Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1882-02-14

to the conclusion that my employers
funds were in danger. That they were
actually so became evident before the
night had passed. | recalled the mans
countenance vividly to my recollection,
and examined from memory his features
so as to make some estimate Of the char.
acter with which | had to deal. Phys
ically he was more than my equal.
When | first alighted at the house il
struck me that l had seen him before
and after some moments of further and
profound reflection, | distinctly recalled
him to my mind as a merchant who had
dealt with our firm during my earlier
connection with it, and who had failed
through the dishonesty Of friends whom
he had assisted. | remembered him as
having been spoken Of as disgusted with
trade, and as having sought home in
the wilderness with his family. and earn
ing living, literally, by the sweat OF
his brow.
There were but two bedrooms in the
house, both on the same floor, a passage
dividing them. While the thoughts
which have related were passing through
my mind, | heard voices in the other
bedroom, and quietly opened my door,
which my host had closed behind him,
and standing out in the passage could
distinguish mans and woman's voice.
At first their language was uninteligible,
but gradually my ear became accustomed
to the duty which | had endeavored to
put it to, and | could distinguish that
the burden Of their talk was their domes-
tic expenses, and the curren, Of their
thoughts was the difficulty of getting
through with certain undertakings they
had in contemplation or had commenced.
II was evident that the man was more
hopeful than the woman. My excited
imagination at once framed the theory
that the treasure in my possession was
designed by them to solve the difficulty,
and that the reluctant man was being
urged on by the less scrupulcus or the
brayer woman.
A sudden movement of one Of them
toward the door caused me TO retreat into
my room. | heard the Dol, Of their door
move, and supposing i, was to unfas,en
it, hurried back into my own apart
ment and caught at the envelope, intend
ing TO put i, out Of sight. In my eager
ness to grasp it, it fell off the tumbler
with the wafered side uppermos, and
opened, The waters were so far dis.
solved by the heat and moisture as to
split in two, leaving one. half Of each
there were three on the flap and the
other on the body of the envelope.
Meanwhile there was no sound or sign Of
an inroad into my room. The door OF
which had seen it was impossible to
fasten save by moving some of the furni-
,ure against it. | became convinced
that as yet everything was safe; and
yielding TO feeling Of curiosity, drew
the money from the enclosure and count
ed it over. There was ten one-,housand
dollar bills: | was astounded and for the
time forgot the fear that so recently har-
assed me. ! looked at the memorandum
on the back Of the envelope.
1t was $4,000" The letter was
open before me. read it over. 1t
named $1,000 as the sum enclosed.
There was evidently an error. | count
ed it over again. Ten thousand dollars
was the sum before me Again and again
| counted ii. had been used to hand
ling and counting large sums of money
daily but actually found more difficulty
in arriving at the actual count of ten
bank bills before me than ever before
or since encountered in counting any sum
Of money, however large, or however nu-
meyous the notes. Finally, putting a
chair against the door, lspread the notes
out singly on the little table in row,
and counted them with my finger. Then
made two rows Of FIVE notes each and
again counted them. finally, though
slowly, became satisfied that l had in my
possession double the amount Of money
j was expected to deliver to my employ
ers' agent. Temptation entered my
soul.
Five thousand dollars would relieve me
of all my debts. Here it was within my
grasp. had but to seal up the envelope
by rewet,ing the waters, inclosing but
half the money and deliver it sealed to
the agent, and my trust would be, to all
appearances, faithfully discharged. Once
the thought occurred that possibly it was
trap set for me by my employers. But
their confidence in me was unbounded,
and the suspicion was formed only to be
dismissed. l did not attempt to glaze
over the dishonesty Of what contempla-
ted. But had been SO increasingly
worried by domestic troubles arising
from limited resources, and so prosecuted
by creditors that almost argued myself
into the conviction that appropriating the
money was simply authorized self-de-
fense. l could pay all my debts, get
clear with the world once more. and in
sist on my wife's adopting my view OF
living, save money, get into business for
myself, and finally pay back the sum.
| concluded to leave the envelope un-
fastened until the morning, so as to give
that much more time before finally de-
Gliding upon an act which all my argu-
ments with myself had not made entirely
reconcilable. Arriving at this conclu-
sion, my attention again turned to my
host and his wife. / could hear his
voice alone now. 1t had been sound.
ing alone in an elevated tone for some
moments. l crept quietly to the par
| .:,;o,, d;,,;J;no thar aparfment from thf