The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1872-01-03

3 1t was sometime before Mrs. Ford recover
l cd her tq!;snimity. The disgrace which sil
felt had been put upon her made her absC
, lutely ashamed TO be seen, and even whe
7 go0d-humored Captain S3ebbit paid her
visit, and j)kod with her about smuggler
and sea-clc;s she was too much Overcom
| to reply.
Cnc0nScicus!y that same evening she pa
her hands in her jicket-pOckets, and rs sh
) snatched them out. she exclaimed: " Goo,
t gracious! if hav'nt got those letters still
, here that Mrs. Seaton gave me. What shal
do with themP'
"She will come for them expect" repli
ed Mrs. Lock, when she had heard the stor
| g would keep them till she does"
The next day she had another unpleasan
surprise. The saloon-stew8rd of her Owl
ship paid her visit, having gossip abou
passengers TO impart: "Do you know wha
happened TO that friend of yours, that fel
low ScatOn?'
Yes; know he was arrested. That i
how got in trouble - and Mrs. Ford pro
ceeded 10 repeat to MIR. Park the particular:
which Mrs. Seaton had confided to her.
"A very pretty story" laughed MIR. Park
''only it happens that none of it is true, but
the arrest. He was caught, and detained on
a charge of forgery"
The two ste SardesScs, dumb with the un.
expected news, stared inquiringly ct Mr..
Park.
les." continued he, "on a charge of be-
longing to gang of forgers who have been
| passing counterfeit greenbacks, | suppose
You kLoT nothing about that, Mrs. Ford ?
Not an accomplice, hey?"
| Mrs. Ford hesitsted moment. and then
drawing from her pocket the letters entrust-
ed to her, she showed them to the others,
and asked what she had better do.
no thogr
q moment; then, without any remark, OPEN
I'd and read them in anxious silence, the
| two lsdi locking on In state of suspense
Tie had 10 sooner read them than he tore
them carefully into the minutest fragments
and scattered them cut of the cabin wiz
dow, where the tiny morscls fluttered away.
ard were soon lost beyond al! possibility of
detection in the waters of the dock.
What were they?" gaspcd Mrs. Ford,
in great alarm.
Evidences of his guilt, which, found on
yuu, would have been considered proof You
tere an acco.nplice, and given you share
OF his probable twenty years in the s.a:es
prison"
Good gracious ~ erie Mrs. Lex 'sy5u
dent say so. Why, my dear, what an es-
cape you have had"
- Yes, indeed; what an cscLpa. They
were in my pocket when was searched,"
sdib UuiS' Il piu, idllllil.
"Qlitc prOvidential occurrence" Cbserv-
Cd Mr.. Park, as people are apt 10 say when
they mean an occurrence tor which they
have especial cause TO be thankful. Il
strongly advise you to say Eo.h!ng about
them 10 any one at present
It's not quite clear in my own nil whcth-
er Mr.. Park was justified in the course he
pursued, or whether he ought rot 70 have
retained the letters, and handed thcm over
10 Justice is evidence aglinst the prisoner
He feared to compromise Mrs. Ford.
but have been assured that In this ease. il
she had come forward with the evidence she
possessed, and with a character SO well
known among the line TO which she belong
cd, she would have come 10 no harm. How
ever they acted rs they believed 10 be safest
and best, and least likely to involve limo
cent parties; ard according To the rule, that
Is better the guilty should escape rather
than III At the innocent should suffer, il
seemed the most prudent course 70 take
But nOw, look here" said Mrs. Ford
wii'n the last mnrsCl of paper hal disap-
pearrd. there's another thing cf theirs |
have" ard she told the story OF the parcel
which was still in her trunk.
Gu must get rid OF it, ccrtainly," cried
MIR. Park. in great alarm. There i 10
telling what it may be. Get rid Of it a,
once"
{" Bat how? My Eox is Locked ard have
the keys. Shall go on board at once, and
throw it Oat of the Window
No, no. 1t might lead to suspicion, if
you went off in hurry. IL they think you
are confederate, you will be watched, ana
il would not do for me, either to 90 and
meddle with your trunk"
The three felt almost as ir they were con-
spirators and forgers themselves, as they de- (
liberated over what could be done to secure
III? parcel they believed SO dangerous. Mrs.
Lock and the steward, Influenced by not
unnatural curiosity, were extremely anx-
ious To inspect the mysterious package but }
Mrs. Ford. who. in tn event of discovery,
was the one 10 fear the result, cared for
nothing so much as being assured it was for /
ever concealed frCm sight. Let it be what
1t would, all she desired was that it should I
be removed from the top of her trunk, and
lodged safely at the bottom of the dock.
While they were considering ways and |
means, messenger arrived from the city of |
-, the assistant stewardcss sent their !
cabln-boy to inquire fer Mrs. Ford, ard ask /
some questions i'll the way Of duty. This /
was favorable opportunity. Mrs. Ford .
sent Oil her keys by the hoy Albert. and re- |
ques'ci Mr.. Green the cabin steward. hi |
vately 10 opcE her trunk take The parcel |
lying "n The top, and pitcn it INTO the river. |
In due time, Albert, brought back mes
age to say her orders had been complica |
with, ana al was safe.
The evening after Mrs. FOrd's return ia /
her usual employment, Mr., Green, the stew. |
ard, came to her, and having ascertain |
th4t there was no one else rc>cnt pro /
duced the identical parcel which she h..a /
believed was safely slowed away In the b q /
Of the river. "Oh Mr, Green" cried sh.
In perturbation. why do you deceive me
and ke' p that dreadful thing?'
Glow DO you know i, is dreadful
thing!' replied he. 81 an sure don't:
and thought, before we throw IL awav W..
would just see what it was all about. / will
call Park, now, and we will just take look
before we make it leap over. We can throw
i. away any timc.o
To 0wh The truth Mrs. Ford herself. al
though perfectly convinced that the con-
tents were equally dangerous and wicket,
aLd very much afraid of being involved in
some dreadful strape, had yet so great a
euI loslty that she was not altogether I'M
willing TO proceed to an investigation, So
when Mr. Park joined them, they unfas-
iened the cord and opened the package.
Hum, thought so," said, Mr.. Green, as
.hey unWrapptd copper plate for printing
Sorged ten-dollar notes,
Il don't understand what It is,' said
Mrs. Ford, as she contemplated it.
MIR. Green explained, ard added, that lie
lad un ierstOoi that Seaton belonged to a
'eguiar gang, who were waiting for his arri-
'al, with this plate, to proceed over the
boundary to Canada, where they intended TO
establish their headquarters, whence they
;ould conveniently circulate these false
notes.