The Morgantown monitor. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1863-1864, 1863-03-28


tel everybody. The clerks all liked
him-and that is something to say
of a partner in bankinghousc, l
can tell you!
"Weli, young Trowbridge," says
he, giving his papers on the table a
brisk push away from him, $50 you
are going to set up in business for
yourself, are you? have a great
regard for your father, and great
wish to see you succeed. Have you
started yet?-No? Just on the point
of beginniug-eh? Very good: You
will have your difficulties, my frienay
and I mean to smooth4one@of them
away for you on the onset, A word
Of advice for your private ear-Bank
with us.
"You are very kind, sir" I an
swered, " and | should ask nothing
better than to profit by your sugges-
tion-if l could. But my expenses
are heavy at starting, and when they
are all paid, am afraid shall have
very little left to put by for the first
year. | doubt if | shall be able to
muster much more than three hun
dred pounds of surplus cash in the
world, after paying what | must
pay, before setting up my office. -
And | should be ashamed to trouble
your house, sir, to open an account
for snch trihe as that.
"Stuff and nonsense !! says Mr..
Fauntleroy care you banker?-
, What business have YOU to offer an
opinion on the matter? Do as | tell
you-leave it to me-oank with us
and draw for what you like. Stop |!
l haven't done yet. When you open
the account, speak to the head ca
shier. Perhaps you may find he has
got something to tell you. There !
there! 90 away--don t interrupt me
good bye-God bless you'll
That was his way-Ah, poor fel-
low! that was his way!
I went to the head cashier the next
morning, when | opened my little
modicum of an account. He had re-
ceived orders to pay my drafts with
out reference to my balance. My
cheques, when I had overdrawu,
were to be privately shown to Mr..
| Fauntleroy. Do many young men
who start in business find their pros
porous snperiors ready to help them
! in that way?
] Well, I got on-got on very fair
! ly and steadily; being careful not to
venture out of my depth, and not to
forget that small beginnings may
lead, in time, to great ends. A
prospect of one Of those great ends
great, | mean, to such a small tra-
der as | was at that perioa-showed
! itself to me, when had been some
little time in business. In plain
| terms, | had chance of joining in a
frst-rate transaction, which would
give me profit and position, and
everything / wanted, provided |
conld qualify myself for engaging in
it by getting good security before
hand far a very large amount.
In this emergency, thought Of
my kind friend, Mr.. Fauntleroy,
and went to the bank, and saw him
once more in his private room.
There he was at the same table,
and with the same heaps of papers
about him, and the same hearty,
easy way of speaking his mind to
you at once, in the tewest possible
words. l explained the business |
came upon, with some little hesita-
tion and nervousness ; for l was
afraid he might think that | was ta-
king an unfair advantage Of his for
mer kindness to me. When l had
done he inst nodded his head, snatch
ed up blank sheet Of paper, scrib-
bled a few lines on it, in his rapid
way, handed the writing to me, and
pushed me out of the room by the
two shoulders before could say a
single word. I looked at the paper
in the outer office. 1t was my secu-
rity from that great clearinghouse
for the whole amount, and for more,
if more was wanted.
| could not express my gratitude
then; aud | don know that can
describe it now. | can only say that
it has ontlived the crime, the dis
grace, and the awful death on the
scaffold. I am grieved to speak of
that death at all. But l have no
other alternative. The course of my
story must now lead me straight on
to the later time, and to the terrible
discovery which exposed my henefac-
tor and my friend to all England as
the forger Fauntlercy.
l must ask you to suppose lapse
of some time after the occurrence of
the events that l have just been re-
lating. During this interval, thanks
to the kind assistance | had received
at the outset, my position as man
of business had greatly improved
Imagine me now, if you please, on
the high road to prosperity, with
good large offices and respectable