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A Dangerous Charge

A Dangerous Charge image
Parent Issue
Day
9
Month
February
Year
1882
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

It was the last night of the year, and a few congenial spirits had gathered in the bachelor apartments of a mutual friend to spend in cheerf ui song and story the few remaiuing hours of the old year'a lifo. Only two of tho coinpany had failed to add his share of these to the general entertainment. 'Come, Mortiiner,' said the host, 'It's your turn now. You that liave travéled about so much ought to be able to teil something worth hearing.' A unanimous request that the host's suggestion should be carried out having been made, Mortiiner began his story. 'It was as long ago as tüe year '4ö, when I was quite a young man, with very little experience of tlie world, though I thought I knew more then than I do now, or am ever likely to know. For the last three years I had been head book-keeper to a Wholesale dry goods house in the western part of New York, enjoying in no small degree its esteem and confldence, which I fully appreciated, and did my best to deserve. With the desire to perform my( dutie3 well and aceeptably, I had an additional incentive to stand high in the estimation of the firm in the form of the lovely daughter of its head partner, with whom I was inadly, and as it seemed then, hopelessly in love. It was not the absence of fortune and position that made me so faint-hearted, for I had heard Mr.Crofton, her father, say more than once, 'that he didn't care how poor his son-in-law was if he wasn't poor in integriiy, intelligence, energy and self-reiiance. I was conscious that he regarded me with an eye of favor; certainly I could not complain that he did not afford me ampie opportimity to woo and win his daughter if I could. The chief difficulty in the way lay in the fact that I had a rival, who having been longer in the field, had apparently obtained a footing in her favor that I despaired of ever being able to win. And then the fair Lucy herself was so shy and reserved with me. She always had a gay smile and merry word for Fred. Harding, while to me she was so shy and silent that I never could jrain courage to express my love except by looks, and the persistency with which I sought her society, iríad I been versed in the ways of wonnen 1 should not have let this dishearten me so. As it was, my heart sornetimes beat high with the hope of eventual success, her eyes grew so wondrously bright at my approach and she blushed so prettily when I spoke to her. "Fred Harding was a gentleman of leisure, and quite a favorite with the fairer portion of the community. He had plenty of money, which he spent freely, though where he obtained it 1 was not so clear. He was a slender smoolh-faced chap, with soft white hands, glossy curlj, and carefully got up attire. . I never liked hini, tliough that is not strange, considering how he monopolized the society of my adored Lucy. He was always very civil to me. Dut there was no love lost on either side. There seldom 3 between two men in love with the sans woman. "One day Mr. Crofton called me to one side, stating that he was going to give me astrong proof of the confldence in what he was pleased to term my good sense and integrity by trusting to me some important business, to which it would be inconvenient for him personally to attend. I will not take up the time by describing the nature of the business, which has nothing to do with my story, merely saying that it necessitated my going into the interior of the state, and taking with me $20,000. "I was not a little proud that a mission of so much importance should be entrusted to me; wondering in my ela tion, if Lucy knew how much confldence her father had in me, and inwardly resolving that I would perform it in a way that would justify his good opinión. "I was to take the evening train. Just before starting I called at Mr. Crofton's private office to receive the money and his parting instructions. I could scarcely believe that the small package handed me contained so large an amount. His last injunetion to me was to put it in my breast pocket; to keep my coat buttoned close to the chin and to avoid talking with strangers. "I took the 5:30 train, tra veling straight on Avith only brief stoppages, for nearly four hours. Tlien we came to the junction and leaving the express I too'i the accommodation train on another and less frequented road. There was a delay of about ftf teen minutes, owing to tho fact that we were obliged to switch offi to let the express train pass. About flve minutes bef ore we started an old man entered, whose white hair and beard gave him a very venerable appearance. He had a ivoman with him who clung timidly to his arm. " 'Do these cars go to Bolton ?' he said, addressing me. 'ïney uo, i repneu. " 'Are you going as far as that?' " 'I am goiug beyond it,' I said. " ,You're in luck, Emily,' said the okl man, addressing the veiled woman on his arm. 