Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1892-10-04

Hr OJNHfu W UHu ftuu.
Ogden Chalmers had Just reached New
Orlean. aud procured the firsi mail that
he hal received for six months. II was
. characteristic of his--a whiin. u might
hav. bccn called In another man-to ts
bothered ~ little ~ possible by letters,
IaJrrs or telrgrams when travelling. II
wa. also characteristic that he often pui
himself who'ly beyond the reach of wirs
90 pst-isrhap- 10 make doubly sur
against such interruption.
lie had b-en In Mexico this time. ovrf
on the we-t coast. as far from civilira-
ton ~ he could get. and onc may sc,
very far from II indeed there. ~ every
one knows who has hal the courag,
Ia leave the beaten rvutes ~ travel.
For. although . finished co-mopoliic.
Chalmers coald adapt himself 10 the
manners % any Ieople who lived closs
10 the ways 20 nature. and hence was No
much at home among the ignorant poems
of Oajaca az Chiapas A. upon the pave
men,s and amid the more polished civil.
iIa,ion of New York or San Francisco.
There was no apparent rcason why
Ogden Chalmers-mAn of fortune and
of leisnr.--shouli not wander ~ he
pleased or hile himself from the world
where anil when lac oho-e. lie was al.
most wholly without tics-wiih the sin.
gle exception ~ half brother somewhat
younger than himself wholly without
and his money safely invested. rather ~
~ 30 avoid care in its management than
with view toward securing the largest
po~sibl. income. he was of course fres
to go aud come as he would.
lie had now come direct To New Or.
leans via steamer frvm Vera Cruz. ani
all th. way across the gulf had tsen
wondering why be was coming hither.
and which way IL would L. irst % turn
next. Il really mattercd very little. but
he supposed h. must com. to decision
of -pm. sort in the latter resI-ct. IL
was winter. AMI ~ be did not care to 20
farther nOrth. California was an old
story. In Cula the hotels were had; he
could find more comfort In an Indian
lsp,. than there. Then. again. he won.
ier,i why be- had come this way ai all.
he might better have joined those news
paper men he had met at San Dsniio-
lIoheinians. but most thoroughly good
fello~s-ani gone with them down to
,ec the revolution In Guatemala.
Yet, after all. something was to be said
In favor % New Orleans In midwinier:
II certainly was not the worst % places
81 that SEASON; PERHAPS be might n well
make up his mind 90 stay awhile and
see what would turn up. Having come
10 which conclusion Chalmers placed
his name upOn the register of the St.
Charles. and went into breakfast, tax.
ing with him hi. six months accumula-
tion 10 mail. There was not much of II.
and he noticed the fact whimsically. ~
Indicating how slight were the ties be-
tween himself and she world. There
were but two letters and single paper.
One VI the letters was from his brother.
md bore various po-tinarks. showing
how II had followed him about. lie
Jy-nei u and rad:
Ds.a OsptS . am In . devil of . hI s,.pa,
nossy. win ,Va help IN. ouu n yoa ~ill.
One home al once. - call need . blg iot.
an hold thing. on for . month. bot 10 yoa
ant help me BY that time must so under
ioar anestiosais brother.
Groaos CHALssMa
The letter was dated September hrst.
tt Ma now the fifteenth of January.
chalmers was ~ deeply engro-sed by
he contents of this ons that he opened
he second letter mechanically. without
Observing tha, the address wHs written
In woman's hand. Mechanically. too.
ais eye ran over its brief lines, until
their import flashed suddenly upon his
train. This letter read:
D1AR MR CHALnvRs-Your brother has
<sn ARRESTED for smi~sslement. The hsnk
ilAims to have ls-t more than . hubdrcd thoa.
and dollars I write you h~eause Geors- vii
bot. and think you ought to know. lie says
lou ~in not help him. Must ] believe ~
fours sincerely. LIZA TrssAsf.
This letter WAS dated October hrst,
Just = month after his brothers letter
was wrtten-just the month, he no
icel. that George had ssid he could
hold things od."
The paper still lay unopened beside
his plate. but Chalmers was ~ absorbed
IN the contents of these two letters and
IN the effort 10 grasp the full meaning
Of their message that he gave the for
mer no attention until he came TO real.
ire. through some intuitivs process, that
its superscription was by the saine hand
that had penned the letter signed "Lina
Sennant." Then he tore the wrapper
oh impatiently. duly wondering the
while what new word Of evil he should
hnd therein. Almost st once marked
paragraph stood out, a. though Il were
printed In capitals. II read;
"0eorge Chalmers. the embcsxling
cashier Of the - National hank, was
Yesterday sdjudged guilty on each count
OF tbs indictment and sentenced 70 ts'
years Of hard labor In the state peniten
tiary mt Columbus"
The paper was . Cleveland paper O
January first. Tho tragedy was cou
plete In three acts.
Il WN"s oss Wss~ -
o. he would under almost any circum
stances whatever have gon. on with any
thing In which he happened 10 In "a
gagged. But this action was mechanical
~ after the first dase had passed ava
he began 10 think clearly and rspidl
about the matter In hand. BY the tim
be had finished his coffee and dropped
fee in the palm of the attentive waite
he had every detail Of action systsms'
ically arranged.
"You may cancel my room" he al
10 the man at the desk - he returned .
the hotel odice. II shall 60 on north b
the nrst train. How soou can ] lsavs!
"Tbsrs win b nothing now unit
night, sir. The hrst train u outa at min
fifteen. 6oTy you are going % lsavs =
70 soon.- wsnt on the clerk aifably
'0ood ims 70 - New Orleans, q,
Preach opsss tonight and plenty .
quadrpoa balls going. u yoa care fs
nv - " - -.