The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1871-10-07

iiiuSt Oh my study the Bank IrpSl-
dent entered.
"IIallo, Howard ~ he shouted.
what Lave yoH found go
"Look," and l placed the box IN
his hands.
lie examined it as / had, and
handing it back asked where I got
it. told him all-of my visitor.
what he said, etc. He listened at
tentively, and as concluded, said
'Ies, sin" put it in the vault, in
the middle safe; and when it is call
eel for, mind | want to see the claim
ant"
Away | went to the strong vault,
hugging the. little box as though
invisible thieves were Watching to
deprive me of it. ! unlocked the
largest safe, massive one, indeed,
placed the box IN one Of its inner
most apartments, relocked it and
left the vault.
Well, readers, days and months
and years passed away; Summer
gave place to Autumn, Autumn to
Winter, year after year, and still
the little copper box was an occu-
pant of the strong safe. No claim
ant came. Closely scrutinized
every one that entered the bank,
hoping it might be he Of the scar
| but he came not. Every day | went
to the vault and took a peep at the
box, and the President would .jok-
ingly remark:
Howard, if you wish, will get
a larger safe and let you sleep in it,
with that confounded copper box for
a bedfellow.''
| Thus, twenty years were number
ed with the past, and changes had
been made in Leroy Bank. The
cashier had died-taken his own
life-and / was now at his desk.
| NIarville, the President of twenty
years ago, still retained his position,
though in his seventieth year. The
twenty years left ther mark behind !;
my cheeks were growing filrrowed,
and my hair, once dark as night,
was now gray.
Still the little box remained in
the vault, and l had long since Civ
Ell up all hopes of seeing it claimed. |.
One day Marville entered hur-
riedly, and throwing his gold spec
tacles on the desk, exclaimed
s'John, l have seen Lionel Vas
cinir'
/ l sprang to my feet-Lionel Vas
cini. | remembered the name. |
believed that not a day had passed
during those twenty long years, that
had not repeated that name a
score of times-Lionel Vascini, the
man of the copper box.
| "Lionel Nascini p / shouted.
eyes, sir; it is he," replied old
Marville; ssthe same gray eyes, and
identical red scar"
"Where is he 20 sz8 5t
| Sat the Morgue."
| "Dead p
| ssDeadr'
I grasped my hat and hurried
from the bank in the direction ofthe
! Morgue. entered among the dead.
| glanced at them and passed ON.
Here lay girl, her face was beauti-
ful as in life there q young man,
| whose bloated face told that he had
been in the water. Suddenly |
paused-before me lay a man, the
cold water from above falling upon
him. One look satisfied me. 1t was
Lionel Vasciisi.
i "Poor fellow" said I, che will
never claim the box and turned
to my guide, and nodding towards
the body, asked:
/ sHow did he die ?'' e.
/ s.IIe was seen to jump from the
pier last night, and when fished out
he was dead" fG9
/ ellis clothes would see them. .
/ The clothes of the deceased man
was handed to me. Isearched them.
In pocket found comb, knife
and purse. In the latter article
looked expecting to find the receipt
I had written twenty years ago, but
it was not there. ].
"Do You recognize the body ?''
asked the man.
"Oh, yes; tits Lionel Vascini, an
Italian; will send . coffin for it
tonight. "
| / left the horrid dead house, and
returned to the hank.
ssWell," !" said Marville as I en-
tered.
81 have seen him.
i "Now, then, what shall we, do
i with the box 20 S. fss
just % you say; John, ;, said he
again; 81 have nothing to do with
it.: but if I had / would force the
thing omen and coo whaf; IL con