Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1870-12-03
#isttllauu.
CASE or CONSCIENCE.

falling all around; no wonder that
the smaller conCerns were fairly sWal.
lowed up in the crashes going ON in
The business world. No wonder thlt
Harry Tyndall, a Young civ mer-
chant sat in his Office gazing with
pale face and despairing eyes al lie
spectre ruin, which stared al him
IRON no great III, lrr. tie lad
wcathered the storm. Of lMee brief
ycars--he had soon hoped to weather
ms, but the loss ola thousand pounds
held by a 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
a loan in the present state Of the mon.
ey market had been worse than use
less
The prospect before him was not
cheering one. 1t It's rather hard 10 be-
gin life over again at thirty, especial
y when one has reached that age af-
ter years Of poverty, toll, and self
eXertion. In his younger DAYS, IIar.
ry Iyndall had known want in lis
cruelest, most savage lorm--hc had
baLtlcd its grim lcgiSns, and risen to
independence and now, at the thres-
hold of q higher life, he was hurled
back with just glimpse Of the en-
chanted grounds within.
As he sat confronting the heap Of
papers Oh his desk, the office door
opened, and a lady entered. Mechan-
ically Harry rose and placed chair
but as tie lady threw back her veil,
he exclaimed in surprise, miss Bcr-
wick Y
Pardon my intrusion, Mr.. TyndalI'
said the most musical Of voices.
have been on the upper floor, look,
ing for the Offices of Graves and Wal
dron, and was told that they were on
this floor, | wish to give Mr.. Wal
dron this package. MAY ask you.
to deliver il? | will remain here. OF
all things dislike to lose myself in
these dark passages hunting for of.
fees
Harry TODD the package with alac-
rty--was gone but moment, and OH
his return found Miss Barwick stand
iug by the window, idly looking
down the street. She turned at his
entrance, thanked him with a smile
and q bow, and then took her bright
presence out of the room; and Harry
was left to his meditations.
i may as we'll give il up. J have
not friend who could help Inc III this
strait, he muttercd, after a half hours
deep thought. Il will make an as
signment, or go into bankruptcy, and
then depart for America, where toll
is better requitted,'
And as he spoke, he rose to his feet,
his eyes falling on the floor. He was
vaguely conscious of some dark OBJ
ject at his feet, stopped carelessly to
lift il, and saw that ii was q pocket
book-leather, and rather the worse
for wear, but very plcthoric. lie sat
down again, and opened it. There
were various compartments, but all Of
them empty save one. That contain
ell ten one hundred pound notes.
/ Just the sum that would save HIN
from ruin. Fit were his, he could
pay the bill falling due, sell off his
/ stock, aud seek Il situation until the
( panic were past
/ He looked the pockct.book over
again. There was no clue to the
owner; yet he felt convinced that it
must OF course, belong to Clara Ber-
wick. She was the only person who
had been in his Office that morning.
/ 1t was a horrible temptation of Harry.
Had his visitor been any other than
Clara Berwick, it is hard to say
whether conscience or inclination
would have prevailed as il was, con-
science won the day, and he started
out after Miss Berwick.
She was not to be found, however;
and Harry concluded she had gone
home. So thither he bent his steps.
/ Clara was an heiress, and something
of belle too. She wasnot classically
beautiful, but she was Young and had
good figure, clear complexion, frank
gray eyes, and very abundant hair ;
all of which good points she made
the most of, as every daughter of
/ Eve is bound TO do. She came
down in response to Harry's double
knock, and looked quite surprised,
though She endeavored to conceal it.
When Harry showed her the pock-
et-bool,, she looked at it attehtiyely,
/ and laughed a merry peal of laughter.
why, Mr.. Tyndall, she cried, you
must think | have poor taste to own
such purse as that, see that Is my
pochet- book : and she drew out a
dainty purple velvet purse, 10 which
was appended agold chain,
But no one has been 10 my office
to-day save YOU.
Indeed! The pOcAet-book is ccr-
tainly not mine She responded very
earnestly.
Whist shall do with il :; said liar-
ry, in perplcXity
Why, Keep ii, ol courac, respond
ed Miss Berwick, with bright smile :;
and she seated herself upon the sofa,
and began to discourse Of something
else.
She and Harry had Clten met III So
ciety but he had never called upon
lcr before, and when he rose from
his chairto 90 she said:
Really, Mr.. Tyndall, | ought to be
grateful TO the owner Of 'hat pocket
book, since it gained me the pleasure
of q call. May ] hope thai YOU will
repeat il some time when you have
no stray articles to dispose of?
Harry, blushed, murmurcd some
thing about the pleasure being on his
side, and hurried away,
%, dear he said to himself, she
actually believes that | trumped up
that story of the pockct-book for an
excuse to call on her. Wealth priyi-
lcges her to be impertinenl. But oh,