Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1883-09-14
THE CLIhk OF GOLD.

S0aii sOoH clat III Inc naun Oh hICe HaEel now.
Again he p. tched hetag of sold into the air,
and the pisces Of money, climbing together,
sch. !cr:h o low ringing sound. !, o..
"Bor.ser," said I. drawing my armchair
closer TO the fire, tthisis dangerous scheme.
1t will end in disaster. Take my advice and
don't pursue it further"
In the old college days Bowser had gained
reputation for recklessuess, aud he had not
changed in character since. AS expected his
answer Was q laugh.
His inhcxibility irritate6 me.
"Can you not reaiiza." exclaimed, *what
risk you arc running? You go out nearly every
night ON this strange search. You take 10 pre-
caution thai know of. The dav must come,
though I dread to think Of it, when you will be
robbed, and probably murdered"
'sDlurdareu! said Bowser, laughing, and
still tossing his gold. elbow nervous you are
tonight Nonsensei My plan will succeed.
am hunting about the docks, at Limehouso,
now; and if yon oay knew what a discovery
helioa! whats ,hat?'
1t was unified, mysterious sounding knock
at the outer door,
"I,'s seroggie," said 7, jumping up. ''Old
Scroggie!"
"Ah! Scroggie, is it," said Browser "Ah!"
A change crossed his face, I thought But
possibly / was mis- AIKEN; for there was no light
IN the room, except q shaded lamp and the
uncertain flicker OF the fire, which threw
ahadows upun our faces as well as upon the
wont out 10 admit my visitor. AS walked
along the passage I could hear tho ring Of
Bowser's gold; felt a Chilli pass over me, and
shuGdered.
"Alone?" said scroggie in low voice as I
op'nsd ihe door.
''Come ill.," said; ''come in, it's only Bow
ser"
He hest1tea with lis hands deep in his
pockets. Then he hugsed himself, as II suffer-
Ing from cold, and said
'No. I'll look in later
s'Not you!" said I, TAX ing him playfullv by
che coat collar 1--WE wero familiar in our mali
ners toward each othcr) mot you? I'm going
to give Bowser q lecture. aud want OIL audi
ence. So coma antt take the chair"
as still held him l,v the coi!ar and refused
to release him, s5croggie. after Init res St
ance, yielded to persuasion. So shnt out the
cold air on the staircase aud led tne way iu,o
my cosy room.
Good evening" said Bowser, throw1r:, I'D
his bug and catching il, ''GooA evening, Scroy-
gle. Tn pract.cing at little game You'll
turning to me, ''our friend Field will tell you
all about it. It's music to me. Sweet music ~
II hate the sound Of go!d," said Scro gle,
seating himself by the fire with another hug
and turning his back on Bowser. 1T reminds
ma OF the disglngs. Aud at 'Friaco used to
hear that cl;nkint. all day long. l hate it,"
He spoke in O. low vo &C, with his eyes fixed
resentfully on the bright Goals.
''Now, Bowser," said I, whom had mixed q
glass OF whiely for Scro.gis and had resumed
my seat by the fire, "now, Bowser. put thai
bag Of gold into your pocket and listen to n1=
am going TO explain your scheme 10 Scrocsie,
and show him how Very u!salsf actory ! con-
slider your conduct Now, Eowser, for good
ness sake, Sit down"
Bowser bestowed upon mo a half amused,
half-impauent glance. and giving his bag q
parting toss. dropped it into his pocket. and
sat down away from the fire in the shade, be-
You'd the reading lamp, and with his arms
folded on the table. He was large, powerful
man; and remember thinking how gigantic
his shoulders looked in that setnl- da tknoss, as
he leaned forward to listen.
s'The facts OF the case" SAID 1.-The facts
of the case are somewhat as follows. NV
learned friend has fallen III love, il am not
mlstaken"
':Has fallen in love with a young lady named
Darrell" l thought scroggie had spoken.
He had started and mu1tortd something, be-
yond doubt, when mentioned the rame OF
Darrell.
Nothing" said Scroggio, returning with q
quick glance the inqui.. ng look which I gave
him.
':And moreover" then resumed, ssif an
not mistaken, my learned frloud and Hiss
Darrell are engaged"
But" saii-'hut there is clause in the
engagement Miss Darrell has lost her father
who met with his death under circum- tances
OF avery painful nature. In a word. Mis-:
Darell's father was murdered"
At this moment l happened TO be lookin:
straight at scroggie, and a dark shadow seemed
to gather over his face. The expression
startled me, ANA vanished.
''Stay!" said Bowser az I was about to con
&inue. ''Les me tell the story as I heard i
prom Alice Darrell"
Isaid, ''Dy all neans;" and, leaning back in
oi~ for tn
''Mliss Darell's father" said Frank Bowser,
sswas chief cashier at q bank in q large market
town in the North of England de lived on
the premises, aud his daughter Alice lived with
him. His position WAS an arduous one. ne
was frequently engaged over the cash. or IN
examining the ledgers. until late into the night;
especially on evenings preceding Market
days. It was part Of his, duty to weigh,
or count over and check Off in the
bullion book, the various bags OF gold,
over, or distributed among the cashiers. And
so, night after night, the clink Of gold might
be heard in the iron room beyond the back
parlor, for night after night MIR. Darrell sat
there weighing the gold in the scalee, or count
ing it. or shoveling it into the bags, clink--
clink-clink.
Here Bowser paused, and taking his own
bag Of gold ont OF his pocket placed it on the
liable before him.
Scroggie was sitting in an attentive attitude,
CUB lib eyes were never Ia1sc0 tFD5U tAo AIe5
and q worn look, which had not observed at
first, had settled upon his face. Bowser moved
nearer toward us, coming within the circle of
hight under the lamp; and, emptying out of
his bag quantity OF bright sovereigns, he
continued In an impressive voice:
Zone nigh" he told us--ssone night between
IL and IL O'clock, the cashier is seated in the
iron room under 3 shaded lamp-as am seated
noW---weighing the gold as usual, aud filing the
bags, one after another, entering them in the
bullion book, tying them up and casting them
aside. Heis deeply engrossed in his occupa-
ton ! Is he thinking-this honest, industrious
cashier--s he thinking, as he looks upon this
glitter and listens to the blinking and ringing at
this gold, what hateful thing money is? Orr
who shall say ?--who shall say but what-with
deaire for his daughters happiness passing
through his mind--who shall say but what, for
her sake, he is wishing that the sovereigns were
his eSny He is working, working now, solely
for her, and If he is dreaming of riches, what
more natural on earths But, whatever his
fhoughts may be, he is go absorbed that he
hears no cat-Iike footsteps moving staalthily
toward the Bpot whore he weighs the gold
clink, clink, clink--he secs no shadow cross the
light in the outer room, within short dis
lance Of whore he stands; he hears nothing,
observes nothing, until the arm is uplif.ed
swiftly behind him, and stified cry escapes him
mo time for mora He falls, beaten and
crushed by heavy blow. What's happeneds
{ murder committed in the dead Of night = 39
II 56 When ;Bowser had uttered these words there
( WAS . silence between MS for some minutes.
4croggie was the first even 70 move in his
chair. had re6lled his glass during the last
panss Ia the narrative; and he now stretched
h ont his hand hastily and lifted The tumbler to
( his lips, and drank 4 Oh % il il were water.
HE hand shook violently e be placed the
empty gisss On the Insntleshelf I had often
sssn his hand trent ndeed, II Ras seldom
quite steady but he had Ierer exhibited such
observation-disclosures before.