News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-02-21
/ Said So.
BY T. S. ARTHUR.


don't come true"
This was said with an air and tone o
sef-importauce by brisk little fellow
who walked uneasily about as he spok,
and seemed TO consider himself of NJ
small consequence.
" have had my eve on him for some
months past, he continued, ''and car
see which way he is going and where il
will all end, as clear as daylight"
That's the way with you, Deal you
always see to the end of other peoples
courses, repelke9 n bvstander.
81 can see the end of Miller's course
and no mistake. See if he isn't ali used
up and gone to nothing before this day
twelvemonth."
"Why do you prophesy so badly for
Miller? He is one of the cleverest men
know"
"That's fact and no mistake. He is
a gentleman all over. But that won't
keep him from ruin
"Give the reason-you must have
one."
''Oh as to that, I don't give reasons
for what say. was the self-complacent
reply, with toss of the head and two
or three strides across the room. "But
you mark my words and see if they don't
come true. See if Miller doesn't go to
the wall before this time next year.
Very we'll we will see."
$50 You will, or am no prophet"
The confident manner in which this
man, named Deal. spoke, led several of
those who heard him to suppose that he
knew some fact connected with the
business of Miller of which they were
ignorant. And this was true.
Deal was one of those restless. busy,
here-there- -and-eyery-where little bodies,
who see and know far more of what is
going on in the world than do your
quiet, thoughtful, and business-absorbed
people. He visited the theatre once or
twice every week-not really so much to |
observe the play as to see who regularly |
attended. He looked into the club |
rooms and political assemblages and kept |
himself posted In all the little and great /
matters that agitate the surface of a |
community or stir it more deeply. His
means of information in regard to his
neighbOrs' business and prospects were
certainly very great, and his opinion in
regard to these matters worth some
thing. This fact made his remarks
about Miller half believed by several
who heard them. In truth, he had
good reasons for his evil prognostica-
tions; for he met too frequently at the s
theatre, and in very improper company,
MiIier's- confidential clerk, and was, like C
wise, conversant with many facts prov t
ing that he was clearly unworthy of the /
trust that he had reposed in him. In t
stead Of doing his duty, which was to
promptly inform Miller of the con-
duct of his clerk, he contented himself,
like too many others, with merely
Struggling his shoulders, as has been
seen, when occasion warranted his doing
so, and prophesying ruin to the mer-
chant, who, unhappily, had placed con-
fidence in an unworthy agent.
The business in which Miller was en-
gagged, although it embraced very i'm
portant transactions and required many
clerks for its efficient management.
yielded only a light profit, so that it was
in the power of dishonest assistant to
ruin his principal. IT only required the
abstraction of few thousand dollars to
embarrass aud finally break up the mer-
chants business. The prospect of such
an untOward event was very fair. The
habits of young Grey, the name of the
principal clerk, had, for more than
year, required for their qualification an
amount of money much greater than his
salary. At first he was troubled with
debts. The uneasiness that these occa-
stoned led him to cast about in his mind
for some mode of relief. His first de-
cision on the subject was to ask for an
advance of salary. He was in the receipt
Of one thousand dollarr year. Presse
hard by man whom he owed, he was
almost forced into an application for
more salary. He did not think of deny
ing himself any of the expensive pleas
ures in which he indulged as a surer
measure of relief. The application was
not fayorably considered.
Mr.. Miller paid already as much for
clerk-hire as he felt himself able to do.
The salary of Grey he considered fully
enough for young man. After receiv-
ing positive refusal on the part of his
employer to grant his request, the clerk,
concealing as fully as possible his disap-
pointment, turned to the performance of
his regular duties. But there was a
tempest In his breast. Even with an in
crease of salary up to the amount he
asked, the difficulties that surrounded 9
him would still have been great The i
only course by which he could then 6
have extricated himself from immediate '
difficulties, would have been to borrow t
upon the representation of an increase s
of salary. Now that hope had failed.
Temptations try and prove men.
Where there is integrity of character,
purIication is the consequence of strong
trials. But when man without fixed
principles gets into difficulties, especially
when brought about by his own wrong
conduct, he is in imminent danger. Evil
counselors are near him with speciOus
arguments; he must not listen to them
if he does he will almost surely fall
into the snare laid for his unwary feet.
Something must be done" said the
young man, with compressed lips, after
he had recovered a little from the con
fusion of mind into which Mr.. Miller's {
positive refusal to grant his request had
thrown him.
Something must be done. What
shall it be ?" That question gave
activity to his mind He thought
and thought and thought for a
long time. But one only hope glim-
mered in upon the darkness, and that
was light kindled upon treacherous I
coast. It was the hope of relief from
pressing demands by using, without his
employers knowledge, a portion of the !
money that regularly passed through I
his hands. The frat suggestion of this
caused an inward shndder. He looked ]
away from It; but everything was so
dark that, for relief, he turned to it I