Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1874-08-21
5fliscellamy.
Wrongfully Accused.
A THRILLING SKETCH.

aohioupOi ~ "ii, Juop 90 eiO"S" ~ '
occurred but yesterday.
was carpenter, the foreman of
large establishment, and as such pos
sessed the entire confidence of my en-
ployer, who, by the way, had been a
schoolmate of mine.
One day he called me into his Office to
look at some rare coins he had just pur'
chased.
"Here," he said, placing in my hand
heavy gold piece, :" is one that is worth
more than all the rest put together. 1t
is great curiosity. paid two hundred
dollars for it and considered it cheap at
that. l could easily double my money
in selling it; and so, you see, Harvey, it
is really good investment"
"No doubt it is" said |, though it
seems large sum to have idle"
breathed an involuntary sigh as |
laid the coin down on the desk, for two
hundred dollars would have seemed a
| fortune to me lust then.
The severe illness of my wife and one
of my children and the death of another,
had made sad inroads on my purse, and
it required the utmost economy to keep
myself free from debt; nay, | had been
obliged to withdraw from the bank the
small sum which, beside my salary, was
all l possessed of worldly treasures.
Thinking of this, laid down the coin
with sigh, and turned away to attend
to my duties.
The next morning | was again sum-
moned into the office, but this time |
met with no such friendly greeting as
usual.
Harvey" said my employer abrupt
ly, that coin we were looking at has
disappeared. have made thorough
search, but it is not to be found. 1t has
been carried away by some one. You
alone saw or knew of 1t, and"
He paused and looked Significantly
into my face. | finished the sentence
for him, the hot blood dyeing my cheeks
and brow as spoke.
"You mean, therefore, that | took it
-I?"
"What else can [ think !? The coin
was here, you alone saw it. | cannot re.
call having seen it since it was in your
hands. You are in need of money you
told me that yourself. 1t was great
temptation, and forgive you because Of
our old friendship, but / cannot retain
you in my employ. Here is the salary
due you"
Very we'll, " said |, with forced calm
ness, so be it. Since you have SO poor
an opinion of me after years of faithful
service l shall not stop TO defend my
self.
Then l took the money he had laid
upon the desk, and went from his pres.
ence well nigh broken hearted man.
But for the tender love of my wife, |
doubt not but that | would have buried
my sorrows in the grave of suicide.
Supported by that love, however, and
the consciousness of my own innocence
| took fresh courage, and set resolutely
to find a new employer.
Powerful is a breath of slander turn
which way 1 might, I ever found that
the story Of my dismissal for the theft
had preceded me, and my applications
for employment uniformly met with re.
fusal.
Time went on piece by piece of fur.
niture, and every spare article of cloth.
ing, found its way to the pawnbroker'
until at length even this poor resource
failed us, and my children cried in vain
for food.
Yet did notsit down in idle despair
| could not afford to do so the life OF
death of all loved on earth depended
on my exertion, and so, turning away
with heavy heart, l once more set out
on the way to search for work.
All in vain refusal after refusal met
my entreaties for employment, and was
turning homeward with a listless step,
when, passing an immense church l was
attracted by group of men at its base
Impelled by some strange impulse, ]
approached and mingled with them.
A workman was standing near by,
looking up at the great steeple, which
lowered aloft some two hundred and fifty
feet above them, while gentleman, ev-
identity an architect, was addressing him
in earnest language, at the same time
pointing toward the golden cross at the
summit of the spire.
Il tell you" he exclaimed, as drew
near, ait must and can be done. The
cross must be taken down, or the first
heavy gale will send it down into the
street, and lives will be lost. Coward
is this the way you back out of a job
after you engage to do it?"
al didn't know the spire was so high up