River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1883-04-05

ceived visit from my uncle's lawyer,
Mr.. Mordaunt.
"Mr Vaughan, you wonder to see
me-" said the shrewd solicitor, as he
took the broken chair / offered him
my wretched room in suburban lodg-
ing house contained but one-"but !
come now as messenger of good
tidings. Do You remember a serv-
ing-man, Enoeh Clint by name, whom
your uncle, my client, Mr.. Braithwaite,
engaged some six weeks before the UNI
lucky affair of the stolen money? He
was a smart young fellow, with excellent
testimonIals-all forged, by-the-by
made himself useful both in the house
and in the stable-yard, and was very
popular with his fellow-servants on ac-
count of his powers of mimicry and the
Juggling tricks which he could perform
| had an indistinct recollection of hay
ing seen and heard of such a person in
my uncle's household, and / said so,
wondering how there could be anything
in Enoch Clint TO concern me.
This Enooh Clint" said Mr.. Nor
daunt, slowly, twas a north country
man. stared at him, sorely puzzled.
"He was your countryman," drawled
out the shrewd lawyer, and then a light
broke in upon me, and 1 grew sick and
dizzy, and could hardly hear Mr.. Nor
daunt's friendly voice as he said, shak-
ing my passive hand the while, You
have been sorely wronged, Mr.. Naug b.
an. /, for one, believed you guilty, for
which / heartily beg your pardon,
now, listen q This poor wretch,
Enoch Clint, Mts TWO days since run
over by heavily-laden van fifty yards
from his masters door, and carried
back to the house the crushed and
blood-stained wreck of man. He ask
ed for his master, and Mr.. Braithwaite
being absent, he prayed to see Miss
Lucy. To her in the doctors
presence, the dying man
gasped out some inarticulate confession
clearing you from all blame but that of a
eredulity, pardonable at your age, and
duplicating most seriously another per
son. At his own desire his broken state
ment was, by the doctors help, taken
down in writing, but he died before the
narrative was complete. Miss Lucy had
an interview with her father, / need
scarcely say, on his return nome, as
sequel to which, Mr.. Braithwaite, more
agitated than had ever known him to
be. called on me and laid the matter be-
fore me. We, too, had long talk, and
the result of it was. Mr.. Cryil, that on
the following morning received a visit
from-have you guessed it?-- the con-
fdential clerk, Mr.. Jenkins"
"Our Mr.. Jenkins?" | returned, per-
picked by the half-comic expression OF
the solicitors face.
"Your Mr.. jenkins, if you will cling
to the ancient formula" assented the
lawyer, with twinkling eyes. THAT
commercial luminiary came to me bland
", unsuspecting, for as it turned out,
he had not even heard of the death OF
his accomplish. My first act, when he
had made his bow and seated himself ID
the clients chair, was to shut the door
and lock it. When he heard the click
of the lock he started and turned as pale
as his shirt collar.
'Now, my friend" said to him, in
frank, pleasant way, my advice to you
is, for your own good, to make clean
breast of it at once.
Then you should have seen the in
eenious wonder of his interesting coun-
tenance.
"Excuse me, Mr.. Mordaunt, but
cannot have heard you aright,' he said,
after pause.
'sOh, yes, you have" said /, shaking
a finger at him. Come, come, Mr.. Jen-
kins, it is time for you to drop the
sleeps clothing, and stand forth as the
wolf that you are-only this | PROMISE
in Mr.. Braithwaite's name, that if your
revelation be tull and ample. you snail
have gentler and more generous treat
ment than you deserve.
"a stormy colloquy ensued. Once |
thought the man meant to strike me,
but there was something in my eye that
restrained him, / suppose, for next he
began to sob, and then to whine AXE a
beaten hound, as, sitting on the edge OF
my writrng-table, and glaring at the car
pet, he stammered out confession,
which ] reduced to writing, and to
which he presently affixed his reluctant
| signature.
'HThe revelation, when this slippery
| witness was at length brought to make
the did not know, you see, Mr.. Cyril,
| how much his colleague had confessed
was a tolerably complete one. lie had,
it seemed, an especial malice against
yourself, as the kinsman and future part
ner. and heir of the employer whom it
had been the business of his life to dupe
by a show of zeal and a display OF
mock honestly say mock, because.
probably, wnen Tie DOCKS come 10 be
overhauled, it will be found that this
was not the first time of betrayal of
trust. And Mr.. jenkins thought, too,
that young as you were, you did not
share Mr.. Braithwaite's high opinion OF
him, and might one day ask trouble
some questions.
Wherefore, by the help of forged
character. he got this fellow Clintinto
sour uncle's service, put him up to the
trick which he had played on you--Clint
had been low comedian, mountebank,
and thimble-rigger in his time-and re-
ceived from Clint himself at the door of
the city public-house, the morocco peck
et-book containing the gold and notes
which you in the hurry and excitement
of the moment, had Why, Mr.. Waugh
an, you are ill?"
But if he said more, heard it not,
for was weak with long privation and
sleeplessness, and the blood surged up
to my Temples, and there was roar as
of waves in my ears, and / sank fainting
to the floor.
! have not much more to tell How
cordial, and self-reproachfu even, was
the reception which my uncle. Mr.
Braithwaite, extended 10 ne, or with
what fearful Joy my Luey's eyes met
mine. are easy to imagine, but different
to describe.
4 wronged you, my boy, and thank
Heaven that | was wrong in what
thought, said the old man, with q sob in
his imperious voice; Lucy, here, knew
you best"