Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-11-26
THE OC'POROOu'


one i,unh i thousand dollars due to a lawye :.::': .oui CT, one Si.s., C. fsiC. man Nto was 10th disliked and feared Ill New CIltGns for he was known Co be hard .-lcdi1ui. unsc,-tpuious as 70 the means oy whirs! h" C -,richel himself pitlless to thOsc N!.u We're backward in paying him.
 1n an evil hour Gerald Leslie and Philip Ireverton had had recourse to this man, and borrowed from him at q cruelty heavy rate of interes,, the sum above mentioned. Trcverton waS. un- like his artner, a reckless si1eculator, and, unfortunately, not H little of a Tamestcv: Ee therefore thought lightly enough of tho circumstances. Not so Gerald Leslie. The thought of this loan oppressed him like load of iron, and he vas determined that 1t should be repaid at any sacrifice. He gathered together the money before leaving New Orleans to visit hts daughter in England. and in- trusted the sum to his partner. Trever- ton, with special directions that it should be paid immediately to Silas Craig.
 Gerald Leslie knew that his partner was a gamester but he firmly believed him to be one of the most honorable of men. and he had ever found him strictly just in all their commercial dealings. He departed, therefore, happy in the thought that the debt was paid, and that koIfhh VI olS. lilo ubulc1, CouAl AO IOAStA rub his fat, greasy hands, and chuckle at the thought of his power over the naughty planter, Gerald Leslie. He de- parted happy in the thought that his next voyage would be to convey him to an English home. where the tyranny of prejudice could never oppress his beloved and lovely child
 on hi. return to New Orleans, was the death of his friend and partner. | Philip Treverton had died week be- 1 fore Gerald Leslie landed. He had died | at mid night in a wretched chamber at a | gambling house. Thcre was mystery l about his death-his last hours wero shrouded in the darkness Of the silent eecrets of the night. None knew who had watched beside him in his dying mo- menta. The murderer had escaped; the rnutilated body of the murdered man was found in the waters of tho Mississippi.
 Philip Treverton's death was sad blow to his survivor, Gerald lesko. The two men had been associates for years; | both thorough gentlemen, intellectual, 1 highly educated, thoy had been united in the bonds of >,acere and heartfelt friendship.
 What then were Gerald LeSlie's feel ings when he found that his friend, his partner. his associate. the man whom he had fully trusted, had deceived him; and that the money left by hm in TreNer tons hands had never been paid to Silas Craig?
 In vain did lie search amongst his friend papers for tho receipt therc | was not one menorauUunl, not one scrap of paper containing any mention of tho one hundreu thousand dollars: and a week after Gerald Leslie's roturn. H." received visit from tho usurer. who came to oiuin his debt. The plantei l him hjt! n a fNp1\prDryNth x q H the heavy interest for that period fear fully Increasing tne debt. This bili came due on the very day on which we hava inlrol utcu trcr.ii Leslie lu the reader, and he was now every moment expecting to hear the usurer announced.
 He was at!l without funds to meet his ncceptance. Many other debts were pressing upon him and he felt that n q few months his plantation must be sold, and he left a ruined man. But as tho drowning wretch catches at the fcch!est straw, or the fraiest plank, so ho chung to the hope furnished by delay.
 Once more; he ;nutterod, as he attitude of despair, .'once more must l humiliate myself to this low-1ninded wretch. and beg the delay which he may grant or refuse. as it pleascs his base nature. Heaven help me, I little dreamed that Gerald Leslie would ever come 10 sue to SlIjS Craig.
 At this moment cheerfui-loohina q negro entered the apartment, bearing q card upon a silver aalve;.
 "Massa Craig. please, massa," ha said
 "TeIl him to walk in.
 Unto tEie room. massa:'
 "Ies, Cesar.
 The negro departed and in t few mo ments returned. ,lshering in far man, ~, .i hE ' loose and liSht-colored coat and trousers, fashionable ill New Orleans
 This summer costume, which was be- coming to many, accorded i'll with the l fat aud awkward figure of Silas Craig l The loose open collar displayed bull neck that bespoke the brute force of a sensual nature. It was almost impossi ble to imagine more truly repulslve ap. pearance than that of the usurer of New Orleans; repulsive, not so much from natural ugliness, as from that hidder somethirg, d!mly revealed beneath the ' outward features that told the nature o o the man, and caused the close observer .. and the phys.ognomistt to shrink from him a with instinctive abhorrence.
 $ Cruelty leered out of the small rat-like T. gray eyes. hypocrisy and sensuality alike 4 were visible in the thick lips and wide
 animal mouth. The usuer's hair, of
 reddish yellow, was worn long, parted
 in the middle, and pushed behind hli r. ears. giving a sanctimonlous expression to his face. For 1t must be known tt
 the reader that Silas Craig had always
 contrived to preserve 8 character fol great sanctity. His voice was loudes .n expressing horror at the backsiiding; X. of others: his presence was unfailing a 'ii the most frequented places of worship e o and mon who know that the usure
 would strip the widow or the orphan o
 the utmost far:hing, or tho last rag o
 clothing, beheld him drop his dollars
 Into the plate at the close of every char - ity sermon.
 By such pitiful artiAces as these tn
 world is duped, and Silas Craig was uni
 versaily respected in New Orleans re
 spected in outward seeming by men wh,
 in their innost soul loathed and exc crated him.
 With bland smile he obeycd Geral
 Leslie gesture. and seated himself in , low rocElng-chair opposite the planter. >' Charming weather MT. Leslie.' h
 elid.
 - "Churlnlng, answered Gerald &bsently
 "I trust I sec you well, my dear friend,
 muruured Silas Craig in the rat, oil