Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1871-09-05

/ the matter. \ letter oi Instruction was
likewise enclosed.
remember well the bright September
morning ON which started Oh horseback
and alone on my journey, of which ac'
comp;shed halt the first day, arriving ut
farmhouse whose occupant unheSitat-
ingly granted my petition for sharc Tor
the night. in its humble hospitality.
The weather had grown colder rs the
evening came ON, and ny the time | had
reached the house experienced y sonsi-
| bic chill. had with me Il flask OF liquor
and was furnished at my rnqucst, ~ bod
time, with small quantity ot hot water
with which to compound \ soltoi punch,
as an antidote To the cold npprehendcd
having taken.
had removed the package oI money
( from my pocket, and laid it on the table,
with view of putting it under my pill
! low before going TO bed As it lty ON
the table the address was uppcrmost, ON
/ the left hand uppeI corner was memo
randum. 80 900 incloscd." | was stand.
ing with my back to the door Succeed
! ing iew moments OF entire silence. !
heard u step behind me. aud | almost
! think. a breath upon my face. Turning
/ suddenly around hchcld mine host with
/ the hot water had called tor, in a tum
/ bier in his hand lie WAS quito beside
me and his eyes rested. or fancy They
rested on the package upon the table. |
| mus. confess was SenSiby startled by
/ this incident My concern was not
/ diminished 10y ol,,crviuS that hc hld re
/ moved his boots llom his feet AMI was
standing rs he came up, in his stockings,
My first impulse and net WAS 10 take
! the water ont of his hands Not being
quite ready to use it, put the money on
top of it rs the most convenient thing To
/ keep it hot did not turn the subScrip-
ton downward because feared it would
bctray the suspicion which | now posi-
| tivcly entertained 0r evil intentions on
the part of my entertainer, who quilted
/ the room rs noiSeeSsly a. he entered.
| Imagined n great many way in which he
could have become acquainted with the
cause of my journey. aud came rapidly
to the conclusion that my employers
funds were in danger. That they were
actually %. became evident before he
night had passed recalled the mans
counteuance wildly 10 my recollection,
and examined from memory his features,
SO aS tG make some estimate oi the char
ac,er with which had to deal. Physic.
ally he was more than my equal. When
first alighted at the house, it struck me
had seen him before, and after some
moments ol lnrther and profound rcfcc-
ton, distinctly recalled him to my
mind a, a merchant who bad dealt with
our firm daring my early connection with
il. and who had failed through the dis
honesty OF friends whom he had helped.
remembered him as having been spoken
OF rs di,gusted with trade, and having
sought home in the wilderness with his
family, and earning q living, literally by
the sweat of his brow
There were but two bed ruoms in the
house, but on the same floor. 4 passage
which commenced ut the head OF The
stairs dividing them While the tho'ts
which have related were passing thro
my mind heard voices in the other
room, and quietly opened my door which
my host had closed behind him. Stand
ing oul in the passage, could distinguish
man and woman'S voice At first their
language was unntcligible. but gradual.
IL my ear became accustomed to the duty
| endeayored to put 1t to, and could
easily distinguish that the burden OF Their
talk was their domestic expenses, ant
the general current OF THEN thoughts was
the difficulty of getting through will
certain undertakings which they had in
contemplation or had commenced. Il
WAS evident that the man WAS more hope
lul than the woman. My excited mag
ination al once framed the theory
that the treasure in my possession was
designed by them 10 solve this difficulty,
and that the reluctant man was being
urged on by the les, scrupulous or bravcl
woman.
A sudden movement Of one OF then
towards tho door caused me to retreat in
to the room. heard the bolt oil then
door move, and suppOsing it was to I'M
fasten it, hurried back to my own apart
ment and caught at Tho envelope, intend
ing TO hasten il out ot sight In my
eargerness to grasp it, it Tell, tumblins
with the wafercd side uppermost, anC
opened, the waller had boen SO far dis
solved by the heat and the moisture rs tC
split in two, leaving one half OF each
(there were three) on the flap and thC
other half of each on the body of the Ell
velope, Meanwhile. there was no sight
or sound of inroad into my room, o
which had seen il was impossible tt
fasten the door, save by moving somo O
the furniture against it. became con
vinced that rs yet everything was safe
and yielding to feeling OF curiosity
drew the money from The inclosure anC
counted il over. Thure were ten 1900
bills was astounded, and for the time
, forgot the fear that 50 recently harasset
me. | looked at tho memorandum ol
tho honL of tho enrclone IL wa