Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1868-12-18

"Confound the fellow! Send him il
the right about with his twaddle ant
tomfoolery." cried Harley, eying the de.
linquent with no kindly glance.
1.-THE cash would set us square
again. remarked Ferguson, thought.
fully.
Gentlemen" said tue senior partner
raising himself in his chair with an air OIL
decision, 81 cannot agree with you =
The risk is too tremendous to be lightly
run. AT present, as far as we can Judge,
there is no immediate danger to our
credit; with the exception of that heavy
draft of Messrs Grunton's & Co., the
morning has passed quietly. l must in.
sist upon exercising my authority as head
of the firm. The Circumstances, | allow,
are extraordinary, but capable of easy
solution. The young man states that
within one fortnight from this date the
whole of this money will be Withdrawn,
with the intention of utterly running our
credit, since, in these times and under
these difficulties, were we to appropriate
this large sum, the probabilities Of our
being able TO meet such draft are very
probIematcal indeed. II, then, this &C.
ours of which he has warned us, he mer-
its reward and gratitude; if his story
turns out to be false, be receives his dis
charge. But, we need hardly impress
upon your minds, gentlemen, the necessi-
ty of keeping this communication close
secret. As to the money, you will place
it in separate chest, Markham; label it,
and see that not farthing of it is touch
ed till the period of probation has elaps-
ed. Young man, you may leave u.s."
The firm Of Overplus g. Co. still float
ed, boisteroas were the waves, high the
winds, crippled The vessel, but yet, on
that sea of disaster, like a noble bark un-
der jury masts, rode the once stately
house of the venerable banker. Here q
crash, and there crash, there ruin, and
there a wreck. Around the afar off the
sound of falling edifices rang the knell
OF others, each involving its fellow in re-
morseless doom. Each day dawn brought
fresh tidings of credit shattered, enter
prises collapsed, banks smashed; whilst,
athwart the gloom, like flash of forked
lightning, the horrid glare of suicide
struck CONSERVATION in the public mind !.
Amid the burly burly of commercial dis
aster, the high character of the senior
partner, his strict probity, his known re
sources, and acknowledged skill in con-
trolling the storm, and plotting his craft
through the shoals and quicksauds of f.
nance, had enabled The firm TO hold its
own, and by opposing cool, calm front
to panic, to INSPIRE confidence in tho
minds o! the most tin.id. A remarka
bic instance of this occurred during the
very heat of the conflict between caution
and confidence.
A gentleman entered the bank one
morning with the intention of withdraw
ing a considerable sum, urged to take
this step by the solicitations of his wife.
The senior partner noticed his appear
ance, came forward and greeted him.
The gentleman, prepared for war, hard.
ened his heart against an appeal for mer-
cy, and thought of his wife. To bis as
constituent, the head of the firm. ad-
dressing one Of the paying cashiers,
requested him to attend to the individual
in question, directly adding: PLENTY of
money, my dear sr.-plenty in the eel
lars no Inconvenience in the world ~
an assumption of unconcern which so
operated upon the mind of the client,
that he bowel himself out, preferring to
encounter a curtain lecture to stultifying
his own judgment as to the stability of
the firm of Overplus & Co. Still the
inconvenience and anxiety to the part
ners was almost lntolerable; and as day
after day passed, and Sir Anthony gave
no sign, whilst, to the chagrin and NOR
tification of Harley, the cash which would
have instantly relieved them of all trou.
BILE was lying untouched in the Golfers,
that gentleman vented his spleen upon
the unft rtunate Scotchman. leading him
such life of misery as only the con-
sciousness of rectitude, and perhaps
the desire of triumph over his adversary,
could alone have enabled him to sustain
But Harley seemed to have taken per
sonal view Of the matter; the true rea
son of his bitterness against McAdam
being the Difference pail to his story by
the head of the firm, and the adoption
by that sagacious veteran of an antago-
nistic line Of policy. So far had Harley
carried this feeling, that on several oc-
casions of pressing danger he had bold
ly advocated the appropriation of por-
ton of the baronet's deposit to meet the
emergency; but in vain; his coadjutor
remained firm and even Ferguson
expressed doubt as to the ACCESSIBILITY
of meddIing with the money until the
appointed time had expired. Such was
the state of affairs on the morning OF
the eventful day which was to decide the
future of McAdam. The partners were
were assembled in solemn conclave, ready
to pass sentence on the culprit, or to con.
graduate themselves on an escape from
certain destruction. Ha, hal" laughed
Harley, mockingly, "that young scoun-
drel has been playing adeep game, de-
- 4 ...o. "a N r,xy lifa I bol;ayo th a