The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1885-05-06


and exclusive entertainments and fine
turn-o out, were the Mordecai sitting in
the gate of all Charles and Josies hap
piness.
Many a time the two had gone together
over everything in the room, taken every
book from the shelves, and examined
every crevice in the cases, but all in
vain. The l. o. U. was evidently lost,
and Charles said, after every fresh search
and disappointment, "No use, Josie; /
tell you everything goes against honor
and virtue. If you want to be pointed
out as pattern of all excellencies, you
must be in secret natural and practical
villain"
So the years went by--fifteen of them.
The /. o. U. was not forgotten. They
lived in a society where people have lit
tie else to do but remember the antece-
dents of its members, and Charles Day
and his wife very often felt the influence
of Jonas accusation. The two men
never spoke. If they passed each other
on the drive Jonas cracked his whip Of
fensively, or Mrs. Terry looked scornfully
at the shrinking couple, but they had
long ago said all to each other that it
was possible to say.
In the fifteenth summer after the loan
Charles went yachting, and on one
memorable night was shipwrecked. AL
most by miracle, and after he had sunk
thrice, he was rescued. The first words
he uttered to his wife were: ''Josie, ]
have found the I. o. U. Write down
Just what | say: Shakespeare, Knights
Edition vol iu ,,an,a Ola fourth pOnn.
partment, fourth shelf, fourth book"
Josie wrote it down; but he was so
restless lest anything should now happen
to the library that he returned to New
York as soon as there was the least
safety in doing so. When he arrived at
home he went straight to the library, and
putting his hand on a certain volume,
opened it at the page he had indicated,
and there was the lost |. o. U.
"When was drowning, Josie, the last
time 1 sunk, everything 1 ever did be-
came in o moments flash clear as day to
me, and l saw myself putting the note
in the place found it. 1t is wonderful.
But it is true, and, Josie dear, thank God
my name will be cleared at last"
The clearing of his name was Charles
lliob llOuGAlB OlJ ulbSl ~ IolhO wv WI
satisfactory one of making Jonas pay
the principal and interest due him. "And
after this is done, JOSIE l shall sue him
for defamation of character, and make
him pay for every insolence."
This was no idle threat. The next
morning Charles lawyer confronted the
false hearted scoundrel with his l. o. U.
and entered proceeding at once to re-
cover. Jonas at first tried to compro-
mise, but this offer Charles Indignantly
rejected. 81 want the world to see" he
said, "that though punishment for
cowardly wicked deed be long delayed,
it is sure to come"
And perhaps the social and CONNER.
cial world in which these two men
moved never had more vivid illustra-
tion of this truth. The business that
had been built upon a fraud and a
wrong crumbled away as if touched by
some whitening blight. The court
awarded Charles Day principal and full
interest, and a subsequent action for de-
famation gave him, in reparation for his
fifteen years slandered name, fifty thous.
and dollars.
But by that time the firm of Jonas
Terry was unable to meet such claim.
He shut his doors in dishonor, and fled
in the darkness of night from the thous-
ands whom he had robbed.
1T is great punishment, said Josie.
sorrowfully: "and he has four little
boys"
at was great crime Josie; and the
wrong to my purse was the least part of
the wrong"
But Mrs. Terry, sitting in her wrecked
home. took different view of the case.
"Charles Day is entirely to blame, she
said "His weakness and his laziness
threw the temptation into Jonas's way.
It is the weak men that make the
wicked ones. - Harper'S Weekly.