Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-01-23

'i'V ineAo hSnNtuhoh. Dut before night |
evil counsel had prevailed. He was made
to believe the sermon was meant for him.
This reused in him feeling of indignation,
and, although II did not quiet his conscience,
Il kept him from carrying out bis resolution.
When Donald had driven from the door,
Wallace entered the house again. His wife
burst into tears and exclaimed
"Oh, Wallace, VIC are ruined We shall
be turned into the street, beggarsw
!" Trust in the Lord aud be not afraid.
Whatsoever he doeth he doeth wisely Ond
we'll. We shall not leave our old home,
Mary
And this was oil the reply that Wallace
made to his disheartened wife.
y % CHAPTER II.
Donald McGregor was buying large quan.
titles of produce and sending to market. To
do this he was obliged to handle large sums
Of money, He hadat that time fifteen thou
sand dollars deposited in the bank at d., the
county seat ten miles distant. This he de.
signed Withdrawing to pay for produce he
was then buying. He determined to do it
the next day, after he had heard the sermon
on the oppression of the poor
Some Of his brother merchants knew he
was going to the bank. Having abundant
confidence in him they sent for their own dc.
posits. SO on his return he would have near
ly thirty thousand dollars, a much larger
sum than he had ever had about his person
before.
Early on Monday morning he started for
the bank. Arriving there he found the CASH
Ter temporarily absent. He was obliged to
await his return. 1t was not till nearly
night that he got his business completed aud
started home.
BY the time he had accomplished half the
distance the autumn night shut in dark and
dreary with squat of rain When about
half the distance was passed he had half a
hiiio VI hOW iVuu W uiiNc oNtfs luis ntW
road was very rough and somewhat danger
Gus in so dark night. But Donald pushed
on. He had almost reached the old road
again when the wheel went into rut, and
the wagon tipped over, throwing him upon
the ground.
Fortunately the horse stopped. Donald
was not much hurt 1t was too dark to see,
but feeling over the wagon he thought it was
not broken In few minutes he had it
righted and was on his way again As he
came out on the old road the clouds passed
off, The moon shone out almost as bright
as day and he drove leisurely home.
During the whole day Donad's conscience
had been i'll at case. He had tried 10 vain
TO shake Of the conviction that he was doing
his uncle great wrong. He found it i'm.
possible to keep the subject from his mind
He was continually thinking about it, and il
troubled him all the way home Having
put his horse in the barn Donald entered the
house Thinking he would deliver the money
to the other merchants before eating his sup
per, he put his hand in his pocket for his
pocket-book 1t was gone
The discovery completely unnamed him
He sank helplessly into a chair. The mex
moment Wallace Nc Gregor's parting words
came back to him with startling distinctness
The Lord avenge me Of thee !" 81 Mark M
words Donald | shall yet live to see it with
my own eyes,"
The conviction flashed upon him in an in
slant that retribution had already overtakel
him, and that this was the punishment of hi
sin.
Donald soon rallied from his momentar,
weakness He FASTENED to the other partie
and told his loss. They all sailed out, eac
with a lantern. They followed back, exam
lining every part Of the road to the plae
where the wagon was overturned. Tn
ground showed distinctly that a wagon ha
been upset there, but the most careful scare
failed to discover the lost pockot-book. Hal
the night was spent in searching for it. Bu
it was Of no avail, and they all returne
home to wait for daylight.
1t was night of misery for Donald NJ,
Gregor He could not conjecture what ha
become Of the pocket-book He was Yer
careful man. How it was possible for tn
loss to have occurred, he could not concev
All his human prudence and care had gol
u for nothing. He recollected distinctly thi
he put tho pocket-book into his pocket beio
leaving the bank From there he had con
Il directly home only to discover that the boo
} was missing. To him the whole affair WI
Is shrouded in mystery. However innocent
j might be, he knew the circumstances look
D very bad. lie knew that suspicion mig
and would iasten on HIM as having kept al
I" secreted the money 1t is no wonder, the
. that he passed sleepless night.
Is Morning dawned at last BY that til
J" it was known all through the little villa
that Donald McGregor had lost his pock,
'e book with large sum of money. The go
citizens volunteered to hunt for it. But
4. though more than twenty persons spent
10 whole day hunting for it, still it could not
III found.
'e Donald McGregor passed another sleepl
night. In the morning he looked hagga
Mt and worn. The loss he had sustained, a
n- the sting of conscience, were doing tn
as work. He could not look upon the loss
* the pOcket-bOOk as anything short of supC
ed natural. 1t is no wonder, then, that he "
r. stricken and crushed by the blow,
ne BY this time suspicion had fastened VI
ce l.h;n, IL haoon 20 ha xyhienarad ahnut