Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1880-04-09


E ,Thst,it only.aelt was Ignawing at one
side Of Ferguson's. heart as his love 70,
ANNE was gnawing tie other. Somethin
lslay heavily on his mind, and his friends
noticed that he walked often with bowed
headgand knitted brows.s He stuck to
the Office until Ate into each evening, in.
stead Of leaving, as vyas his wont, at
o'clock, to spend his evenings with gen
ial companions in various Wayssa Yet nc
lone butShimself knew what the trouble
Twas. Tie fact was Re WIS short I'M his
cash he had rashly used some of his
Iemptoyerg noneYin somesmad specuIa-
fti6ss which Had failed, and ID make this
loss good, he speculated again. This
EalfsA .liroyed :afaalnie, and he grew reck-
less and took more and more. He never
kept account of how much money he had
used, and he was ut last afraid to bala nee
the backs to- see. However, he at last
sternly resolved to do Something, even il
he must borrow money, and, IN doing so,
tell the whole story.
He was the: only one who need'take the
books in hand, and his employers wou ld
take his word entirely.as to- the balance;
without personal inyesti cation and, safter
the annual stock taking, etc, he would
have whole year to refund the money.
He had good salary, and he would save,
and borrow from his friends, and quit
this mad and foolish practice which he
dcalled borT6Ning, but ;whiefEhe saw
now was othing less thanstheff.G
Alas, this chance was not giving him.
Just toward balancing time he was laid
onSa sick led and kept there for many
weeks, dining which time -one of; the
partners in spirit of kindness, and to
save Ferguson additional work when he
recovered, set to worksto balance the
books. Not 8 word was said~to Fegus-
son, but soon after he opened drawer
and there saw sheet of paper contain
ing names and figures, and at the head
he saw jotted in pencil, Accounts marked
off the ledger, but not in cash book 1t
was Saturday, busy halliday at the
works, and Ferguson went through his du.
ties mechanically. On his way to the
bank for the wages, he called In at his
lodgings, packed couple of valises with
few necessaries, and also called to say
I5good by to some of his particular friends,
Fsaying he was going to- Manchester for a
few days. Having fiji ished Lis work at
the Office, by o'clock he was seated in
the railway train, with little cash and a
heavy heart, fleeing from Milton, his
friends and the law, and going he KIN w
not whittier? :<4!i7 ,i>D3"&;
The nextweek's Milton Neaos contained
the following paragraph:
r. A warrent has been issued for the apprchen.
sion of William Ferguson, lately in the en-
Dloy OF }Messrs. Noble & sCroaker. It is
stated that he is a defaulter. to the amount Ct
G7OO. Ferguson was last seen at Merthyl
Tydoil, in Wales, and has been traced to
Swansea
The news came like, a thunaerolap on
the little world Of Milton. where Fergu.
sen was we'll known and respected. II,
was the talk of the town, but like all
nine,days' wonders i it. died "a natural
death. Not SO, however, in a London
home, where fond father and mother
were almost heartbrokcn; at this news
of the son of whom they had been
so proud; not so IN more than one
HON esat Milton; not % at Thorpe Farm
and not so at the landlords home al
Hamilton. ., In; all these places Will Fer
guson had been something more than an
oIdinarys ~acqu aintancs; ard in-Ithese
| places dwelt his true trends friends
even in his disgrace. Annie landlord
then found out for the first time perhaps
how much she cared for Ferguson, and
the poor girl felt the blow e.keenly.h But
she had some natural pride, and though
she pitled the poor fellow in trouble she
felt she could never again' have anything
to do with a man who had to fee to es-
cape d fe1on's cell. And SO Fergusons
name gradually, dropped out of converse
tionthough not out Of mind. IT
When Ferguson got into Wales, he
thought he might, safely take time. fol
breathing and looking around. On that
Saturday afternoon he had Oh his way
twest; called in to take one more look at
and q gloomy farewell of Annie, and be
then resolved to. work necessarily until
he had earned sufficient to refund what
he had taken and retrieve his position. But
in Wales he met with no success whatever.
He had no character, and no. one would
Iengage him without. Then lie went to
Portsmouth, and thought Of enlisting
inthe army, but|he decided to leave that
as last resource. L He made his way to
London, and having good voice and
knowledge of music he obtained an en-
gagement asa singer in the chorus at
one of the Opera houses. This proved Ia
poor game and offered no chance Of III:
creased salary, and consequently Fergu,
son resolved to quit and cross the, Allan
tic. He got sufficient money from lis
! old grandmother and after s0rrowfhl
farewell to- his parc,itsshe started off tf
try his fortune ID the New World. Dur.
| ing the first six months Id America BIZ
worked as q farm laborer's clerk, sud sub
editor of q newspaper 4 RemuneIatiyt
employment seemed hard to obtain, blu,
he toiled on patiently, hoping for better
things. a''9st q ssi2ssft'l5st ''s5a,es' s.
i eHe had ceased to think 81 hiaas attach ID.
ment for Annie landlord, except az
secret memory TO be treasured, but spok
Len Of never. YET, when Christmas came
around, and with it q couple Of letters
one from home, and one from al old and
ltrpsty friend as Milton one Of them con:
tanned inst . Christms card, washing thu
[compliments Of the season in. the most or
I,dlnary way, But.the wrapper was sad
dressed ID hand writing well remsm
Tlbered. IL was from Annie, and nov vii
i Fe1guson, in His lionel Illness knew thu
the pure girl, whom he loved, hnt WHOM
he had never told OF that love, did cat,
something for him Id his disgrace, and
if that Was SO, even though &c might u
the expression Of mere Keeling Of pit,
on her part, he would renew Ina efforts +
q Gain An hOnrat name and The nAtientl,