Mexico weekly ledger., 1877-09-13
the city, and went home every Satur-

the city, and went home every Satur-
day night. For q time everything
went on swimmingly. but at last
the tide turned. The corresponding
secretary was q young man of about
twenty-five, named Amos Thaxter.
One morning soon after the mail
came in, Tom saw this man select
three letters from the pile, and, after
giancing around, and satisfying him
self that no one suas s hooking, slip
them into his pocket. Now Tom
knew that for several weeks past Mr..
Rallston had been complaining OF the
less o~fIvaluable letters, fnd that the
boy who brought them from the
office, had been suspected and fol-
lowed. Tom, though he was no
saint, was not q thief, and he soon
found an opportunity of drawing the
secretary to one side, and saying:
IstMr. Thaxter,I don't want to give
you away ; but I willif you don't put
those letters baek.''igos IL aaod aer
i'sWhat do you mean. boyT' blns-
tered oThaxter, takinga good care,
however, not to speak loud enough
to be heard by any other than Tom.
81 mean what Irdsay,''o replied
Tom 'tyou bad better put them
back" .f-rr7.ak "~Ii5H
"You are an internally ~insolent
young puppy" said 1haxter, land
1 have half a mind to thrash you
within an inch of your life."
"You had better try it, remarked
Tom quietly, sand while yon are
getting ready, / will have o short in
.erview with Mr. Rallston," and he
began to move away i'll the direction
of the office. 80
"Hold on a minute" stammered
Thaxter; ''perhaps / was too hasty.
But 1 assure you, Smith, you are
mistaken about those letters. / would
scorn such an action rs you accuse
me of. l put these letters in my
pocket for a purely legitimate pur'
pose" sr So.
swell, you'd better put them bach
where you found them, that's ALL
said Tom, resolutely.
ooh, we'll, anything for peace!'
exclaimed Thaxter with q force(
laugh, as he threw the letters upol
the desk.
From that day Tom saw that thu
secretary hated him; and he was Ger
tain that the willy man was only wait
ing for a good opportunity for re
venge. SO he was constantly on TIN
watch.
One afternoon, about two week
after the events just related, Mr.
; Rallston said to Tom:
: ''Smith, l should like TO have yol
7 remain here after hours tonight.
have some copying for you to d.
! which is of great importance. 1t vii
take you till nearly midnight; but
Z will pay you well for the extra work.
8, "All right, sir" replied Tom.
will here remark that when tn
7 above conversation took place, Thar
h ter had left for home, so that h
knew nothing about the proposed a
rangement. Had he known, my ST.
ny would perhaps " have bee
written.
If 1t was half-past twelve O'Clock TIL
# night, when Tom threw down his PEI
I with a sigh of Ielief. The copyir
w was done. s-ut.
He gathered up, the sheets, p
% them away, and then turned out {
. the lights but one, which it Was Il
), custom to leave burning all nigh
He was about to leave the plac
p when he heard u hey in the lock
as the outer door. He instantly CIRQUE
ed behind the desk, and watch
through o convenient crevice to S
H. who could be visiting the store
that hour. To his surprise Am
% rhaxter entered, followed by anoth
h man, whom Tom recognized as o
- Alfred Dalton, a dlsreputable fello
whom he had seen once or twice |
fore with Thaxter.
Snow, then, AL" said Thaxter,
ro a half whisper, "we must hurry
MI and get through before the watchm
nm gets round again"
l"All right, then, 60 ahead.'' u
Thaxter drew IS key from his poi
ct and inserted il in the lock of I
e. immense safe. The ponderous dot
W. slowly swung open. The secrets
took two large bundles from the 81
it and then closed and locked it aga
ny Tom knew that these bundles et
'm tanned nearly ten thousand dollars
greenbacks, which had been Just [
an late for the bank that afternoon.
i i"Hurry up!P cried Dalton "do
be all night abostit." ap uss ~
'ur sin O minute,'" said. Thaxt
handing one Of the bundles to
nd companion. In one corner of 4
ed other he tore a hole AMI drew on
few bank bills. a
as s'These,' said he, Ego in +,
GU young fellows buster, with the 81
Z" key. I'll teach him to interfere w
an my private affairB RI I tfaiJfag
p IT,. r,.s -kx---A NH