Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1878-09-18
An UNJUST SUSPICION.
BY INEZ IRVING.

b INEL Inv lNOs
wait moment for this one.'
The speaker was middle aged gen.
tlemen, Nr. Morton, who was rapidly
writing the address on some letters.
The one waiting was clerk in the
establishmentof Of Morton & Co., Ire.
mont street, corner Of Dover, Boston.
1T is necessary for these to be mailed
tonight to 90 in the first train to 2. in
the morning. There in samall amount
of money in one of them. 1t ought to
be sent to the P. office, l suppose, but it
is too late, and 1 guess it will be safe
enough TO mail it in box
Yes, sir and the quick-motiOned,
handsome youth Of nineteen went to
the nearest letter box and deposited
them therein
Mr.. Morton looked up from pile ei
letters he was perusing as Byron
Forcythe entered at his SUMMONS. L
received no receipt for the money you
mailed last Tuesday evening. Did you
make no mistake p eyeiug the youth
sharply.
4 mailed them, sir, at the corner,
he returned respectfully. the rich blood
mounting to his check as he compre-
hended that he was under suspicion.
Strange muttered Mr.. Morton.
'Warran is always punctual-never
knew carelessness like this on his part
before-you can go now lie dashed
off a note to the gentleman in PrOvi-
dence and mailed it.
The next day he receiyedanswer that
the money had not reached there. He
again summoned his young clerk.
'Doyou still maintain that you mall
ed the letter all right?
Il do, sir Again the blood rushed
painfully to his face at the imputatiOn'
Mr.. Morton, eyelng him suspiciously
through his glasses thought it proof Of
guilt.
Il have written to Warren, and be
informs me that he never received the
money. You see, sir, under the cir
cumstances, l can hardly trust you.
You may be innocent, but it looks sus-
pcious. l cannot retain you longer
unless l have complete confidence in
you. 1 do moi say that you have acted
dishonesty, but it looks dark, sir, dark.
And Byron Forcythe, with his proud,
sensitive nature stung to the quick by
the unjust suspicion, went out Of the
employ Of Morton 4 Co., with his
scanty earnings in his pocket, to seek
employment elsewhere.
Two policemen belonging to station
5. Boston, met at the junction Of their
respective beats, corner Of fremont anC
Dover streets, about three O'Clock a
m. Themselves in a shadow. they
spotted a man standing at the nearest
letter-box, seemingly engaged in some
thing questionable. After glancinG
around hastily and discovering no one
in the dim starlight, he unlocked the
box and transferred the contents to his
pockets. He repeated the process a
the next box. When he reached thC
third box, the officers. who had followed
stealthlly, concluding that the situation
was ripe, surprised him by a heavy
hand on each shoulder, demandin!
what he was about.
4 am mailing letter, he sald,readll,
resting the Interference. Can't
fellow
"A letter, yes. Let us see the con
ten is Of your pockets
Finding himself cornered he pro
duced handful Of letters.
Sorry, but we will have to invite yo
to take a walk with us And form
! ng a squad Of honor, they escorted hin
to the police station. lie seemed I
have something in his hand that h
wished to be rid Of. They gave wa
purposely, and soon heard a slight clio
on the pavement. Not easily baflied,
sharp search with matches brought
duplicate key to light. Arriving at til
lookup they relieved him of the letter
and left him to await his trial.
Mr.. Merton, running his eyes owe
# the columns of the Journal, lighte
upon this item:
The man whom officers White an
Patterson arrested for robbng lett
boxes has confessed that it was pot b
first ofiense. A quantity of ma
matter has been found with him, amor
!. which he owns he found several sums
money. 1t can be seen at---d'
partment of the postofice.'
Mr.. Morton rode down to The oilic
). Asking 10 see the recovered ms
matters, he ran his eyes over them, al
was not much surprised to find the on
he had given to his olerk 10 mail tn
=. Tuesday evening. The money had,
course, been abstracted, the envelo
having been carefully opened at O.
end. and it still contained the note th
'' had accompanied the money.
Never knew such a thing befor
thought Mr.. Morton as he rode hon