Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-11-12

his secretary, and that ne iau ma IT, l1(
even remembered the little laugh Cf de-
light with which he had put it in such q
capital place. But what place? He could
not remember that.
The room, as said before, was the library
and the walls were covered to a considera.
BILE height with books, the top of the shelves
being Ornamented with bustS, Indian boxes
and Chinese cabinets and jars. lie looked
behind all the books, opened those within
easy reach, rified the boxes and cabinets
and peeped into the vases. The search was
continued half through the night, but the
paper was not found
He tried to think that it was of no cOnse-
quence, but somehow his heart failed him.
Early next day he went to the office of Jonas
Terry, and found him there. Jonas was
busy writing, but he lifted his head with
a smile, and rose heartily to greet his friend.
eager look, "that /. O. U.-I have lost it.
Searched everywhere all night for it, and
can't lay my hands on it,"
"What l. d. U.?",
"The one you gave me for the ten thous-
and dollars l lent you in June. After you
went sat down to think about Josie Mer-
ritt, and when was getting sleepy | found
it On the table. l was too lazy to unlock
my secretary again, and hid it somewhere
or else I thought hid it, and left it about,
and the servants have swept itaway. How
ever 1 will give you an acknowledgement
that will cover all possible claim if ever it
should turn up. That will do you know"
"You must be dreaming, Charles. l know
nothing about an 1. @. u, and / don't at
all see what you are drifting at"
"Jonas! You could not be such a scoun-
drel! You are joking, of course"
"Mr. Day, request you to leave my office
at once, sir. am not to be bullied or black
mailed in this way, l assure you"
Then Charles struck the scoundrel, and
there was such an uproar of. words and
blows that the police were called in, and
the affair became sufficiently public, and
indeed went into the courts. Of course
Charles got the worst of it every way. He
had no particle of evidence to show for his
claim; he was fast, fashionable, and eXtrav'
agant, while Jonas was universally spoken
of 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
shrewly said, "his engagement to our Josie
has Just become known"
It was remarkable that after this quarrel
Jonas Terry's business grew with an amaz:
ing rapidity. Perhaps the saving of that
ten thousand had been the turning point OF
his fortune. We all know how the want OF
a five-dullar-Lill can sometimes lose us an
amount amazingly disproportionate. So
cially, too, his success was very great. lie
married Leautiful, stylish woman, who
fully shared his antipathy for the days,
and who never lost an opportunity of morti-
flying 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 eXcl'1-
sive entertainments and fine turnout, were
the Mordecai sitting in the gate of all
Charles and Josie's happiness.
Many 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
/. O. L. was evidently lost, and Charles
said, after every fresh search and disap-
pointment, 'No use, Josie; | tell you ev-
erything goes against honor and virtue. IL
you want to be pointed out as pattern OF
all eXcellencleS, you must he IN secret q
natural and practical villain"
So the years went by-fifteen Of them.
The I. O. l. was not forgotten. They liv-
ed in a society where people have little
else to do but remember the antecedentS OF
its members, and. Charles Day and his wife
very often felt the influence of jonas accu-
sation. The two men never spoke. If they
passed each other on the drive Jonas crack
ed his whip Extensively, or Mrs. Terry look
ed scornfully at the shrinking couple, but
had long ago said all to each other that 1T
was possible to say.
In the fifteenth summer after the loan,
Charles went yachting, and on one memo
rable night was shipwrecked. Almost by a
miracle, and after he had sunk thrice, he
was rescued. The first words uttered to his
wife were: "Josie, l have found the |. q.
speare, knights edition, vol. iv., page 2l3,
fourth compartment, fourth shelf, fourth
book"
Josie wrote it down; but he was so rest
less 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
indicated, and there was the lost |. o. L:
"When l was drowning, Josie, the last
time l sunk, everything | ever did became:
in moments flash, clear as day to me, and
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"
first thought, but after it came the very sat
isfactory one Of making Jonas pay the prin'
cipal and interest due him. "And after this
is done, Josie, | shall sue him for defama'
ton of character, and make him pay Tor eV-
cry inS0lence."
This was no idle threat. The next morn
ing Charles lawyer confronted the false
hearted scoundrel with his l. O. L., and en-
tered proceeding at once to recover. Jonas
at first tried to compromise, but this offer
Charles Indignantly rejected. 81 want the
world to see," he said, ''that though punish
ment for a cowardly wicked deed be long
delayed, it is sure to come"
And perhaps the social and commercial
world in which these two men moved never
had a more vivid illustration of this truth
The business that had been built upon a
fraud and wrong crumbled away as il
touched by some whitening blight. The
court awarded Charles Day principal and
full interest, and subsequent action for de.
famation gave him, in reparation for his
fifteen years slandered name, fifty thousand
dollars.
But by that time the firm of Jonas Terry
was unable to meet such claim. lie shut
his doors in dishonor, and fled in the dar k
ness of night from the thousands whom ne
had robbed.
"It is a great punishment" said Josie,
sorrowfully; land he has four little boys
"It was a 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 a different view Of the case
"Charles Day is entirely to blame she
said. ellis weakness and his laziness threw
the temptation into Jonas way. 1t is the
weak men that make the wicked Ones.-