Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1885-06-13

considerable height with books, til
top of the shelves being ornamente
with busts, Indian boxes, and Chimes
cabinets and jars. He looked behin
all the books, opened those within
easy reach, rified the boxes and cabi
nets, and peeped into all the vases
The search was continued half throug
the night, but the paper was no
found.
He tried to think it was of no con
sequence, but somehow his heart failet
him. Early the next day he went {,
the Office of Jonas Terry, and foun,
him there. Jonas was busy writing
but he lifted his head with smile ant
rose heartily to greet his friend.
@Jonas," said Charles, with puz
zled look, athat /. o. U-I have lost il
Searched everywhere all night for il
and can't lay my hands on it."
"What /. O. u ?"
"The one you gave me for the ter
thousand dollars lent you in June
After you went / sat down to thinl
| about Josie Merritt, and when / was
getting sleepy / found 1t ON the table
was. too lazy to unlock my secretary
again, and | hid it, and left it about
and the servants have swept it away
However, will give you an acknowl
edgement that will cover all possible
claims il ever it should turn up. Tha
will do, you know"
"You must be dreaming, Charles.
know nothing about an !. o. u, and
don't at all see what you are drifting at
"Jonas! You could not be such .
scoundrel! You are joking, OF course.
"Mr. Day, request you to leave my
Office, sir. am not to be bullied Oh
black-mailed in this way. assure you
Then Charles struck the scoundrei
and there was such an uproar of words
and blows that the police was called in
and the affair became sufficiently pub.
lie, and indeed went into the courts
OF course Charles got the worst of il
every way. He had no particle oil
evidence to show for his claim, he was
fast, fashionable, and extravagant
while Jonas was universally, spoken oi
as "estimable and reliable" Society
turned the cold shoulder toward him,
and mothers forbade their daughters
to ride in his company or accept him
for partner in the dance. "But then,
as Mrs. Merritt shrewdly said, "his en-
gagement to our Josie has just become
known"
1t was remarkable that after this
quarrel Jonas Terry's business grew
with an amazing rapidity. Perhaps
the saving of that ten thousand had
been the turning point of his fortune.
We all know how the want of five
doIlar-bil can some time lose US an
amount amazingly disapproportionate.
Socially, too, his success was very great.
He married, a beautiful, stylish woman,
who fully showed her antipathy to the
Days, and who never lost an opportu-
nifty of mortifying them; and social
sights are bitter enough to those whose
whole life turns upon social success.
In fact Mr.. and Mrs. Jonas Terry, with
their grand house and exclusive en-
tertainments and fine turnout, were
the Mordecai sitting in the gate OF all
Charles and Josie's happiness.
Many time the two had gone to-
gether over everything in the room,
taken every book from the shelves,
and examined every creyice in the cases
but all in vain. The l. O. U. w;ls evi-
IDENTIFY lost, and Charles said, after every
fresh search and disappointment, "No
use, Josie; l tell you everything goes
against honor and virtue. If you want
to be pointed out as pattern of all ex-
cellencies, you must be in secret nat
ural and practical william"
So the years went by-tifteen OF them.
The |. 0. U. was not forgotten. They
lived in society where people have
little else to do but remember the an
tecedents of its members, and Charles
Day and his wife often felt the infiu-
ence of Jonas accusation. The two
men never spoke. Ii they passed each
other on the drive Jonas cracked his
whip Extensively at the shrinking
couple, but they had long ago said all
they had to say.
In the fifteenth summer after the
loan Charles went yachting, and on
one memorable night was shipwrecked.
Almost by Il miracle, and after he had
sunk thrice, he was rescued. The first
words he uttered to his wife were:
Josie, have found the |. 0. u. Write
down just what | say: Shakespeare,
Knights Edition, vol. iv., page 2l3,
fourth compartment, fourth shelf,
fourth pnge.'"
Josie wrote it down; but he was SO
restless lest anything should now hap
pen to the library that lie returned to
New York as soon us there was the
least safety i'll doing so. When h. ar
rived at home he went straight to the
library and putting his hand on cer-
tain volume, opened it at the page i'll
licated and there was the lost |. y. U.
when | was drowning, Josie, the
last time | sunk, everything ever did
became in moments $ flash clear as
lay to me, and | saw myself putting
the note in the place | found it. 1t is
But it is true, and, Josie
lear, thank God! my name will be
cleared at last"
The clearing OF his name was Charles
irst thought, but after it came the very
one of making Jonas pay
he principal and interest due him.
And after this is done, Josie, shall
'ue him for defamation of character, |
md make him pay for every insolence."
This was no idle threat. The next |
Charles lawyer confronted |
he false hearted scoundrel with his l. |
U. and entered proceedings at once
o recover. Jonas at first tried to COM
promise, but this offer Charles indig.
lantly rejected. Il want the world to
ee," he said, that though punishment
or a cowardly wicked deed be long
lelayed, it is sure to come"
And perhaps the social and CONNER
ial world in which these two men
moved never had more vivid illustra-
iatlon OF this truth. The business
hat had been built upon a fraud and
wrong crumbled away as if touched by
ONE whitening blight, the court award
d Chas. Day principal and full interest
nd a subsequent action for donation
ave him, i'll reparation for his fifteen
ears slandered name, fifty thousand
olars.
But by that time the firm OF Jonas
'erry was unable to meet such a claim.
lie shut his doors in dishonor and fled
n the darkness OF night from the
thousands whom he had robbed.
1T is a great punishment" said Josie,
orrowfully; "and he has four little
oys"
at WAS great crime, Josie; and the
Irong to my purse was the least part
{ the wrong"
But Mrs. Terry, sitting in her wrecked
ONE, took different view OF the case.
Charles Day is entirely to blame" she
hid. His weakness and his laZinesS
1rew the temptation into Jonas way.
t is the weak men that make the