The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1868-10-02

Nurve IN tI Gn-gin-l mean genius,
not paironised rs Il should he. Look q
mo. What keeps me down? I've had ex
pericnce enough; ] know my business
there's not another nHn in the compan,
that can beat mo at versatility. I've playe'
Jeromy Diddler, Romeo, aud Long Ton
Cofin in ono bill. I'm not o fool. What
then, keeps me hack? III tell you, L.
combinations. It's professional jealousy
It's cliques That's what il is, my boy"
1Yet you have done well in your time,
I urged "for example, you married well1'
Mr. wyldc shook his head monrnfully.
VI married, sir, a lady Of family. Sh'
was not clever, hut I waived that. Sh'
frightened my homo for q spoil but she j
conc. Afler lifs's fiifnl fever she sleep'
we'll"
Sand your wifss family"
my wifes family, sir" broke out Wyld'
wra,hlully, "are not to be mentioned b!
ffiends Of wine. "A set OF curmudscons-
nm ungratefil brood. Why, they arc base
common, and popular"
"Did they never recognize your nbili'
ties!"
"Never. A set Of arrogant, stnck.up
conceited-but there. Pah!"
"lt's said" ] remarked conf.lcntially-
"i'ts said in legal circles (you know how
rimos get about among us lawyers) thai
after your wiies death her father came
down with something solid"
"k's lie, then," returned Mr.. Wylde
conciscly.
"Did you ever get a remittance from him
VnnR mr. vanR aTrI m Inn m
''Renitiancc, egad! I'd like to see the
Il wasn't Tor the want of asking, though.
by Jupiter, tried all knew, hut the old
flint was not to he come over."
~Then the rumor about your getting five
hundred pounds was false?"
"False Us"
81 thought so," was my reply; ] never
gave Il any credence myself. Good night,
wylde, think you've been badly nsed
bur never mind, your peculiar talents will
find their due yet"
The eminent gentleman had further
Of blasphemy. bide him farewell, and
went my wny, thoroughly convinced ol
what ! had guessed all along, that he had
never received the moneys worth Of Num-
Der 07,4S2.
Next morning wrote an urgent letter 10
Kate, pruying her to meet mo in quiet
city square ut one o'clock telling her brief
" thar had u wny by which could prob
ably benefit her father and herself, and on
which wished to confer with her. This
letter dispatched by hand. In the office
! took no notice Of either Murion or Gra.
ham, but went about my duties quietly.
On their parts they werc equally reserved,
and nothing Of importance ;ranspircd until
dinncr-tme. Then I slipped out, and
went to tho place Of rendezvous to meet
Kate.
] found her waiting for me, troubled but
possessed. We took a turn round the
square. and besought her, in as few and
forcihlo worls rs could command, to tell
me tho story OF her fathers implication
with tho bank.notc business. and the extent
TO winch he was committed to Murtioh.
told her that had the means Of freeipg
him from any pccuniary liability under
which he had fallen; but, before putting
into operation the means at my command
must know how he stood, and what wns
the danger threatening him. ] urged thnt
my love for her gave inc the right to ask
this, and that the same love was the guar
nntec that would only use the knowledge
for her fathers good.
After some hesitation, and exacting many
promises. she told ne with such reluctance
as was natural to a pure and loving girl
forced to acknowledge fathers guilt. The
story dated eighteen months back from the
day on which Thos Longbrace. esquire, ,a''-
thorized Messers. Butler and Clark to pay
Wylde five hundred pounds. On that day
il was national fcsliviiy, and tho office
was TO be closed early. Murdon, the
cashier, wishing to get away Tor private
engagement, had handed bank.note tor
five hundred pounds to the oldest clerk,
Graham, with memorandum OF Wyldes
address, and directions 10 pay tho money
to him personally, and obtain his receipt
for IL on printed form which the firm kept
for payments generally the words being
aided IN writing, "in discharge OF oil
claims" This bank.note had lain on Gra-
hams desk until the clerks were preparing
to leave The office. The old clerk had just
recovered from nervous attack TO which
he was subject, and which, as Kate said,
was wont to impair his memory. The bus
tie Of preparing for the half holiday, super
added to the feeblencss Of hls mental pow.
ers consequent on this illness, had caused
him utterly to forget his commission. The
bank note had been tossed aside, and had
apparently fallen into the waste paper bask-
ct close to his desk. At three o'clock the
gas was turned of (there had been dense
log oil day In The city necessitaiing lightsG
and the clerks emerged in high spirits ut
their release, Graham accompanying inc
rest. On tha stairs one OF them asked Tor
n light for his pipe; but nobody had
matches. Old Graham good.n .naturediy
volunteered to 70 back and get a bit OF pa
pcr, 20 that tho clerk could light his pipe Al
gas.buTner on the stair case lower down
and making his wny back into the Once,
he found In the yellow obscurity the waste.
paper basket, and twisted into a pipe light
the first biz Of tissue. paper that came TO
hand. The clerk liz his pipe, and playful.
" thrust the cxtinguished bit Of paper. In.
10 Grsha,n's q face. The old clerk received
il in his hand, unconsciously retained It.
walked Few yards homeward still hold.
ing il, and then, wondering what he wni
carving, opened out the folds To his dis
NAV, he found in the charred fragments oI
,iss,,e-paper, a corner Of the bank.nOt'
which he now remembered he ought te
have paid away to William Wylde!
Tho shock Of the discovery paralyzet
him, and when sense returned hc .aw him
self in Imagination ruined man. discharg
ed from his situation ifnot prosecuted by
his employers, and turned. with his daugh
ter Kais, into the streets. for the uife o
rent no owed. lie hal always been ner
o,,s man, . moral coward and his fear o
consequences made him blindly excep. th'
one dangerous loophole Of c.cnpe offsrct
to him. lie had not the courage to con
fees his negligence and throw himself OF
tho mercy Of the firm he took fatal step
and from carelessness passed into crime
Amer much bewildcrrd cogiintiou with
himself (tor Kate new nothing Of his mis-
fortune until long aites). he decided upor
pretending to have paid the money to vii