The Grange advance., 1876-02-23

as# n & A CONFESSION. :snls
mo more doctors,'' J, Whispered thu
sick man; "they cannot cure me. Send
for clergyman and . lawyer. It is all
over now and better SO life is but ,
long fever. Perhaps he will sleep now,
and let ME sleep too. Yes. killed him.
Why, | will tell you. Give me some
wine.'' .....
''What i said at the inquest about ow.
ing my worldly prosperity to him was
true. l trace my pecuniary success 70
Mr.. Elmsdale: but ] trace also hours,
and years Of anguish to his agency My
God the nights that man has made me
spend when he was living, the nights l
have spent in consequence of his
dcath-"
He stopped. He had mentally gone
back over long journey. He was re.
tracing the road he had travelled, from
youth to old age. For he was old; if not
in years, in sorrow. Lying on his death
bed, he understood for what q game he
had burnt his candle to the socket; com.
pretended how the agony, and the sus.
pense, aud the suffering, and the long,
long fever of life, which with him never
knew remittent moment, had robbed
him of that every man has right to ex.
pect. some pleasure in the course Of his
existence.
''When l first met Elmsdale." he went
on, II was young man, and an ambi-
tious one. ~Ilwas clerk in,the city. l had
been married q couple of years to wife
Iloved dearly. She was possessed Of onlv
small dot; and after furnishing our
house, and paying all the expenses Incl.
dent on the coming Of a first child, we
thought ourselves fortunate in knowing
that there was still deposit standing
in our name at the Joint.stock Bank for
something over f200.
''Nevertheless was anxious. So far,
We had lived within our income; but
with an annual advance Of salary only
amounting to ten pounds or thercabouts,
l did not see how We were to manage
when more children came, particularly
as the cost Of living increased day by day.
1t was dear year that of which I am
speaking.
II do not precisely remember on what
occasion it was that I first saw Mr.. Elms.
dale; but knew afterwards he picked
me out as person likely to be useful to
him.
'He was on good terms with my EN-.
ployers, and asked them to allow me to
bid for some houses he wanted to pur.
chase at sale.
|'To this hour I do not know why he
did not bid for himself. He gave me a
five pound note for my services and that
was the beginning Of our connection. Off
and on, I did many things for him Of ono
sort or another, and made a rather nice
addition to my salary out Of doing them,
till the devil, or he, or both, put it into
my head to start as builder and speculat-
or OH my own account.
I did not answer, I only moistened his
parched lips, and bathed his burning fore
head as tenderly as my unaccostomed
hands understood how to perform such
Offices.
lift me q little, please" he said; and
put the pillows in position as deftly as I
could.
''You are not bad fellow, he remark.
ed, "but l am not going to leave you any.
thing.'
''God forbid!' 1 said involuntarily.
II had two hundred pounds and my
furniture; that was the whole of my cap
ital; but Mr.. Elmsdale found me money.
l thought my fortune was made the day
he advanced me my first five hundred
pounds. If l had known-if had
known"
"Don't talk any more," I entreated.
"What can it avail to speak of such mat.
rers now!''
He turned towards me impatiently.
mot talk!' he repeated, ''when for
years I have been as one dumb, and at
length the string of my tongue is loosen
ed! Not talk, when, If I keep silent now,
he will haunt me in eternity, as he has
haunted me in time!''
care you not in want of money!" he
asked.
''Not of yours,'' answered.
''Mine, he said; ''it is not mine. lit is
his. He thought a great deal of money,
and he has come back for it. He can't
rest, and he won't let me rest till I have
paid him principal and interest--com-
pound interest. Yes-well, l am able
to do even that
We sat silent for a few moments, then
he spoke again..
"When | first went into BUSINESS with
my borrowed capital, nothing I touched
really succeeded: found myself going
back-back. Far better was my position
as clerk; then at least slept sound
at nights, and relished my meals. But
l had tasted of so.called independence,
and could net 90 back to be al the