Year: 1872

y
cied theyrested, on the package upon
the table. must confess I was SEN
sibly startled by this incident. My
concern was not d minished by OBJ
/. serving that he had removed. his
boots from his feet, and was stand
ing as he had come up-in his
stockings. Ny first impulse and
act was to take the water out Of his
hand. Not being quite ready to use
it, put the envelope of money on
top of it, a3 the most convenient
thing to keep it hot. I did not
turn the superscription downward,
because 1 feared it would betray the
suspicion, which I now positively
entertained, of evil intentions on
the part of my entertainer, who
had quilted the room as nolselesaIy
as he had entered. I imagined a
great many ways Ia which he could
have become acquainted with the
cause of my journey, and came rap
idly to the conclusion that my en-
pioyers' funds were in danger.
That they were actually so became
evident before the night had passed.
I recalled the mans countenance
vividly to my recollection, and ex-
amined from memory his features,
so as to make some estimate of the
character with which I had to deal


Physically he was more than my
equal When I first alighled at the
house it struck me I had seen him
before, and af er some moments OF
further and profound reflection, l
distinctly recalled him to my mind
as a merchant who had dealG with
the firm during my early connection
with it, and who had failed through
the diShones y of friends whom he
had helpei. I remembered him as
having been spoken of as being dis
gus ed with trade, and having
songht a home in the wilde' ness
with his family, and earning living
literally by the sweat OF his drow.


There were but two bedrooms in
the house, both on the same floor,
a passage which commenced at the
head of the stairs dividing them.
While the thoughts which 1 have
related were passing through my
mind, I heard voices in the sother
bedroom, and quietly opened my
door, which my host had closed be-
hind him. Standing out in the
passage, I could distinguish mans
and woman's voice. At first their
language was unintelligible, but
gradually my ear became accustom-
ed to the duty I endeavored to put
1t to, and could distinguish that the
burden of their talk was their do
mestic expenses, and the general
current of their thoughts was diff
Guilty of getting through with GER
tain undertakings which they had
in contemplation, or had COM
menced. It was evident that the
man was more hopeful than the wO-
man. My excited imagination at
once framed the theory that the
treasury in my possession was de
signed by them to solve this difficult
ty, and that the reluctant man was
being urged on by the less scrupu-
lOus or braver woman.


A sudden movement of one of
them toward the door caused me to
retreat into my room. l heard the
bolt of their door move, and, sup
posing it was to unfasten it, [ hur-
ried back to my own apartment and
caught at the envelope, intending
to hasten it out Of sight. In my
eagerness to crap it, it fell tumbling
with the wafered side upperm Ost
and opened! The waters had been
so far dissolved by the heat and
moisture as to split it in two, leav-
ing one-half of each (there were
three) on the flap, and the other
half of each on the body of the en-
velope. Meanwhile there was no
sign or eound of inroad into my
room, of which I had seen it Was
i'm possible to fasten the door, save
by moving some of the furniture
against it. I became convinced
that as yet everything was safe, and
yielding to a feeling of curiosity, 1
drew the money from the enclosure
and counted IL over. There were
ten one-thousand dollar bills! [
was astounded, and for time for
got the fear that so recently harass-
ed.me. 1 looked at the memoran-
dunn on the back of the envelope.
It was $4,000" The letter was
open before me. I read it over.
1t named five thousand as the sum
enclosed. There was evidently an
error. I counted it over again.
Ten thousand dollars was the sum
before mel Again and again 1
counted it. 1 had been used to
handling large sums, and counted
large sums of money daily; but [
actually found more difficulty in ar
irving at the actual count OF the ten
bank bills before ne, than l ever be-
fore OF since encountered In any
sum, however large or however
numerous the notes. Finally, put
ting a chair against the door, l
spread the notes out singly on the
little table, in a row, and counted
them with my finger; then made
two rows OF FIVE notes each, and
again counted them. I finally,
though slowly, became satisfied that
/ had in my possession double the
amount of money I was expected to


deliver to my employers agent.
Temptation entered my soul. Five
thousand dollars would relieve me
of all my debts. Here it was within
nay grasp. I had but to seal up the
envelope by re-wetting the wafer,
inclosing half the money, and de-
liver it sealed to tie agent, and my
trust would De, to all appearance,
faithfully discharged. Once the
thought occurred that possibly 1t was
trap set for me by my employers.