Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1871-08-12

Alac, It's IAluOIniess ueepdlTs.
Yet dreams, vague dreams they seem TO me,
On these clear heights Of liberty,
These submits Of serene desire
Whence Love ascends, quenchless fire,
And sweet Faith ever leads me higher
To pearly paths OF perfect peace!
CASE OF CONSCIENCE.
1t was the hardest of hard times.
Old well-established houses were
failing all around. No wonder that
the smaller concerns were fairly
swallowed up in the crashes going
OF in the business world. No won
der that Harry Tyndall, young city
merchant, sat in his office gazing
with despairing eyes at the spectre
great distance. He had weathered
the storms of three brief years-he
had soon hoped to weather this, but
the loss of a thousand pounds held
by a friend deprived him of the
means of making q payment due in
three days, and he felt that all was
indeed lost, for his efforts to nego-
tiate loan in the present state of
]
than useless.
The prospect before him was not
a cheerful one. 1t is rather hard to
begin life over again at thirty, espe-
cially when one has reached that age
after years of poverty, toll and self
exertion. In his younger days, Har-
ry Tyndall had known want in its
cruelest, most savage form; he had
battled its grim legions and risen 20
independence and now, at the
threshold of a higher life, he was
hurled back, with just a glimpse of
the enchanted grounds within.
AS he sat confronting the heap of
papers on his desk, the Office door
opened and lady entered. Mechan-
| ically Harry rose and placed a chair
but as tho lady threw back her vail,
he exclaimed in surprise: "Miss
Berwick"
| "Pardon my intrusion, Mr.. Tyn-
DALI" said the most musical of
voices. "I have been ON the upper
floor looking for the Office of Graves
& Waldron, and was told they were
on this floor. l wish to give Mr..
WaIdron this package. May 1 ask
you to deliver it !? l will remain
here. OF all things dislike to lose
myself in these dark passages hunt
ing for Offices"
Harry took the package with alac-
rity-was gone but moment, and
on his return found Miss Berwick
standing by the window idly looking
down the street. She turned at his
entrance, thanked him with smile
and bow, and then took her bright
presence out of the room, and Harry
was left to his meditations.
az may just as well give it up. !
have not friend who could help me
in this strait" he uttered after half
an hours deep thought. al will
make sn assignment or go into bank
ruptcy, and then depart for Ameri-
ca, where toll is better rsquited."
And as he spoke he rose to his
feet, his eyes falling on the floor.
He was vaguely conscious of some
dark object at his feet, stopped care
lessly to lift it, and saw that it was
a Observation-Disclosures, and rather
the worse for wear, but was very
plethoric. He sat down again and
opened it. There were various COM
partments, but all of them empty
save one. That one contained just
ten one-hundred-pound notes.
Just the sum that would save him
from ruin. II il were his he could
pay that bill falling due, sell off his
stock, and seek situation until the
panic was past
He looked the pocket-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 terrible temptation to Har-
ry. Had his visitor been any other
than Clara Berwick it is hard 50 say
whether conscience or inclination
would have prevailed as it was,
conscience won the day, and he
started out after Miss Berwick.
She was net TO be found, however;
and Harry concluded she had gone
home. So thither he bent his steps.
Clara was an heiress and something
of a belle, too. She was not classic
ally beautiful, but she was young,
and had a good figure, clear COM
plexion, frank grey 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 Har-
rvs double knock, and looked quite
surprised, though she endeavored to
conceal it.
When Harry showed her the pock-
et-book she looked at it attentiYely,
and laughed a merry peal of laugh
| ter.
Why, Mr.. Tyndall," she cried,
"you must think have poor taste,
to own such purse as that. See,
that is my pocket-book )" and she
drew out a dainty purple velvet
purse, to which was appended gold
| chain.
to-day save you"
"Indeedl The pocket-book is
certainly not mines" she responded
very earnestly.
"What shall / do with it /? ," said
Harry, in perpleXity.
I" Why keep it, of course" re-
| sponded Miss Berwick, with bright
smile; and she seated herself upon
the sofa and began a discourse on
| something else.
She and Harry had often met in
society, but he had never called up
on her before, and when he rose
from his chair to go, she said:
% Really, Mr.. Tyndall, l ought to be
grateful to the owner of that pock-
et-book, since it gained me the
pleasure of call. May l kope that
You will repeat it some time when
you have no stray articles to dispose
off"
Harry blushed, murmured some
thing about the pleasure all being
on his side, and hurried away.
"Oh DEAR" he said to himself,
''she actually believes that trumped
up that story of the pocket-book for
an excuse to call on her. Wealth
privileges her to be impertinent.
But oh, if only dared to use iti
/ And Just the amount, too! But l
must advertise it,"
Harry Tyndan did not advertise
the lost pocket-boek, and when,
three days later, his bill fell due, lie
paid il, and was a free man.
| 1t is not necessary to recount the
successive steps in temptation
finally led to the first dishonest act
of hitherto spotless life. How the
pocket-book came there he could
not even guess, But it was there
I - inst cunnTia1 his nacI- - ,,,....-