The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1878-12-05
TERMS, $500 PER YEAR.

since "Wednesday said Mr.. Beale
Mr.. Curtis informed me Of il. Nav
ask the motive Of this secret and nm
usual proceeding on yOur part! / be-,
lieye ] gave you no cause for 50 Sudden
a determination 10 quit NV employ
nent-did T.
No cause, Richard repeated. bit
terly. -Oh, no, sir, no ciuse-Of course
the clerk is only duI,e, the slave o;
the merchant, and has no right tO com
plain Of any conduct. however iniqui-
tOuS. of which he Is tlr victim"
Your sarcasm is rather ont Of place
yOaag man" replied Mr.. B-lle, cO0lly.
Il asked IL had given yOu any cause
of Offence. / know ! have not, YOU
falsely imagine that I have. and TINS
imagining yOu have done Yourself a
great injury Nav, no questions
will tell yuU all. ON the day that
Mr. Ogleth0Tp MAS here I noticed 4
great alteration in your Looks. yOur
words. your whole conduct. suS-
pected at once that Philip had over
heard our conversation and repeated
il t0 VOu. in consequence of which yOI
were Disturbed in y0ur mind. This
was natural. aud I was far from
blaming you; but it afforded me an
ODpOrtunity for a test which ! had a
peculiar reason for Gkrsiring 10 apply.
I penned a brief note Ia Mr.
OglethoTp, gave it To YOU
10 seal, and watched YOU after proceed
ing, from that window. th0t the
temptation would prove se7Be one,
and that If VOU arose superior To IL.
need never have any fears concerning
4 #.sfs ra-..-
strnng-tOO strong for your honor or
integrity u withstand. 1 saw YOU
open the letter-'twaS enough. / did
not at all wonder when ! heard of yOur
applying for a. new situation; yOu
Thought was acting treacher0usly 10
yOII. and that yOu Would OutWit me"
Mr. RPaiE ceased. and looked iiXedly
at Richard, whose whole countpnancP
WAS sufnsed with blusheS as the true
nature of his conduct was brought
thus calmly 10 his view. la his indig-
nanf feelings he had not till this mo
ment Thought of his derrlicti0n of
principle in opening letter not i'll
tended for his Inspection; now he was
overwhelmed with shame aIEi remnrse,
for he WAS naturally upright and in
grnu0uS.
Mr.. Beale saw his confusion, and
turned to his desk Ia pay what was
due of Richards salary, but first tax
ing some papers from a secrSU drawer,
threw them 0n the table before The
yOung man.
-All this is al an end now" hs said,
"hIIt yOu NAV SCI now how unjust
Your suspicion was Ia me, how in
furious to yourself, aS / said awhile
ago"
Richards eyes We're intently bent
upon the papers. One was in the
handwriting, a notice of
Richard wilkins having been admitted
rs a Junior partner into his own and
business firm; the others
We're necessary business papers relat-
ing thereto; Richard continued gazing
al them as il fascinated. till the mer-
rLant's voice broke the spell:
We'll, young man, do y0u understand
lac matter nOWI'
"Oh, sir" said Richard turning his
eyes implOTingly on him, and then I'M
able To repress his tortured feelings, he
bent his head on the table 10 conceal
the fast gushing tears.
Regret is Inayailing now. said Mr..
9eale. in his clear, cold tones. | 'had
every reason to place confidence in yOu.
During these four years / have Ohserv-
I'd your conduct very closely. Ii was
such as to satisfy me; and resolving tO
reward your strict integrity and faith
fulneSs, had decided TO take yOu in
partnership as yOu see by these papers,
nearly two years ago, and on
" waiting the signatures and date !
NV friend Mr.. OglethOrp, had frequent
" mentioned his nephew. whom he
much desired me TO employ. At his
last visit agreed to do so. Ii WAS nv
to give YOU an agreeable sur
Prise tomorrow, and therefore desired !
10 keep all my arrangements secret, |
fortunately as / now see, for my whim |
Enabled me to test the strength of your
@Oh, if you could only forgive me,
Mr.. Beale, exclaimed Richard, implOT- |
ngly. 1t was my first error in this re- |
gard-I am sure il Will be my last"
For all answer, Mr.. Beale quietly |
pushed the money he had counted over |
o Richard, and picking up the papers,
ore them into fragments. The young |
nan looked sadly at them, but know |
ng that remOnstrance or entreaty WAS 1
llht AlAldh alllAlA2 III 0lFih tllsllls llC
Dy a strong effort conquered his emo
ion, and, taking up his money bowed |
his thanks and farewell to his late en- |
llOyer, and turned to leave the room. |
As he laid his hand on the door knob,
ne paused and asked, in a still falter- |
ng voice, if Mr.. Curtis was informed |
If all this.
No, / did not think it necessary TO /
peak of it, said Mr.. BealS, for | had |
-easOn to think it was your first de
laTture from the straight road; and
hOugh all business connections be
.Ween us has ceased, vet | would not |
njure your reputation by revealing an
ict which ] thought you would re-
Tret. You will find Mr.. Curtis a |
more indulgent employer than the one /
,Ou are leaving; your salary will he
arger than it has been here, so that on
he whole, perhaps, you are no loser
md | hope for yOur sake that your
irst error will prove also your last"
Richard sadly left the store. On the
morrow he entered on the duties of his
lew situation. 1t proved agreeable,
md the addition To his previous salary
vas of great Use to him, but what |
Ould silence rpmOrSe for the act |
" which he had not only lost
a mHch in a pecuniary point of
yiew, but also sank immeasurably in
lis own estimation? He prOfited by
he lesson, however. Years after he
Ound himself in a position prosperous
nd enViOus rs that which he had for
cited in early manhood; but TO his
wing day he ever tried to hanlsh the
but SalUtary recollection
f his first and last deviation from the
straightforward path of honor and in
egrity.