St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1886-08-05
Ghe Galedunian.
DIR. PRIMES POSTHUMOUS LET
TIERS.
The FOrger.

a populOus neighborhOOd, there was
family of more than ordinary intelli-
gence and refinement. The gentleman
had been in professional life in dis
tant city, and having acquired proper
ty retired to our pleasant region, and
fixed his residence on large farm
which he had purchased DIR. Jones
mingled but little with the people, his
tastes leading him rather to the retire.
ment of his books and the society of a
few friends who sought him out. His
chief pleasure was in his family, con-
sisting only of his wife and daughter,
with a nephew of his own name, who
had lived with him as his son and
was destined to be in law acknowledge
ed as such, when the young man and
the doctors daughter were old enough
to he married. Young Jones had
studied law, and having been admit
ted to practice, he settled down in the
village, near the old white meeting
house, and entered life with the finest
prospect of property and honor. He
and his cousin had loved from child
hood both were gifted with charms
of person and mind that are not often
equalled, and when they were married
it was a common remark that ga hand
sOmer couple were seldom SEEM"
Young Jones was known as an amiable
youth, and without those bold and
manly traits of character that command
attention at first glance, he was silent
~ and gradually winning his way into
the confidence and esteem of the COM
munity. His father-in-law cheerfully
supplied the young beginners with the
means of starting in the world, and
never did brighter life lie in the dis
lance than that on which they looked.
But Jones found it slow work to get
into business. He went into court
with no cases of his own to manage
while others less able than he, were
busy, and some of them had more than
they could do, he was idle. He began
to be discouraged. 1t occurred to him
that he must make show of business
if he had none he would live in style
and make dash, and people would
then open their eyes and say, "What
smart young man that must be, to get
ahead so fast" To carry out this bad
purpose required more means than he
could command. He drew upon the
doctor as far as he could, until the ju-
diciOus parent counselled him to live
within his income, and by-and-by told
him with some plainness that he fear
ed he was going too far and running
into debt beyond his ability to pay.
The young lawyer had by this time
got taste of the pleasures of free liv-
ing, and had no notion of retracing his
steps and coming down. His sweet
wife whispered to him that they were
not as happy as i'll simpler days, but
he spoke to her of the time when she
should shine as one so lovely, ought,
and fiattered her, as women may be
hattered by those they love, into 81
lence.
Soon the funds were running low.
He borrowed where lie could, and his
credit, based on his fatherin-law
known ability, was sufficient to keep
him up, and a suspicion of his integri-
ty had never crossed the mind of any
one. Suddenly, and as if one of the
hills had been shaken, it was told in
the streets that young Jones had pre-
sented forged note at bank in a
city about thirty miles off. The peo-
pie could not believe it. But the fact
was too true, and he had been success
full so far in his wickedness. He had
indeed forged the names of some of
the most substantial citizens of the
place to note he had even written
his own father-in- laws name {; he had
got the note discounted, and when it
became due it was of course protested,
and sent up to our quiet town to be
collected, when in an instant the fOrg-
cry was discovered. What blow was
this to his young wife; happy in her
ignorance of his crime, she had caress-
ed him to the hour of the fatal disclos-
ure, and then the sympathy of friends
would have fain concealed it from her
but he the husband of her youth, strain
ed her to his heart, and told her that
he was a villain and must fly from an
Infamous punishment that might speed
lily Overtake him. He did fly. 1t was
late in the autumn think the latter
part of November, when he left his
wife fainting at the hOrrid news his
own lips had brought, instead of the
kiss that she had been wont to receive,
aud just in the edge of evening of
cold, dark night, he started from his
house to fly, he knew not whittier; he
cared not, if he could but get away
from himself and justice.
AS soon as it was known that he
had fled, the proper steps were taken
for his arrest. Yet such was the gen
eral feeling of pity for the poor wife
that no one was in haste to pursue
him. A warrant was, however, issued,
and officers dispatched who succeeded,
after n while, in Overtaking him, and
he was brought back for trial. Now
was the time to test the strength of
principle among our plain people. It'll
would have been a very easy matter to
raise the money and pay the note, and
perhaps the affair could thus he COM
promised; and there were many
thoughts of doing something to stay
the arm of the law. But it would not
be right that was very plain; and
justice must be done, though hearts
break. The prisoner was kept in close
confinement for several days, while |
there was some delay in the attend
ance of witnesses and young Jones,
watching his opportunity with sleep
less eye, found a chance, in the dead
of night, to get out of the house where
he was kept under the care of two con-
stables, who had taken turns in sleep |
ing both at a time. When they walked |
up, their prisoner was gone. The |
alarm was given, and in a few minutes |
"a number of men were mounted to
give chase. A thought struck one of |
them-he must have been a man of
feeling-and stopping the rest, he said |
to them that ''he knew Jones would |
not 90 out Of the village till he had |
seen his wife; there was no use in
chasing till they had searched his own
house." The party therefore proceed
ed with great caution to the house
where the stricken wife still resided,
and as thew stealthilV approached the /
door, there came a cry of anguish from
the chamber, which told too terribly
that innocence and guilt were wailing