The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1882-02-01

sensibly startled by this incident. MY
concern was not diminished by observ-
ing that he had removed his boots from
his feet, and was then standing as he had
come up. in his stockings. My first i'm.
pulse and act was to take the water out of
his hand. Not being quite ready to use
it put the envelope Of money on the
top of it as the most convenient thing
to keep it hot. / did not turn the su-
prescription downward, because feared
1t would betrsy the suspicion which l
now positively entertained OF evil in
tentions on the part of my entertainer,
who bad quilted the room as noiselessly
as he had entered. I imagined great
many ways in which he could have
become acquainted with the cause of
my journey, and came rapidly to the
were in danger. That they were actually
80 became evident before the night had
passed. l recalled the mans counte-
nance wildly to my recollection, and
examined from memory his features, so
as to make some estimate of the char
acter with which 1 had to DEAL Ply
sically he was more than my equal.
/ When first alighted at the house it
struck me 1 had seen him before, and
after some moments of further and pro-
found reflection 1 distinctly recalled
him to my mind as a merchant who had
dealt with our firm during my early
connection with it, and who lad failed
through the dishonesty of friends whom
he had assisted. / remembered him as
having been spoken ofas disgusted with
trade, and as having sought home in
the wilderness with his family, 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
passing through my mind l heard voices
in the other bedroom and quietly
opened my door, which my host had
closed behind him. Standing out in
the passage could distinguish mans
and woman's voice. At first their Ian
guage was unintelligible, but gradually
my ear became accustomed to the duty
I endeavored to put it to, and 1 could
distinguish that the burden of their
talk was their domestic expenses, and
the general current of their thoughts
was the difficulty of getting through
with certain undertakings they had in
co ntemplaion 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 diff
Guilty, and that the reluctant man was
being urged on by the less scrupulous
pr braver woman.
A sudden movement OF one of them
toward the door caused me to retreat
into my room. / heard the bolt of theil
door moved, and supposinR it was tC
unfasten it, hurried back into my owl
apartment and caught at the envelope
: intending to hasten it out of sight. II
my eagerness to grasp it, it fell off tn,
tumbler with the wafered side upper
, most and opened The waters hat
, been so far dissolved by the heat ant
, pejstvrs % soGt in two, leaving one
half of each there were three) on tn
I flap, and the other half of each on tn
| body of the envelope Meanwhile
q there was no sign or sound of an inroad
4 into my room, which had seen it wa
a impossible to fasten the door save b
J. moving some of the furniture agains
q it. I became convinced that as ye
n everything was safe, and yielding to
n feeling of curiosity drew the none
s from the inclosure and counted it ovel
a There were ten one thousand dollar
d bills Twas astounded, and for the tim
q forgot the fear that so recently hal
l. assed me. looked at the memorandum
10 on the back of the envelope.
r 1t was "$5, ,000." The letter WI
, opened before me. read it over.
It named $4,000 as the sum inclose'
d There was evidently an error. l counte
le it over again. Ten thousand dollar
d. was the sum before mel Again an
"a again counted it. 1 had been used
e. handling large sums and countir
le large sums of money daily but act
le ally found more difficulty in arriviI
IN at the actual count of ten bank bill
" before me than I ever before or sim
ne encountered in counting any sum, hol
of ever large or however numerous Il
of notes. Finally, putting chair again
the door, I spread the notes out sing
n. on the little table, in row, and count'
On them with my finger. Then l ma
of two rows of five notes each and aga
". counted them then five rows of tV
N. each and counted them. l hnall
ii. though slowly, became satisfied that
it's had in my possession double the amou
of money was expected to deliy
he to my employers agent. Temptati
ad entered my soul.
M Five thousand dollars would relic
of me of all my debts. Here it was with
re- my grasp. 1 had but to seal up the {
iy velope by rewetting the waters, inclosi
| but half the money, and deliver it seal
I'D to the agent, and my trust would be,
all appearances, faithfully discharge
lev Once the thought occurred to me I'll
IL nossiblv IL was trap set for me by ]