The Argosy — page 282: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

The Story of Charles Strange. 261 to come down, on his way out in the evening, thinking I would speak to him then. He did not come, and when the clients left, and I went upstairs, I found he was stopping in town to see Sir Edmund Clavering. I should have spoken to him then, but you were present. He told me to look in again in the course of the evening, and I hoped I might find him alone then. You recollect the subsequent events of the night, sir?” ‘‘ T shall never forget them.” ‘‘When I came in, as he directed me, between seven and eight o’clock, there occurred that flurry with Leah—the cause of which I never knew. She said Mr. Brightman was alone, and I went up. He was lying in your room, Mr. Charles ; had fallen close to his own desk, the deep drawer of which stood open. I tried to raise him; I sprinkled water on his face, but I saw that he wasdead. On the desk lay a small canvas bag. I took it up andshook it. Why, I do not know, for I declare that no wrong thought had then come into my mind. He appeared to have momentarily put it out of the drawer, probably in search of something, for his private cheque-book and the key of the iron safe, that I knew were always kept in the drawer, lay near it. I shook the bag, and its contents sounded like gold. I opened it, and counted thirty sovereigns. Mr. Brightman was dead. I could not apply to him; and yet money I must have. The tempta- tion upon me was strong, and I took it. Don’t turn away from me, sir. There are some temptations too strong to be resisted by man in his necessities.” ‘Indeed, I am not turning from you. ‘The temptation was over- whelmingly great.” “Indeed,” continued the sick man, ‘“ the devil was near me then. I put the key and the cheque-book inside, and I locked the drawer, and placed the keys in Mr. Brightman’s pocket, where he kept them, and I leaped down the stairs with the bag in my hand. It was all done in a minute or two of time, though it seems long in relating it. Where should I put the bag, now I had it? Upon my person? No: it might be missed directly, and inquired for. I was all ina tumult : scarcely sane, I believe, and I dashed into the clerks’ office, and, taking off the lid of the coal-box, put it there. Then I tore off fora surgeon. You know the rest. When I returned with him you were there; and the next visitor, while we were standing round Mr. Brightman, was George Coney, after his bag of money. I never shall forget the feeling when you motioned me to take Mr. Bright- man’s keys from his pocket to get the bag out of the drawer. Or when—after it was missed—you took me with you to search for it, in the very office where it was, and I moved the coal-box under the desk. Had you only happened to lift the lid, sir!” Sah!” ‘* When the search was over, and I went home, I had put the bag in my breast-pocket. The gold saved me from immediate trouble, but —— ” ¥OL, XLVI. S COnnICoOOKS.c© im