miss Amabel.
"Wines and horses" said Miss Belinda.
"Ormolu clocks, Turkey c1rpets, arti-
lies of vertu," rejoined Miss Cora, allow.
ng her glasses to roam about ths room.
"General debauchery, my dears," said
coughing behind his hsad.
eyes" they answered in concert,
turning their glasses full upon me- "gen-
,ral debauchery."
"Mr. Browler," said l, getting up, be-
ng unwilling If not afraid to trust myself
With people whose only merit WAS their
possible iunacy, az understand chat you
wish me to take message TO Mr..
O'Neil."
Eyes, Mr.. smythe, am not at liberty
% 60 into explanations, bat merely as
ure you that if you will kindly do so,
,ou will be serving the interests of hon
,sty and not rsscality."
Eyes," ssid the chorus "our obligation
will be very great"
II will 90 on condition that your broth.
II will give his word Of honor Is gentle.
nan and book keeper, that he will not
.un off before can return" said this
With the dignity of q fellow Of principle
who was holding scourge over iniquity.
The promise was given with reclamation,
md Browler wrung mHhand, which lib
,rty tolerated loitily. He gave me my
directions and q parting bumper OF cider,
which, coming from the iniquitous hands
If Belinda, and being mslled by thiefs
hot poker, nearly strangltd me to death.
Assured of my absence being satistacto-
rily accounted for ct the once, left In
The midst of thanks and blessings, for my
Two days. trip. What would Baxter have
called mep How miserable would l have
felt. had he turned up ON That wretched
ride. The. vision Of his contempt made
me very uncomfortable, and reproached
myself that had fallen 20 low - to be
the emissary of q black.leg.
This was Thursday night; l could ar.
rive ct my destination, complete my OBJ
ject, and be again ct the. Office On Saturday
noon. was sorry at not being able to be
on the ground to watch the progress OF
affairs, but consoled myself ct being ad-
mitted above Baxter to the secret OF the
matter, unhallowed though 1t was. OF
the three women had the meanest Opin-
lon; that Browlcr could cheat was an ev-
ident thing, but that his three sisters
should tolerate his knavery and reap the
20 coolly, was not punishable
on earth. I found Mr.. O'Neil,
who was conducting his opera
tons under the name Of Townsend, be-
hind sugar refinery, and he turned out
to be . tall, gentlemanly, gray haired
man, but who received me with tribe of
GOODNESS and suspicion. But had no
sooner mentioned the nAme OF Van Colt
IN q whisper, than he seized my hand and
burst into tears, instead of flying of into
. paroxysm of fury - fully expected he
would.
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