The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-09-25

| honored-why, then bankruptcy. And the
worst of it was that Harmon seemed to
| Sunday evening calls, and Nettie rare.
| ly even met him on the street
| When she happened to do so he
| was friendly as ever but reserved and
said not word about his perilous venture
or the crushing anxiety that weighed upon
| him. Very likely he thought she knew
nothing of it. But about a week before
| the dreaded 10th he came into the bank
| one morning with a look and manner
which told Nettie, the moment she saw
| him, that his errand was to raise money.
! Her accustomed eye had long since learned
| to detect and classify the genus borrower
| in all its different forms, especially in that
| of the impecunious or embarrassed loan
| seeker, who dares not show the eagerness
| he feels, and is more than half certain that
| his application will be denied. The varie-
| ties of this unfortunate being are as nu-
! merouS as human characters and tempera-
| mentS. The assumed confidence, like a
thin crust over seething maelstrom of
doubts and fears; the studied carelessness
| of address, constantly betrayed by some
| involuntary exposure of uneasiness; the
pitiably transparent fictions, imposing
upon no one and uncomfortably known
| by their author not to do so-all these are
marks by which this particular species of
borrower is readily recognized, accom-
| panied as they are by hundred triling
peculiarities of bearing and expression.
When Nettie saw Harmon she gave little
gasp and turned slightly pale.
Good morning." Nettie," said he, walk
ing up to the counter and leaning upon it
in way that would have been uncon-
| cerned enough had it not been for the
nervous drumming of his fingers upon the
wood. Beautiful day. isn't its dropped
in to see whether you are rolling in wealth
to such an extent that yon don't know
| what to do with it," AT a
''Well, notexactly," she answered, hardly
| looking up.
And you can't give me, say, five hun
| dred for month or two, can you?n
| Poor little girl She knew that this was
about the amount of next weeks deficit
that if he could meet that draft and tide
| over the temporary depression in prices,
he might be able to sell later on at an ad-
| vance, or at least for enough to save him
| self. Time was what he needed, and this
! five hundred would give him time. But,
on the other hand, she was boundby her
duty not to grant the loan. The president
| had said nothing about it simply because
to do so was perfectly needless, for no bank
| officer would or ought to lend one dollar to
a man situated as Curtis was Herfather's
| precepts and example had indeibly i'm
| pressed upon her mind the necessity of UNI
wavering fidelity to the banks interests,
| and that those interests were to be pre-
She knew what she must do but oh! it
| was very hard.
"You can't, then 2" asked Harmon,
| rightly interpreting her hesitation
! Nettie looked him full in the face for the
| first time.
mo, Harmon she said, 81 can't"
Harmon understood without needing a
| word of explanation. lyon are right"
| answered he; II am afraid it wotld be an
| unsafe investment-now." He went out,
| saying no more. Back again in his count
ing room, he writhed under a feeling of
humiliation such as he had never known
| before in all his manly, seif-respetting life.
Now the deed was done, he was obliged to
confess that this last desperate attempt
to save himself savored of mealness, for
he perceived that deep down in his heart
| he had calculated to some eXtentupon this
| girls friendship to obtain what no one
would have given him on purel! business
| grounds. And, too, he suddenly realized
| that, even if she had been weakenough to
yield, he could not have taken advantage
of favor which would inevitably have
seriously injured her with her employers.
1T has been narrow escape for her,"
he thought; 'but for me the mischief is
| done. Only for this l could go down with
| clear conscience.
Yet he could not feel as kindly toward
Nettie as before, such is the Inconsistency
OF human nature in general, and the I'M
reaSonableness of lovers in particular.
Placed between regard for him and duty to
others, she had preferred the latter; and
while he acknowledged the justice of this,
and indeed for worlds would have had her
do no differently, still he felt an illogical
Jealousy of that duty and could not help
dimly associating her in his mind with the
combination of hostile forces arrayed
against him. Perhaps our hero is not es-
pecially heroic, but he is very man-like.
Meanwhile how fares it with the cashier!
Not well, am afraid else why should she,
after Harmon had departed, so to the
great vault, open the safe, and remain
with her pretty head inside that grim re-
peSitory for several minutes apparently
much occupied in arranging its contents!
No doubt the contents required this atten-
ton, however, since divers packages of
railroad bonds were afterward found Curl
ously marked with tiny blotches indica-
ting the presence of moisture in the
safe. For the second time during her
cashiership the cash account wouldn't
balance, and nothing seemed to go
smoothly. 1t was the same the rest of
the week. and the change in our young
lady was so manifest that even the presi-
dent asked her if she were not slightly in
disposed" But one morning-the morn
ing of the fatal day-she came down to
business the old Nettie again-and more.
Whatever might be the cause, she fairly
beamed and sparkled with Joy. Her black
eyes danced, her cheeks were perfect blush
roses, and altogether she looked so bewitch-
ing that the seventh director (who was
bachelor) felt his dried-up old heart dis
turbed by passing regret that he should
be fifty eight years old, and bald into the
bargain. How could Nettie be happy on
this morning of all others, when lying
among the papers on her table was slip
of paper which must be presented to GER
tain person before three O'Clock that dayl
Her behavior was positively inexplicable.
Nor was it made any palmer when, after
writing few lines, and doing something
to one of the great ledgers (she gave one
short sigh while thus employed), Nette put
on her hat, took the slip of paper, and
cheerily tripped out to present tin
other words to ruin Harmon Curtis.
Harmon was sitting quietly at his desk
about that same time, waiting for what he
knew would speedily come. There would
be difference of four hundred and sixty
one dollars between his liabilities and his
resources-not much, but enough for all
practical purposes. In few hours he
would have failed All the fruits of the
hard working, economizing years behind
him were naught-all his efforts had been
useless. He must begin the world again
with the remembrance of failure ever
hanging over him. Begin againl For what!
Before he could retrieve his fortunes, if he
ever could, the reward for which he toiled
would be no longer for him. If he had
never previously ventured to tell what lay
in his heart he certainly could not do it
now. No, it made no difference what be-
came of him-there was nothing to live
for In short he had raa al th aft Sta oa of