'lleïe's a gentleman that's going riglit through Bolton, and will see thatyou don'tget oiï at the wrong place.' " 'My daughter is not used to traveling,' he added, turning to rne, 'and is just getting up from serious illness. If yon wiJi kindiy see that she mnKes no mistake I willbeglad.' " 'Certainly,' 1 responded. 'Viewing with no little self-compla cency this additional proof of tlie confidence that people seemed disposed to placo in me. I removed my cloak from the vacant seatas a tacit invitation to my cnarge that she was at liberty to appropriate it if she cliose to do so. "Ob3erving the movement, the oíd man said: ' 'Thank you, sir. Woultl you as soon let my daughter have the seat farthest from the windo w ? She Í8 so sensitive to the cold. 'Then as the young lady took the seat alluded to, he kissed her saying. 1 "Good bye, my dear child. Dont talk, your lungs are stiil weak, you kijow, Qivc my love to your aunt and cousins, and write as soon as you are able.' 'As the cara moved on I stole a look at my fair companton - for fair she looked and young- fro:n the gliinpse obtained through her veil. She was dressed very wartnly, having on in addition to the long, loóse cloak that fell to the floor, a large cape and scarf. On her head was the conventional net oí that day, ana wnich liad material enough in it for half a dozen of the style worn novv. 'Her unnatural palor was heightened by the blackest eyes and eyelashes that 1 think I ever sa w.though, on account of liev shynes3 and timidity, the latter had veiled ths former much of the time üiom view. She seemed entirely unftt ;o be out at that season of the year, 3eing seized at oue time with a paroxysm of coughing that quite alarmed me. To my inquiry if I could get her anything. she shook her head, and rememberiiig her fathers caution to her, : said no more. Removing the cork torn a vial, whose peculiar odor I remember yet, she touched it to her lips. .yiiáteyfcr it was it seemed to have the lesired effect. Folding my cloak, I naced it on tüe seat d&pk oí ner, ana eaning her head upon it, she slept, or eeined lo do so. 'I had not the remotest idea or intenion of going to sleep, but I did. IIow ong I slept I don't know. I only know hat I awoke with a sense of sullocaion, to which the fresh air that poured n from the open car-door was a welome relief. The cars had stopped, which was, perhaps, the reason why I awoke. With a confused feeling in my brain that I could not account for, : watched the people going out until he peculiar odor before alluded to reminding me of my companion, I turned o see how she was f aring. To my asonishment she was gone. "Can tliis be Bolton?' I thouglit pringing to rny feet, uot a little rnorified at my involuntary remissness. As I did so, I stumbled over a reticulc, n which my fair charge had left beïind her. Catching it up I sprang 'rom the cars. As I gained the platform I caught a glinipse of her hurryng along to the other side of the depot, where a long train of cars was standng. To my surprise she glanced back, s I called out to her, but she did not lacken her speed. The train for vhich she was making now began to move, but springing up the steps with quickness cf motion for which I was utirely unprepared she disappetired 'rom view. 'As the train thundered past me, moved by a sudden impulse, I thrust my hand into my breast pocket. The )ackage was gone! Should I live a thousand years I hall never forget the sensation that ome over me; the dismay, the horror hat for a while benumbed every faculty. But it was not long before evry nerve of my heart and brain were ully aroused and at worlc, Like a lash of lightning, by whom and how I ïad been robbed, all was clear to me. In the meantime the train which I ïad left had gone on, and I stood in he gray dawn alone on the platform. ascertained that the place was not 5olton but War wiek; that the train aken by th woman went by a more circuitous route in the same direction vhence I had started, that it was a fast rain, its first stopping place being a arge manufacturing town forty miles )ack. I immediately 3olved to take lie next train to that place. On learnng that it would be two hours before '. could do this, I turned my next houghts to breakfast, contriving in spite of my anxiety to make a tolerably substantial meal from the bountifully spread table of the hotel opposite and 'eeling ten per cent. better in consequence. As I arose from the table, I thought of the little satchel that the woman ïad left behind her, either from her ïaste to escape or because she feared :o wake me if she removed it from beneath my feet. lts contents surprised and puzzled me. Not on account of their extent and value, however. They consisted of a dickey, a pair of socks, a black cloth - or tie, as it is now called - an cdd glove and handkerchief. Not an article of woman's apparel was in it. There was no name or initial on anything, with the exception of the handkerchief, on which were