Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1884-08-13
The Gold Eagle.

4
missed from his cash drawer twenty
dollar gold piece. No one had been Il
the drawer, it was proved, except q
young clerk whose name was Weston
The merchant had sent him there Il
make change for customer, and the
next time the drawer was opened the
gold piece had disappeared. Naturally
Weston was suspected of having stolen
it, and more especially as he appeared
few days after the occurrence in new
suit of clothes. Being asked where he
had bought the clothes, he gave the
name of the tailor without hesitation
and the merchant, going privately to
make inquiries, discovered that Weston
had paid for the suit with a twenty,
dollar gold piece.
That afternoon the young clerk was
called into the merchants private room
and charged with the theft.
1t is needless to deny it." the ner-
chant said. "You have BETRAYED YOUR
self with these new clothes, and now
the only thing you en- do is to make a
full confession of your fault"
Weston listened with amazement /;
he could hardly believe at first that
such an accusation could be brought
against him, but when he saw that his
employer was in earnest he denied it
indignantly, and declared that the
money he had spent for the clothes was
his own, given him as a Christmas gift
a year ago. The merchant sneered at
such an explanation, and asked for the
proof.
who was the person that gave it to
you? Produce him, " ne demanded.
1T was lady," answered Weston,
sand | can't produce her, for she died
last spring. can tell you her name !"
"Can you bring me anybody that saw
her give you the money, or knew of
your having it?" asked the merchant.
mo, l can't do that" Weston had
to answer. 81 never told any one
about the gift, for she did not wish me
to. But have letter from her some
where, if 1 have not lost it, in which
she speaks of it,"
II dare say you have lost It," the
merchant sneered. "When you have
found it, sir, you bring it to me, and L
will believe your story"
Weston went home with a heavy
heart. He had no idea where the letter
was he could not be sure that he had
not destroyed it; and it was the only
means of proving his innocence. Un-
less he could produce it his character
was ruined, for he saw that the mer-
chant was fully convinced Of his guilt,
and appearances, indeed, were sadly
against him. He went to work, how
ever, in the right way. He knelt down
and prayed to God for help to prove
that he was innocent, and then he
began 10 overhaul the contents of his
desk and trunk and closet.
He kept his papers neatly and it did
not take him long to see that the letter
was not among them. He sat down
with sense of despair when he was
convinced of this. What else could he
do? Nothing but pray again for help,
and guidance and strength to endure
whatever trouble God might choose to
send upon him. SkepticS may sneer at
such praying as this, but Weston would
smile and say, Let them sneer."
when l rose from my knees" he
said, telling me the story years after
ward, Il happened to catch my foot in
an old rug that / had nailed down to
the carpet because it was always curling
at the edges. The nail at the corner
had come out and stopping down to
straighten the rug 1 saw bit of paper
peeping out. L pulled it from its hide
ing place, and it was the letterI
''HOw it got there L don't know.
The fact that l found it was enough
for me, and if had not gone on my
knees again to give thanks for such a
deliverance l should be ashamed to tell
you the story now.
l brought the letter to my employer.
1t proved my innocence, and he apollo |
yized. A month afterward the gold |
piece was found in Mr.. FlInch's over
coat. He had never put 1t in the drawer |
1t all, though he thought he had. He
raised my salary on the spot to pay for |
his unjust suspicious; a3d 1 have never
ret repented of trusting e Lord in my |
.rouble."