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

and some may be turned away from
temptation by its recital.
had been an under clerk in a large
establishment for many years. Natu-
rally economical, my savings had at
tanned to such a respectable sum that
| ventured upon married life, quite as
much as refuge from the monotony
of my inexpensive style of living as in
obediedce to those yearnings of nature
which man is either very foolish or
bad not to heed in season. Like most
men, however, whose adventures of this
kind are not followed by the cosafort
and ease which depend upon money for
their possession. in the course of time |
came to repent the undertaking; for |
was in debt, and my family had in
creased, while my income had not kept
pace with my expenses. My wife lack
ed the courage to practice the proper
| self denial which would be consequent
upon retrenchment of our expenses.
| had borrowed money in every availa-
BILE quarter, and walk in the public
streets was literally denied to me by the
fear of encountering some one to whom
| was in debt for house expenses.
Returning home late one night, jad-
ed by listless stroll through the town,
l found the junior member of the firm
awaiting me. The house had received
intelligence, after business hours, of
transaction entered into OH their account
which required the immediate transmits
sion to an isolated inland town of sew
eral thousand dollars, together with GER
tain papers and statements necessary to
conclude the affair. 1t was too impor-
tant matter to be entrusted to the in
security of the mail Upon consulta-
tion of the members of the firm | had
been selected to perform the necessary
two days journey. l accepted the mis-
sion with alacrity, for the reason, among
others, that it would be such recrea-
tion as would divert my thoughts for a
time from the perplexities of my misera-
BILE condition
With the usual foresight of the firm,
everything necessary to my prompt de-
parture had been prearranged. The
needful papers and accounts, and. the
indispensable money required to finish
the tranactions were placed in my hands
in an envelope addressed to the gentle
man who had acted as agent of the con-
Germ in the matter A letter of instruc-
ton was also inclosed.
[ remember we'll the bright Septem-
Der morning on which | started on
horseback and alone on my journey, Of
which ] accomplished half the first day,
arrived at farm house, whose occupant
unhesitatingly granted my petition for a
share for the night in its humble hos
pitality.
: The weather had grown colder as the
evening came on, and by the time had
reached the house experienced sen
sible chill. | had with me a flask O.
liquor. and was furnished, at my reques
! at bed time, with small quantity O
q hot water, with which to compound (;
sort of punch, as an antidote to the colo
e I apprehended having taken.
had removed the package of none,
!: from my pocket, and laid it on the ia
> BILE, with view of putting it under m,
pillow before going to bed. AS it lay Of
: the table the address was uppermost; OF
/; the left hand upper corner was memo
S randum, $4,000 inclosed." l wa
standing with my back to the door
I Succeeding few moments of entire sill
; ence, | heard step behind me. and
almost thought breath upon my face
y Turning suddenly round 1 beheld m
s host with the hot water had called fo
e in tumbler in his hand. He was quit
u beside me, and his eyes rested, or far
: cied they rested, on the package upo
the table. I must confess I was sens
e bly, startled by this incident. My cor
e Germ was not diminished by observin
: that he had removed his boots from hi
o feet, and was then standing as be ha
= come up, in his stockings. My first in
- pulse was to take the water out of hi
hand. Not being quite ready to use i
e put the envelope of money on the to
d of it as the most convenient thing
e keep it hot. / did not turn the super
e scription downward, because feared j
would betray the suspicion, which no
% positively entertained, of evil intention
re on the part of my entertainer, who ha
a. quilted the room as nolselessly as he ha
N entered | imagined great many way
s. in which he could have become acquain
: : ed with the cause of my journey, an
N came rapidly to the conclusion that n
I'd employers funds were in danger. Thi
le they were actually SO became evident b
is fore the night had passed. l recalls
re re the mans countenance wildly to my r
collection, and examined from memol
ne his features, so as to make some estima
en- of the character with which | had
ID :" deal. Physically he was more than n
nd equal. When | first alighted at Il