Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1858-05-20

duped and ruined man., J. answered, anC
left him."
sit is hard, very hard, Edward!" said his
wife, tears running over her cheeks, a.
she leaned towards him, with her eyes fixed
upon his pale suffering face. "But dear
dear husband! let me say to you here, al
the beginning of consequences which must
flow from this sad disaster, that nothing i:
to be thought of by you as affecting me-
Shall sit in the cool, pleasant summer
evenings with my husband, snd not stand
up by Ills side when the tempest falls1-
Only one thing you have said has at al
frightened me-"
81 know what you mean. Loss of for.
tune, small as it may be, is a painful dis.
aster to any one; but, oh, the thought of g
dishonored name is indeed frightfulI That
ordeal, Anna, have got to pass; and l feal
that strength will fail me. Oh, it was
wrong ever to have put my name, as presi-
dent, upon paper not strictly for the com.
pany's use. 1t was breach of trust; so
the world will call it, and visit me with
terrible consequences. There will be nc
discrimination between weak consent to
aie friend, confided in as a brother, and
fraudulent purpose The notes were never
intended for anything but security, and
were to be returned to me long before they
came due. The transaction was onsider.
ed as kind of formality. / knew myself
to have ample resources to meet the sum
they were meant to secure, even if my
friend failed to do so. That sum was only
five thousand dolars-the security ten
thousand, which has been most blsely sac
rifed."
"Ten thousand dollars! So much as
that" said Mrs. Fleetwood, in q choking
voice.
ayes, so much as that! Oh, Anna! this
night is very, very dark. There Is no
moon; and the clouds have hidden the stars
II it were not for the times, l might save
myself from disgrace. through friends once
able and always willing. But ruin is sweep
ing through the land, and the best, the
bravest, and the most enduring are failing
all around us. To raise the sum of ten
thousand dollars, and get these notes back
again into my hands, is simply impossible.
In less than two months they will mature,
and then"
The picture wrought by the excited i'm
agination of Mr.. Fleetwood was so dread
full to look upon that he covered his face
with his hands and shuddered. His wife
did not offer any words of comfort; for upon
her own heart had fallen an almost suffo-
eating fear. Personal sacrifice had no ter
rors for Mrs. Fleetwood. Very brave would
she have been under any of the common
vistations of worldly disaster. But the
thought OF a dishonored name fer the hus-
bard, of whom she had been sc proud,
smote her like sabre-siroke.
"Something must be done" 1t was the
wife's voice that broke the silence" Some
thing must be done, Edward! Dishonor!
Never! never!" And her slight form lifted
itself up. Hope and courage were begin
ming to revive.
"This sudden shock has prostrated you,
dear husbandr' she added, in a calmer
voice. "You will recover strength soon
and with strength will come purpose. The
will, have often heard you say, is crea-
tive. Yours will be, 1 am sure. This
sharp sword, suspended by single hair,
shall not fall"
But Mr.. Fleetwood only shook his head
mournfully, and answered,
"At any other time there would be hope.
At any other time, could have met this
threatened evil, aud triumphed. Now,
Anna, even to struggle were folly. Every
thing is in confusion. Fortunes, the accu-
mutation of years, are c.umbling into dust;
mutual confidence is destroyed; frightful
panic is sweeping over the land. Men,
who would have opened their purses to me
freely month ago, are now in extremity.
No, no, Anna! Ii is vain TO look for help.
The breakers are Just ahead, and our good
ship is drifting fast upon them. No human
arm can save u.s."
Still the young wife would not abandon
hope.
Il will trust in Heavan to bring you a
safe deliverance," were her words some
hours later. "No wrong was intended, and,
therefore, must believe that the dreaded
consequences will not be permitted to fall
with their crushing weight upon you. Two
months yet remain, if understand it, be-
fore the notes fall DUE"
ga little le,s than two months"
ga great deal may be done in two
months, Edward. Oh, do not despair"
"Dear comforter!" said Mr.. Fleetwood,
looking down upon the face of his wife 81
would hardly deserve the name of man,
we're toigive up wholly, with your sweet
solicitations to effort filling my ears. But
what, what can do! l stand at the foot
of tall mountain, the sea on either hand;
and, stretching my gaze far away upward.
see only perpendicular wall of rock. l
have no wings, and cannot rise, like the
eagle, and escape the danger that is leap
ing toward me and threatening swift des-
truction."
sIn whose possession are the hottest"
asked Mrs. Fleetwood, desiring to i've di-
rection, as well as activity, to her hus-
bands mind.
They are gone wholly beyond my
REACH" was the answer. "lnstead of be-
ing left in the hands where they were first
placed, as collateral security, they have
been discounted-the original obligation
of five thousand dollars paid, and the bal
ance of the money appropriated BY my falst
friend. They stand, now, as anl othe
debt against the company, ard, as l hav'
said, wholly beyond my reach"
"Would it not be WE'LL" suggested Mrs
, Fleetwood, "to find out who has them!"
al car see no good result likely to fov