Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1880-09-09
A DANGEROUS CHARGE.

mutual TREND TO spend in cheerful
song and story the few remaining
hours of the old years life.
Only one of the company had fail
ed to add his share of these to. the
general entertainment. s 1
"Come, Mortimer said the host,
''it's your turn now. IF you can't
sing, let it be a story. You that
have travelled about so much ought
to be able to tell something worth
hearing.''
A unanimous request that the
hosts suggestion should be carried
out having been made, Mortimer
commenced his story.
cit was as long ago as the year
'45 when l was quite young man.
with very little experience of the
world, though thought l knew more
than l do now, or am ever likely to
know. For the last three years |
had been head book-keeper to a
wholesale dry-goods house in the
western part of New York, enjoying
in no small degree its esteem and
confidence, which fully appreciat-
ed, and dld my best to deserve.
With the desire to perform my du-
ties we'll and acceptably, l had an adj
ditlonal incentive to stand high in
the estimatian Of the firm in the form
of lovely daughter Of its head part
ner, with whom ! was madly, and.
as it seemed then, hopelessly in love.
1t was not the absence OF fortune and
position that made me SO faint-hcart-
ed, for | had heard Mr.. Cfofton, her
father, say, more than once, that he
didn't care how poor his son-in-law
was if he wasn't poor i'll integrity,
intelligence, energy and self-reliance.'
| was conscious that he regarded me
with All eye of favor; certainly |
could not complain that he did not
afford me ample opportunity to WOO
and win his daughter If l could. The
chief difficulty in the way lay in the
fact that l had rival, who, having
been longer in the field, had appa-
rently obtained footing in her favor
that despaired of ever being able to
win. And then the fair Lucy herself
was so shy and reserved with me.
She always had a gay smile and
msrry word for Fred Harding, while
10 Inc she WAS SO shy and silent that
Ineyer could gain courage to express
my love except by looks, and the ca
gerncss and perslstency with which
/ sought her society. Had l been
versed in the ways OF women should
mot have let this dlshearten me so,
As it was, my heart sometimes beai
| high with the hope of eventual sue.
cess, her eyes grew so wondrously
bright at my approach and she bush
ell so prettily when | spoke TO her.
Fired Harding was gentleman
fof leisure, and quite a favorite with
the tairer portion of the community
He had plenty Of money, which h,
spent freely, though where he oh
tanned it was not so clear. He was .
slender, smooth-iaced chap, will
soft, white hands, glossy curls an,
carefully got up attire. l never
liked him, though that is not strange
considering how he monopolized th
society of my adored Lucy. He wa
always very civil to me, but ther
was no love lost on either side
There seldom is between two men II
love with the same woman.
'One day Mr.. Crofton called m
on one side, stating that he was 90
ing 10 give me a strong proof Of hi
confidence in what he was pleased t
term my good sense and integrity
iy cntrusling TO me some importsn
business, to which it would be incon
vcnietlt for him personally to attend
| will not take up tile time by descril
ing the nature OF this business, whic
has nothing to do with my stor,
merely saying that it necessitated III
going into the interior Of the stat
and taking with me $4,000.
Il was not little pround that
MISSION of so much Importance sEoul
he intrustcd to me; wondering, i
my eiation, if Lucy knew how muc
confidence her father had IN me, an
inwardly resolving that would pc
form it in way that would justif
his good opinion. -..
II was to take the evening trail
Jus, before starting called at NJ
Crotton's private office to receive I'll
money and his parting instructions
| could scarcely believe that ii
! small package handed me containe
so large an amount. His last injun'
ton to ire was to put it in N
breast-pocket +; to keep my coat clos
" huttoned to the chin, and ~ avoi
talking with strangers. EF#z
II took the $3.50 train, travelit
j. straight on, with only brief stopp
ges. for nearly tour hours. Then v
: came to the junction, and leaving IL
express l took the accommodate
train ON another and less frequentt
road. There was delay of abo
fifteen minutes, owing to the IA
that we we're obliged to switch {
to let the express train pass. Abo
five minutes before we started an o
man entered whose white hair al
beard gave him very venerable a
pearance. He had a woman wi
him who clung tinidly to his arm.
'De these cars 60 to Bolton!"
said. addressing me.
"They do" 1 replied.
'sAre you going as far as that?"
81 am going beyond it, said.
"You're in luck, Emily" said t
old man, addressing yelled won
on his arm. Here's a gentlem
that's going right through Bolto
and will see that you don't get Off
the wrong place
"'My daughterwis is not used !,
travelling, nc added, turning to i
sand.isj juss- getting up from, . serit
Illness. Ifyou will kindly see tt
7 she makes no mistakes will
! glad
Certainly" | responded.
ssViewing witllsno little self-co
Fl placency this additional proof Of
confidence that people seemed
posed to place IN me, removed
cloak from the vacant seat as a tt
J invitation to my charge that she 4
], 1T liberty to- appropriate. il ii I
aL1so tr, do co