the letters F. II., worked in red silk. On shaking the satchel to make sure there was nothing more, a wad of crumpled paper dropped out. Unfolding it I smoothed it out upon my knee. It proved to be a letter, that par1; on which the address was written in the [days before envelopes were invented. The lower, hand corner was torn off, leaving the superseription to read thus: Feed'k Har - 'Stock-' The last four letters formed the ürst syllable of Stockport, the town where I resided. On turning the paper, I found some penciled memoranda.which ran thus: Bonnet, veil, cloak, scarf gloves. As I recalled the face beneath that veil - the short, wavy hair, parted in the middle of the forehead, the arched eyebrows, the intense hlackness of the eyes, which never once met my own, there flashed upon me the secret of the indefinable resemblance to some one I had seen, which had struck me at the first glance, but which made no particular impression on my mind at the time. It was just as clear to me now as twelve hours latei-, I had been robbed, not by a womaa but by a man.and that manFred. Harding! He was in the habit of often lounging in and out of the store, reading the papers and exchanging the news, and I had a disbinct remembrance of nis sitting by the 3tove, within hearing1 distance when Mr. Crofton first mentioned the matter to me, but thought nothing of it at the time. In'less than ten minutes I was on my way back to Stockport. "What my thoughts and feelinga were during the journey would be difljcult to describe, so conllicting we.re their nature. At one time I was strong in the belief that I should be able to circumvent the villian who had robbed me of more than life, and then my hopes went down to zero. I knew that Harding's eagerness to win sweet Imcy Crofton made him jealous of the regard with which Lucy Crofton's father regarded me, -and was convinced that his object was not , ply mon!y, but to ruin me in my employer's estimation. The result would be the same at all events. TIn Ipso T could get back the paekage, farewell to all my bright prospects, and the sweetest maiden in the world to me. ft was dusk when I reached Stockport, for which I was not sorry. 1 went direetly tg the hotel where t knew Hardiug boarded, 'He had been out or' town for the last two days,' go the porter told me, 'but had just got back.' Ascertaining the number I proceeded to his room, and the door being ajar I went in. Harding was not there, but the bright.light and cheerful flre indicated that he was not far off, and I sat down and waited. I looked scrutinizingly around. On the chair near me lay an old glove, the mate to theone in the satchel, as [ found by comparing them. Another link in the chain of evidence. I had scarcely time to secure this and decide upqn my course of action, when Harding entered. Í have not power to describe his astonished and dismayed look as he saw me. Quickly recovering himself he advanced eagerly toward me. Ignoring the outstretched hand, I said sternly : 'Mr. Harding here is a little satchel you leffc behindyou in the little masquerade you played last night. You acted your part well, but it is time to lay off the mask now. In this satchel js an odd glove, the mate of whlch I found upon the chair yonder, and which may be of valué to you. You can have it in exchange for the package you took f rom me.' Taken entirely by surprise, and a coward at heart, the villain turned pa Ie. 'Will you give me twenty-four hours to leave town in ?' Taking a revolver from my pocket I advanced one step nearer. 'Give me that package and you can have forty-eight hours ; refuse: and vou have not five minutes to live.' It was abouthis person as I surpiised, and without another word he gave it to me. Only waiting to make sure that It was the same, and had not been tampered with, I sprang down the stairs, two steps at a time, in my haste to catch the train that I knew would soon be due. Twenty minutes later I was on my journey again, feeling like a suddenly freed bird as I sped along. By traveling day and night, and taking brief times for rest and refresüment, I so nearly made up the time I had lost as to be able to bring my business to a satisfactory conclusión within the limits assigned me. On my return I found a good many of my friends and aoquaintanees considerably excited on the subject of Harding's sudden and mysterious disappearance. I kept my own counsel, however, being more ashamedof the successful game that had been played with me, than by being able, by a fortúnate combination of circumstances, to checkmate him in the end. It was not until Lucy had been my wife nearly a year, and I was junior partner of the flrm, that I ventured to teil her father of his narrow escape f rom a serious loss, which, inits result, weuld have been more disastrous to me than to him, inasmuch as it would have involved the loss of the most precious of all my earthly possessions. - Selected.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Ann Arbor Democrat