Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-07-06
JOSEPH YATES TEMPTA AT1oM

deposit money all right2 Fliteen min
utes to closing"
Twenty y-five," said Joseph Yates, look
ing up at the dusty old clock, that never
varied five minutes the year round. And
here il is in four packages"
Peter Gale ran il over briefly. Yates
could not tell why, but these were always
times OF trial for him. If he should make
a mistake some day And it always SEEM
ed as if Gale suspected him Of keeping
something back.
A hard, sharp, shrewd man was Peter
Gale, though there wasn't firm in the
city that stood higher than that of Gale &
Co. Mr.. Fielding, the company, Travelled
the greater part Of The time, and Gale man
aged the indoors affairs.
1t was all right. Gale gave brusque
nod.
"There's !hose invoices must he made
out tonight"
"Yes SIR"
"Tbere's no sense in such an endless
string of holidays, that stop business and
get men into lazy habits"
Yates glanced at the clock again. Per-
baps the master understood the hint for he
we nj of grumbling, and the man was leil
wit good half days work before him
on Saturday, as well, everything must be
ready for morning.
He was rapid and true accountant. Pc
ter Gale knew his value well. lie felt that
he was worth higher salary, but business
had not been over brisk for the year or
two, although "old Gale" was making mon
ey East enough.
Something nuttered down to the floor.
Why, what is thisH Barton Cassey's check
for one hundred pounds. Yates struck his
hand to his forehead in terror. How had
he forgotten it?
Right in the press of business an hour
ago Casey had rushed in on his way TO the
railway.
"Pm off TO Ireland" he exclaimed
"and though that bill doesn't fall due till
the second of January I'd rather take IL up
now aud have 1t of my mind. Here, re-
celpt this, Yates. Quick as lightning,
man."
He had lIid it aside TO explain TO Mr..
Gale. Then in the hurry OF making up
the deposit it had slipped out Of his mind.
He was tired out mentally and physical
ly. Every nerve had been stretched and
strained. The days work was hard
enough, but 10 do two in one was doubly
severe. So his thoughts were slow and
half-terrified as ho stood a moment think
ing what had better be done. To confess
his negligence would be to almost ruin
him in Gales estimation. And just when
he needed 10 ask a favor, too!
He went on with his figures, trying TO
think of plausible way out of the diff
Guilty, but Gale returned and night was
coming on. He slipped the check into his
pocket; there was no entry made of it in
the days ledger. He must trust TO luck to
make it right on Monday.
Gale went around in his stealthy, suspi-
cious fashion. Yates balanced his long
lists, made entries, sorted papers. His
master chuckled little at his slaves ra-
pidity. 1t would have taken him a week
to get through with that amount of work
correctly. He stood with the safe door
open waiting for the books.
Joseph Yates had meant to get the check
in the safe somehow. a cold peTspiration
broke out on his forehead, for it now hung.
over him like a horror. The door shut
with its sharp, mysterious click. Yates
reached for his oyercoat, fumbled awk-
wardly, then turned.
"Mr. Gale"
"What now," was the gruf rejoinder.
"Mr. Gale" and Yates cleared his
throat-"I wanted to ask il you could-or
would-sdvance me a trifle from my
months salary"
His eyes were downcast now, and the
lines around the mouth twitched nervous
ly under the soft, brown mustache. He
had d,nerved himself to ask the favor for the
sake of his wife and children. For him
self-well, he would have starved sooner.
81 don't do those things, Yates, and you
know it. 1 pay man fairly when his
work is done, and not day before, and l
never ask any man TO pay me until my
money is due. l know you want it for
some stupid nonsense, but poor men like
you had better save their money. This
holiday business is bad for poor men like
you"
He clipped Off every word just as a chis-
ell cuts bars Of steel or iron with a merci-
less thud.
Yates turned without another word.
outside the street lamps were burning dim
ly. The storm was just beginning-fine
slee that blew out of the clouds in spiteful
gusts. He pulled his coat collar over his
ears, for the bitter wind nipped them, and
almost flayed the skin on his cheeks where
the curling beard did not keep him warm.
He went stumbling along, thinking. What
| had he done that misfortune should follow
him, while such man as Gale, who wrung
the life blood out of his fellow creatures,
prospered and boarded their wealth. Gale
without child in the world, and he long
ing for crown to buy his little ones some
gin. oh, what cruel straits there are in his
life What narrow pitiless souls to make
them severer still Was there any truth
in his boyhood's lessons, in his manhood's
beliefs? He had never turned his face
! from any poor man he had been so glad TO
help one and another to send gins this fes-
tive season. Was there any heaven that
took these things into accountH Was there
on this earth "good will to menf"
He was not congratulatng himself upon
his past good deeds. His mood was too
faithless aud bitter just now, and he had
done his from the delight of giving pleas
ure rather than settled principles. For ten
wears he had been a happy and PHOSPHORUS