Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-12-28

hc WIS lolu tllhl lnOuBn HIS own creult was
good, the bank had made a rule that an en-
dorsement wouldi be required in all cases.
The President whom he had seen said as a
suggestion Get Mr.. Is name on the
back, meaning his friend, and we viii take
it,"
but he will not be back for three days"
he replied. "Hc would give it to me then,
most assuredly."
"Then you had b ,tter wait"
Il cannot, " and with these words he hur-
ried away. lie knew very well he could not
wait three days that he could not wait until
his friend came back But somehow or other
he must get over these three days. He could
get a note discounted Mt the bank after his
friends return, but how meet the immediate
difficulty He went back to his office The
uppermost thought in his mind was II must
get those bonds back Mt once" Then he
thought of his friends name as n security.
II am accepted, he reasoned. because the
people know my friend will back me- He
would back me just the same if his name were
not on my paper, but the bank Of course re-
quires that. They won't take my word for it.
lt.is mere form, any way, something by
which they can hold us both. They simply
want to protect themselves. Well they do It
when they hnye my name and his. I'll pro-
tect him. | tell them that he'll back me, and
| tell them so by writing his name on my
uclv."
Accordingly he tore up the note and wrote
new one, dating It a month previous. and
initiating his friends name on the back us in
dorser The question then arose how he
could offer this to the bank when he had Just
told the Presid ut that his friend was away.
He had anti dated the note to get over the
difficulty, but he saw at once that it would be
absurd for him TO assume that he had returned
IN hi. MI .uJIa,,1.. tI;.
note Moreover, his friend was well known
Mt the bank, and the matter might be men
toned. The circumstances were peculiar,
and he resolved to take n step which was very
disagreoable to him, but apparently unavoida-
BILE. He would go to one of the bill brokers
on the street and get the note shaved He
had n slight acquaintance with one of the least
unpleasant of these men, and he went to him.
He assumed n tone of frankness.
Mr. Roberts, he said Il use a fictitious
name), 1 have never had any direct dealings
with You, and ] should not come now, as you
probably know, but | have a special reason.
My bank has given me good deal of accom-
modation, and shall have TO ask for more
shortly they have been very obliging and
wish naturally to stand well with them. Now.
| want to raise a matter of II 900 for n week
or so only. and Just to tide over a sudden call
and l would rather make a special provision.
Can you favor me : | suppose your rates are
little higher, but that have considered
Mr. Roberts gave little laugh and took
the note in his hand. He turned il over and
looked at the Endorsement. He went to gas
light. for the Office was rather dark. and
looked at it again At that moment the writ
er of the note had an instructive belief that he
was detected He was obliged to steady HIM
self by the desk. Mr.. Roberts looked up.
' Fifteen per cent. he said.
That's pretty high tune. but I'm not
going to make the rounds for this. III do it,
Nothing more was said. The money passed
into his hands and he left the note with Rob
erts He hurried of and redeemed his friends
bonds, returning them to the safe in the same
condition in which he found them with n
Thank God, that is done. There remained
now this note. His friend returned in three
days. and readily lent his name to the indorse-
ment Of a note, which he offered at the bank
The note was accepted and with the proceeds
he took up the forged note which he had left
with Roberts. The forged note . Only after
he had thus covered the two transactions did
he think of that word and dare to say it to
himself. Under the pressure Of the few days
which had covered the whole transaction he
had been too intensely absorbed in one
thought, the recovery of his position, to sit
down at all and think of the matter The re-
lease brought him an unspeakable lightness of
heart. just at this time also, n successful
venture brought him quick returns in a short
time he was on his feet again, and i'll his sub
sequent business was never again subjected
to a like strain. Riches came to him he was
prosperous and had unimpaircd credit. Add
to this that few weeks later Roberts died.
r., -, -. 81 IL, 80 -!
- =. -. ~. - 'ii -. l;i1
-; g. - -. -, 80;
n7,t ,,iaH H. oT,,, ~ ~ ~ trao.9ot;o,,
Ill H., -l9 -, ~, y, - '--o
WI 80. reJd,i,,,;, i,,l,,, g ,,,i.,,,,,,
,,;,1, h;a -, ',;,,! . I,r;i
l., III o, Ir.ost - - 10 fsaI otbar 10,
thankful as he saw other men fall into the
same snare and without n like GOOD fortune.
Yet tbe man was like A dvspeptic He car.
ri.d tbis load about with him and could oct
no relief often and often he was ready TO
declare that his misery was greater than that
of men who done the same wrong and had
been discovered His friend treated him with
the old frnnkuass but he never couId receive
1T simnlv. every expression Of trust was like
n stob The excus4s and nnlliotives which he
had used ot first were utterly e,npty to him
now and If he repeot.d them To himself tbev
seemed the yeriest mockeries.
..Tf he could only he susnectod be some
times thonobt there would he some relief
but to have no one suspect him to be spoken
of os unriobt made him utterly loathe him.
self Refore Roberts died IN. man had a
certain fascination for him. He was afraid of
him, yet he used to watch him in the street
and once took pains to walk with him. 1t
seemed as if men would think less of him if
he were known to be Roberts companion
and yet though he walked boldly down the
street with him, he was seized with n sudden
fear lest Roberts should himself accuse him of
his crime, and he left him abruptly. Roberts
gave little chucklng laugh as he left him ;
at that moment he saw his friend coming
toward him He hed from him as he had fled
from Roberts.
..It wos now that he bepan to seek some re-
lof in rsTo5on Un had Inn, been a member