The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1869-10-01
erm NE NV Nmk M,t,me.
A Cnsc Of Conscience,
ny Ana Wl;oRul..

Olu> WClt,estnUllShGu hNNsCS were
falling nll arrund; no wonder then
ellAt tho smaller concerns were tait.
ly swallowed up IN the crashes 20
ing Oh ia the busincss.worll. No
wonder that Harry Tyndall sat in
his office gazing with pale face aud
dcspairing eyes at the spectre Ruin,
which stared ut him from no great
distance. lie had wcatlcred the
storms Of three brief years hc had
soon hoped to weather this; but
the loss Of thousand dollars held
by friend deprived him of the
means Of making payment due
In three days, and he felt that all
was indeed lost, for his efforts to
negotiate q loan in the present
state of the money market had
been worse than useless.
The prospect before him was not
cheering ore. It is rather hard
to begin life over again at thirty,
especially when one has reached
that age after years Of poverty, toi!
and selfcXcrticn. In his younger
days, Larry Tyndall had known
what it WAS to go surlcrlcss to bed,
and rise in the mornii,, with no
prospect Of breakfas; save as he
earned it in tho streets. lie had
known want in the cruclcst, most
savage form-he had battlcl its
grim lcgions, and risen to indcpen-
dence, and now, at the threshold of
a higher life, he was hurled back
with just glimpse Of the cnchant-
cd grounds within.
AS he sat confronting the heap
of papers on his desk, the Office
door opened, and a lady entered.
Mechanically Harry rose and pla-
ccd chair; but as the lady threw
back her veil, he exclaimed, in sur
prise:
"Miss Berwick !"
"pardon my intrusion, Mr.. Tyn-
dall," said the most musical of
voices. 81 have been on the upper
floor looking for the Office of Graves
4 Wallron, and was told that they
were on this floor. I wish to give
Mr.. Waldrou this package. May !
I ask you to deliver it? I will re-
main hero. Of all things I dislike
to lose myself i'll these dark halls
hunting for Offices"
Harry took tho packages with
alacrity-was gone but a moment,
and on his return found Miss Bcr-
wick standing by the window idly
looking down the street. She turn
cd at his entrance, thanked him
with smile and a bow, and then
took her bright presence out of til e
room, and Harry was left to his
mcdita,ions.
Il may rs we'll give it up. I have
not a friend who could help me in
this strait" he muttcrcd, after a
half-hour's deep thought. 81 will
make an assignment, 60 into bank
ruptcy, and then go to the far
West whore toll is better rcquited.
And as he spoke, he rose to his
feet, his eyes falling. lie was
vaguely conccious of some dark
object at his feet, stopped carclessly
to lift it, and saw that it was
pocket-book. Leather and rather
tho worse for wear; but very pie
(thoric. He sat down again and
opened it. There were various
compartments, but all of them emp.
ty save one. That contained ten
onc-hundred dollar bills.
just. the sum that would save
him from ruin. If it were his he
could pay that note falling due,
sell, off his stock and seek a situa-
stion until the panic were past!
He looked the pocket-book again.
There was no namo, no clue to the
Owner, yet he felt that it must of
course, belong to Clara Berwick.
sbe; was the only. person who bad
been in his Office that morning,
1t was.a terrible temptation to Har-
ry.' Had his visitor boon any other
than Clara Berwick, it is hard to
say whether conscience or inclina-
ton would have prevailed; as it
was, conscience won the day, and
he started out after Miss Berwick.
She was not to he found, howev-
er' 'sd Harry concluded she had
gone ho'ae. So thither he bent
.! n's y, 'rteps7 sslara was an heiress,
ana something IS, .e.a belle too. She
, was not c'assica& beautiful. but
, siae'was young Ja booa sa' Sa'
ure, clear complexion, .anl ora ),
eyes, and very abundanNa;ss s'a ~,
Il l.. I.