Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1882-01-02

him as having been spoken of as dis
gusted with trade, and as having sought
a home in the wilderness with his fami-
ly, and earning living literally by the
sweat of his brow.
There were but two bedrooms in the
house, both on the same floor, passage
which commenced at the head of the
stairs dividing them. While the
thoughts which l have related were pass
ing through my mind, | heard voices in
the other bedroom, and quietly opened |
my door, which my host had closed be-
mind him. Standing out in the passage
! could distinguish a mans and wom-
ans voice. At first their language was
kunintelligible, but gradually my ear be-
aeane accustomed to the duty | endeav-
ored to put it to, and could distinguish
that the burden of their talk was their
domestic expenses, and the general cur
rent of their thoughts was the difficulty
of getting through with certain under
takings they had in contemplation or
had commenced. 1t 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 this difficulty; and that the re-
luctant man was being urged on by the
less scrupulous or braver woman.
A sudden movement of one of them
toward the door caused me to retreat in
to my room. I heard the bolt of their
door moved, and supposing it was to un-
fasten it, hurried back into my own
apartment and caught up the envelope,
intending to hasten it out of sight. In
my eagerness to grasp it, it fell off the
tumbler with the wafered side upper
most and opened The walters had been
SO far dissolved by the heat and moist
ure as to split in two, leaving one-half
of each (there were three) on the flap,
and the other half of each on the body
of the envelope. Meanwhile, there was
no sign or sound of an inroad into my
room, of which had seen it was impos-
sible to fasten the door save by moving
some of the furniture against 1t. | be-
came convinced that as yet everything
was safe, and yielding to feeling of
curiosity, drew the money from the
enclosure and counted it over. There
were ten one thousand dollar bills |
was astounded, and for the time forgot
the fear that so recently harassed me.
| looked at the memorandum on the
back of the envelope.
1t was $4,000" The letter was
opened before me- | read it over. 1t
named $4,000 as the sum inclosed.
There was evidently an error. l count
ed it over again. Ten thousand dollars
was the sum before me Again and
again | counted it. L had been used to
handling large sums, 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, however large OF
however numerous the notes. Finally,
putting a chair against the door,
spread 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
then five rows of two each and counted
them. finally, though slowly. became
satisfied that | bad in my possession
double the amount of money | was ex
pected to deliver to my employers agent
Temptation entered my soul.
Five thousand dollers would rellev
me of all my debts. Here 1t was within
my grasp. l had but to seal up tn
envelope by rewetting the waters. in
closing but half the money, and delive
it sealed to the agent, and my trus
would be, to all appearance, faithful.
: discharged. Once the thought occurre
, that possibly it was trap set for me b
my employers. But their confidence i
! me was unbounded, and the suspicion
: was formed only to be dismissed. | d
not attempt to glaze over the dishonest
, of what contemplated. But l ha
been so increasingly worried by domes
tic troubles arising from limited re
: sources, and SO prosecuted by creditors
3 that l almost argued myself into th
. conviction that appropriating the none
, was simply authorized self-defcnse.
} would pay all my debts, get clear wit
the world once more, insist upon M
t wife's adopting my views of living. saw
money. get into business for myself an
5 finally pay back the sum.
| | concluded to leave the envelope III
l fastened until the morning SO as to giy
s myself that much more time before fna
: ly deciding upon an act which all m
j arguments with myself had not made Ell
Y tirely reconcilable. Arrived at tn
t conclusion my attention again turned
: my host and his wife. | could hear h
d voice alone now. 1t had been soundir
= alone in an elevated tone for some m
y ments. | crept quietly to the partitie