The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1857-06-30

|
"What was the cause Of thsi" he asked
Of one of tho clerks. Did he fall or was
he lifting anythings"
"No,' was the answer, she was sitting at
the desk, resting his head upon his hands,
when heard him call in quick voice, and
turning round saw the blood flowing from
his mouth"
aHad anything disturbed llims" asked
| Bancroft.
eMoney has been hard to get during the
past week. the clerk answered, 'and Cart
wright's payments were unusually largo
There is one note rot lifted yet, and it is
few minutes Of three o'clock The clerk
pointed to bank notice lying on CartwrigEts
desk
"That is Withdrawn fom the bank" said
| he.
81 am glad to hear of it, replied the clerk,
y think it was your note that did the harm.
! He had taken up others, and went out two
hours ago, after having been all the morning
on the street TO try and get the sum required
10 lift this one; but he failed; and the con-
sequences were more than he had strength TO
look at calmly. He is n just man, and
kindhcartcd man, Brancroit. We who live
with him can bear that testimony"
Bancroft stood nearly motionless for n
| long time.
"Where does Cartwright livew he inQuir
ed at length.
"At number - Fifteenth Street"
To the dwelling of Cartwright he went in
all haste. He found everything there to con-
4 firm his worst apprchensons. The hemor-
rbage had been very profuse. Already so
large quantity Of blood had been lost that
the sick man was reduced to state of ins n
sibility, and still the bleeding continued
The family were, Of course, in the deepest
+, , distress. He saw Mrs. Cartwright for n mo-
ment. ;.ihe impression of her white, grief-strick
on face was transferred TO n page in mcmcry's
book thai no after event could dim or oblltc-
rote' A beou;ful daughter, just on tho verge
of womanhood glidct.. past hlm once, ana her
face of terror remained 10 aunt hun tor NE
He saw tho physician, and to r'@ inquiries
received no hopeful answers.
When Brancroft left the house Of sorrow,
lie went forth almost stcalthily, and with n
feeling of guilt in lis heart.
"My work my work !" voice within him
kept repeating; and do what he would, ho
found it impossible to silence the accusing
spirit.
81 can never forgive myself if he should
die" said Brarcroft TO himself "Oh what
evil is sometimes wrought by passion in an
unguarded moment! Why dii not think
before sreaking!"
Alas the dreaded evil came. Bancroft
was at his store an hour earlier than usual on
the next moIn;ng .,,.r, ,..o,rr,.,nr. ne
inquired anxiously Of 4 clerk.
ayes sir"
"Iow is hc!'
"Dcad."
"Dead y
Brancroft stepped back pace or two as ii
strong hand were bearing against him.
"Ycs sir. lie died at seven o'clock last
evening, so the pap.ls save"
Bancroft sighed heavily; and then walk
ing back to his desk, rat down, and remain
ed in troubled thought for long tine
There was a single aspect Of the case that
gave him any relief, and this was the proba-
Lle ignorance of any ono but himself of the
immediate cause of Cartwnght's death. He
had not Il was prcsuu ed, mentioned the un-
feeling rcpusc which he had received, when
at the eleventh hour, and as n last resort, he
| had gone 10 one from whom he had conf
| IDENTIFY expected, not only kind consideration,
but prom pt relief; and so the secret had died
with him.
Bancroft did not ,isi, the house Of noun
| ing. He could not lock upon the distress
which lis own conscience charged him with
originating; but his heart was vailed in gloo-
my shadows.
There was no one to represent G; Iiwnght
:. L : l,,.:,,...a ,,l.;al I,1 L., alDcc1 N
active, hard working merchant, lie had sue
ccedcd in many disadvantages, IN establish
ing trade that, prosecuted with industry for
n few years, would have given his family
moderate fortune. But he was stricken down
at an inauspicious moment. Serious losses
occurred in the settlement of his affairs, and
when all his debts wcrc finally paid there
was nothing over for his family.
"Poor Mary Cartwright y said Mrs. Bran
croft to her husband one day about six months
after the death Of Cartwright, Il saw her at
MIS-. Maryin's to-day. She gives music les
sons to her daughter HELEN. How changed
sic was"
Bancroft made no reply, aud his wife was
in some doubt rs TO whether he had really
heard her remark.
"She says that her mother has never been
out of the house since her fathers death"
Still Bancroft made no response. But the
words did smite him! Ali there was a
thorn in his memory that time could never
extract
"There was not dollar left for the family
from poor Cartwrght's estatc@ said fellow
merehant.
$50 heard"
Bancroft answered with seeming indiffer-
cnce, but his heart quyercd as if blow had
been given.
alt is said that the failure TO raise money
to lift ono Of his notes killed himp said an
other.
"Peoplo will say almost anything" replied
Bancroft, with assumed codness.
Time moved steadily onward The seeth-
ing spot on the surface Of trade where Cart