The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1871-11-02
The Successful Speculation.

The Successful Speculation.
The following story, which was related
to me by a gentleman in England, some
| few years ago, tends to prove that though
wrong doing may sometimes, for while,
| be successful, yet truth and honesty are
| the only true paths to ultimate success
and happiness in life.
1t was ten o'clock on 4 bright summer
morning, in one of the early years of the
| present century, when Il young man,
whose name may state was Frank John
son, entered the counting house of Messrs.
| Smith, Green & Co, in Lombard street,
which is the Wall street of London.
| Messrs. Smith & Green carried on trade
as private bankers and general commits
| sion agents. Some of their transactions
rendered it necessary for them to keep
ready at hand in cash, considerable
sum-over, | believe, flo O00-that is
S5O,000, at par.
| This money, in gold and notes, was
| placed in a large iron safe in a back
office. The safe was guarded at night by
an old soldier, who acted as watch:nan,
and it had two keys and two locks of diff
| ferent construction, and each of these was
entrusted to confidential clerk. whose
character had been severely tested. No
money could be taken from the sale with
out the concurrence Of both Of the clerks,
who were Il check upon each others
honesty. The partners had duplicates of
the keys, tor their own convenience.
Having thus far explained, | will beg
my readers to enter the office with young
Frank johnson. Early as it was, he found
some one there before him. Seated at a
desk was young clerk named Robert
| Brown, and he had only Just entered, as
the office was opened little while before.
Frank johnson was about to address
him, when the young man started, as for
the first time he noticed any one was near
and exclaimed, with great astonishment
" Good gracious, cousin who would
have expected to see you here? Why, [
thought you were down in Northampton"
$50 was, Robert replied Frank;
''but my father was anxious for me to get
into Il better place than | had there, and
as my mother is related to Mr.. Green, she
wrote to him, and he said he knew of some
| one in London who wanted responsible
clerk. 50, after q good deal of fuss, and
my father had agreed to become security
Tor lot OF money-as, you see, he is pretty
well off now-it turned out the somebody
was Mr.. Green's own self, and the place
here. But it's very strange, for though
we knew you were in London, we none
of US dreamed you were with mothers
| own cousin
at is odd" Robert answered slowly, as
if thinking carefully of something's and
then he added 'sit's more than odd. I'm
glad you came early, for now | can put
you up to something for your own good
Be attentive. or very likely You'll have to
20 back home this very day. You see
this key you see that safe? Now, in
that safe is very large sum of money,
papers OF great value, and plate and
Jewels belonging TO French emigrants
who are waiting for Wellington to lick
Boney before they can go back to France.
And in the safe Is large sum for daily
| use. Over that safe you see there are
several loaded pistols, ready for defence
| in case any one broke in suddenly. The
money | spoke of is in sole charge of two
clerks, who have to give a large security
and all that and every Friday they have
to give an account of the money to the
utmost farthing. Each one has a key
you see there are two locks--and they
| cannot be opened unless both clerks are
present. That is to prevent dishonesty
IN either Of the clerks, Tor you see, now
| the wars going on, one might be tempted
! to run off with the money, and could do
| so. There is my key. | am one clerk,
and as young Smith, the partners son--a
fellow about your age-has Just become
Junior partner, suspect that you are to
| be the other clerk and to have the other
! key"
"Well, but, said Frank, very much puz-
zled. 81 don't see what all this has to do
with my not suiting You surely don't
suppose | look as if should bolt with the
| money!"
at has very great deal to do with
you" his cousin answered. "The folks
here are, of course, very particular. They
have no idea that we are relatives Re-
lations would be more likely to be much
together, friendly and all that, and there
fore more likely to yield to one another,
if one of them got into trouble, and wished
to rob- or as he would say, borrow from
the firm. Now, there is no other place
vacant here. and | feel sure that if they
learn that we are related it will be all up
| with YOU So if You really want to come,
say nothing about relationship"
Frank said nothing for few moments
'HiiN tiSiA, U ttHQ GttSlIJ lCu,
he looked up, and said:
''Thank you, cousin; | will do as YOU
saw"
Soon after this the other clerks came in
| and began their several occupations, Tor
the office was before long thronged with
people on business.
| About eleven, Mr.. Green came down
| in his own carriage, and soon after him
the two Smiths-father and son.
Frank said nothing of his cousinship to
Robert when he was called into the private
office before the partners, and so, all
being satisfactory, he was duly installed,
and had the other key put into his posses
sion, with suitable Instructions as to its
safe custody. I need not say that the i'm
portance of the trust hung heavily on his
mind.
There was one young man. name Ell
wood, to whom both the cousins took
great dislike He was in their own de-
partment, but they never got on we'll
| together. They could not alege anything
against him except that he thought too
much of himself; and he, for his part,
| said they were too giddy. He had been
unable to provide the necessary security,
or else the partners had considered him
not smart enough for the post, for when
the vacancy already spoken of occurred,
his pretentions had been passed over, and
Frank johnson was appointed. Naturally,
he took this much to heart, and it soured
him, while he was constantly on the look
out for faults in them, although their dis
covery did not profit him. do not iusti-
fly him in this, although he was faithful
servant to his employers, nor do justify
| the petty relations Of the vounp clerks
But the time came when EllwQod was
able to take most terrible revenge for
all his real or fancied wrongs.
Several months passed on, and the
young clerks continued to give the great
est satisfaction to their employers. But
those were times of great anxiety and
great speculation. 'Napoleon's threatened
invasion of England caused the greatest