The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-08-22
VOLUME XXXIII. NO. IL
The Golden Eagle.

A good many years ago merchant
missed from bis cash-drawer q twenty
dollar gold peice. No one had been to
the drawer, it was proven, except a
young clerk whose name was Weston.
The merchant had sent him to make
change for customer, and the next
time the drawer was opened the gold
piece had disappeared. Naturally
Weston was suspected of having stol-
en- it, and more especially as he ap-
peared few days after the occurrence
in a new suit Of clothes. Being ask
ed where he had bought the clothes,
he gave the name of the tailor with
out hesitation and the merchant,
going privately to make inquiries, dis
covered 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.
ut is needless to deny it," the mer-
chant said. "You have betrayed your
self with these new clothes, and now
the only thing you can 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 Christ
mas 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." he demanded.
ut was lady," answered Weston
"and I can't produce her, for she died
last spring. I can tell you her name" "
"Can you bring me anybody that
saw her give you the money, or knew
of your having 1t ?" ask the merchant.
mo, I can't do that" Weston had
to answer. II never told any one
about the gift, for she did not wish me
to. But have a letter from her some
where, if I 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, bring it to me, and then I
will believe your story"
Weston went home with a heavy
heart. He had no idea where the let
ter was he could not be sure that he
had not destroyed it; and it was the
only means of proving his innocence.
Unless he could produce it his charac-
ter was ruined, for he saw that the
merchant was fully convinced of his
guilt, and appearances, indeed, were
sadly against him. He went to work,
however, in the right way. He knelt
down and prayed to God for help to
prove that he was innocent, and then
he began to 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 what trouble God might choose
to send upon him. Skeptics may sneer
at such prayers as this, but Weston
would smile and say "Let them
sneer."
"When I rose from my knees" he
said, telling me in years afterward,
~ happened to catch my foot in an
old rug that had nailed down to the
carpet because it was always curling
up at the edges. The nail at the cor
ner had come out, and STOPPING down to
straighten the rug saw bit of paper
peeping out. pulled it from its hid
ing place and it was the letter!
"How it got there, I don't know.
The fact that had found it was enough
for me, and if had not gone on my
knees again to give thanks for such a
deliverance, T should be ashamed to
tell you the story now.
II brought the letter tony employ
er. It proved my innocence, and he
apologized.' A month afterward the
gold piece was found in Mr.. Flinch's
overcoat. He had never put it in the
cash-drawer at all, though he thought
he had. He raised my salary on the
spot for his unjust suspicious; and 1
have never yet repented of trusting
the Lord in my trouble. ~ Young
Reaper.