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Updated: June 18, 2025
"Nor I either," I replied, glancing at Ham, who had taken position by his father's side to hear what was said. "What do you mean by that?" demanded Captain Fishley, puzzled by my remark. "You haven't proved that I took the letter." "It came here, but none of us saw it. The very night the mail containing that letter came in, you were seen counting money." "Who saw me?" I asked.
Captain Fishley had testified that I had no means of obtaining money honestly, and that I had run away. The captain seemed to be greatly astonished when his brother was called to the witness stand for the defence. "Mr. Fishley, were you in Torrentville two months ago?" asked Squire Pollard. "I was," replied the senator. "Did you see the defendant at that time?" "Yes, sir."
Captain Fishley he had been an officer in the militia in some eastern state, and his title had gone west with him kept the principal store in the place, and was the postmaster. My father had moved from the State of New York to Torrentville when I was eight years old, and soon after the death of my mother. He had three children, Clarence, Flora, and myself.
"Who was he?" asked Clarence. "I can't tell you, or anybody, who he was. About this time Ham Fishley robbed a letter of forty dollars, and when the money was missed, he laid it to me." "How do you know he did it?" demanded Clarence. "I saw him do it. I saw him break the seal, take out the money, and burn the letter;" and I explained fully the circumstances.
Before we started from New Orleans, Clarence had dressed me up in a new suit of black clothes, and I flattered myself that I was not a bad-looking fellow. I was satisfied that Emily did not think I was an ill-favored young man. We had some pleasant walks at the places where we stopped. I was very impatient for the arrival of Squire Fishley.
"But suppose the letter has gone to the dead-letter office?" added the postmaster. "Sakes alive! I've got money enough to pay it, if the letter is lost. Why, Ethan's got more'n 'leven hundred dollars that belongs to me." "All right, Miss Larrabee," replied Captain Fishley, as he took out the money, and wrote a note for the amount.
The agreement my brother Clarence made with you was, that I should take care of the horse and go after the mail for my board. That's what he said to me in one of his letters. Instead of that, you make me do all the dirty work about the place, and run from pillar to post at everybody's beck and call." "That's all you're good for," interposed Captain Fishley, sourly.
Fishley would not meddle with Flora again very soon. The scene was becoming rather embarrassing to me, and I decided either to end it or to shift the battle-field. I turned and walked towards the back room. As one dog pitches into another when the latter appears to show the white feather, Captain Fishley made a spring at me, hoping to take me in the rear.
I saw through the mill-stone. The postmaster had heard from Miss Larrabee, or her brother, in regard to the missing letter, and I was accused of purloining it! No doubt Captain Fishley thought I was the robber. Probably Ham had charged the crime upon me, and his father was willing to believe him. "I have not robbed the mail," I replied, smartly. "Yes, you did; and I can prove it.
If it was a mistake, I did not desire to take advantage of it, though the loss of the money would defeat my enterprise with the raft. "Did you know how much money you gave me, Squire Fishley?" I asked of my distinguished companion, as I drove over the bridge. "No, I did not; and I don't wonder that you ask, Buck," he replied, very solemnly. "You gave me forty-six dollars, sir."
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