The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-08-28
!"MISS F0RBES'~ FORGERY.

!"MISS FORBES" FORGERY.
Old Captain Jonathan Forbes was
tearing through the village in state OF
pitiable excitement towards his. neat,
comfortable little cottage. A cottage
vine-clad. flower-SurrOundcd. tree
shaded. and tended and cherished as
few homes are in country or city.
The Captain had been hard worker
until within the last five years: then at
the age of sixty he had given up the
sea. bought the cottage, deposited all
his earnings in city bank. said TO be
a sound rs sound. could be, and with
his dear old wife and his invalid sister
had settle down to what promised to
be very comfortable old ace. In
younger Years the Captain had been
rather spendthri't, inclined to pro-
family, following the deplorable habit
of sailors in general, and swearing
roundly when things did not work to
his satisfaction. But his extreme kind
heartedness, also distinguishing trait
of the average sailor. had won the love
of a good, pious woman: and under her
Aaii'N'tANCs AAO "a lBAsliH llftNl 8ION II DIoA-
ident and saving; he also had given up
the use of profane language.
But give vent to his feelings in some
form of evpletive he must upon O-ca-
sion. so il had become habit with him
under strong pressure TO blurt out the
name or names of the first places occur
rIng to him at such times; and the more
wide apart and incongruous the mating
of ports or places, the better it an
swered his purpose.
And now as he went rushing pell-
neil through the fragrant country
roads, he CALCULATED with distressing
Vehemence:
Jerusalem and Troy! What shall
we do! I'm a beggar-man and worse
than beggar mani Now if I'd only a
listened to Miss Forbes advice, and not
4 gone and chuckcd all my sayin'S in
one place. shouldn't a been caught il.
such miserable tight place as this
Egypt and Cape Cod. just to think
of it, and there. her brother. a mer-
chant of fifty years standin'. would ha'
given us within one per cent. Is much
interest as that raScallv bank But
there, long to get home and tel
Cynthy all about it. Poor Cvnthv.
whatever will she do, Wish to mercy
Miss Forbes wasn't ont o town: dread
tcllin' her awiuily. Point judith and
Hurr> Gate. If | DON'T
But the Captain had reached the cot
tage. and swinging wide the gate. he
hurried up the grayelly path. and soon
entered the cool sitting room. where
hi nla.il f'b,.f..ti,,, .,.-+,,.
both feet were bound about and placed
Oh high foot rest. a rheumatism in y
severe form rendered Miss Cvnthv
Forbes confirmed invalid, and often
an intense sufferer.
At sight OF her usually unperturbed
brother hopping his warm and dis
treS>ed-iooklnT face, she looked up with
anxious Salicitude
Sing sing and Bombay, Cynthy?"
he burst out. Pm a ruined man If
ever there was one, What do YOU
think? The l. bank has bursted
and carried with it every cent we have
in the world
why. brother, that's too hard. Can
it be true9"
True rs the world. It's town talk!
There the greatest crowd up at the
pOSt-Ofiict'; there can t ANYBODY think
or talk OF ANYTHING else at all Some
others ruined besides me, all because
the President of the bank was brought
right up here and all thought him the
very soul o honor, confound him.
Now don I, brother" said Miss
Cynthy. aoothingly, perhaps it won't
beas bad rs you think. MAY be there's
something saved
well. Turkey and Boston, roared
the Captain, If there is, we never shall
see the first cent of it."
Then ne continued in adillerent tone,
q tone full of distress and regret:
-, Cyuthy, why don't thev think of
lis poor fellows who've toiled night and
day to scIape together little sometime
against o;d agei Why don't they think
otthe pocrwidows, There's poor widow
Ellis most distracted. and old lame
Captain Simpson. he's round a roarin'
like 4 furious nor'-eaSter. Why don't
they think of us all, saw. before they
go to Speculatin' and sinkin' the little
funds we have to set such store by and
become SO dependent on. l say it's in
human, its ont o all reason, it's worse
n Swearin ten times, Billingsgate and
Carthage. if it ANTI
''Well now, I'd calm down if I were
you," said Miss Cynthy, again using
her most conSoling tones. Its too
bad Maria gone to the city, but her
week s most up, and know she'll say
something comforting when she
comes"
shed do JUS right to storm like a
hurricane, said the poor Captain;
course she won't say the fust word to
veN me, Miss Forbes never does, but if |
I'd listened to her, we might a been |
comfortable enough"
Strange such trouble should come |
the first time in a dozen years or more |
she's been away for week. But there,
we must do the best we can. You
mustn't worry on my account, brother,
you know the Lord viii provide, some.
how.