Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-06-27

&MA" put as It hdd quite al important bearing oI l NSNMA@ 4AH my life, it is some f&@8St thing am not likely
 ever to forget. Il was during my frs year as cashier o ] bank. It was memorable year in one
 other respect, for had gained the con
 sent Of the one dear girl on earth to
 make me the happiest of men. So with
 good position, good health, correc, habits, the confidence and goodwill o1
 my fellow men and the love of the sweet.
 est and dearest of girls, ought to have
 been happy, and was. There was only
 one obstacle to the perfect consummation
 of my happiness, and that was the fact
 that was poor and must of necessity
 wait year or so before could ask Neil
 to share my lot with me. But Nell un-
 derstood this and was content to wait.
 In fact, it didn't occur to either of us
 that we had any alternative but to wait,
 so we were philosophical over the mat
 ter-and happy. One evening, as I sat
 in my room cutting the pages of a maga-
 zine was going to take to Nellie, I
 heard a quick rap at my door, and open ing 1t admitted my old friend, Bob
 Bowen. Bob was an energetic, dashing, enterprising young fellow, with good reputation in every way, and remarkably clear-headed on business matters, so when he remarked in his brusque, off,
 hand way, 'Tom, I've got good thing for you," why pricked up my ears at oa"1, once, prepared m to accept the fact that he
 "Now, Tom," said he, drawing his chair up close to me, "I'u be brief, for we have no time to lose. A friend of mine has the option of buying farm on which a valuable vein of coal has been discov- cred for the pitiful sum of s5,OOO. His option runs out tonight at 12 o'clock. Now he has purchaser ready to take this land off his hands tomorrow morn- ing at 8 o'clock for the snug little sum of $50, O,OOO. You see, this party thinks he already owns the land. Now, my friend has been delayed in getting his money. He won't get it until tomorrow morning, he has got to have S6,OOO tonight.
 "But what Is this to me?" said I, "I haven't any little s5,O0O to help him with"
 ''Of course not" said Bob, "but here. my boy, my friend offers to divide with me what he makes in this transaction if 1 will help him out. for he hates like the deuce to be beaten at the eleventh hour. Now, want to help him, and If you will vide with you, and before breakfast to- morrow morning you will have the snug sum of S6, ,25O, which may have the effect Of hurrying forward a certain happy day ,--eh?' and he nudged me playfully in the ribs.
 "Very well," said I, "conceding that would be very agreeable little sum to possess, am as much in the dark as over as to the help can render"
 "But, Tom," interrupted Bob, "let mo one fact upon your mind. Tho money is wanted only until tomorrow morning at o'clock precisely. That is ust as certain to occur as the sun is to rise. l saw the man who Is to pay the money. I saw the money. Now, Tom, you know am your friend, and wouldn't advise you to do anything I wouldn't do myself. And you know me we'll enough % know that wouldn't do anything that s not perfectly straight and honorable. Now, Tom, you can have the $6, ,25O with 'ut doing any one any harm or perpe- rating any wrong"
 "You mean" said I, coldly, for I was to get the drift of his scheme. that could steal this money from the 1 ,ank."
 Nonsense, Tom," interrupted Bob, you insult me by supposing that I l ould hint at such q suggestion. Listen | 0 my plan n ow. You know very we'll, | Tom. that if you should say to the board | # directors tomorrow morning, my | riend here wants to borrow S5 ,OOO and I | will endorse his note for him. they l wouldn't hesitate for a moment in letting ne have it. Now, I want to borrow 5 ,OOO and l can't wait until the bank pens tomorrow morning. want it and l must have it tonight. You can sign a lote with me for the amount, we will go o the bank and get the money, leaving he note in the place of it. In the morn ng before the bank opens the note will 70 taken up, nothing done that has not 'een straight, business-llke and honor ble, but you will be richer by St, ,25O. Vow, if you can find any moral flaw in his simple little matter of business you ave sharper perceptive powers than I ave-"
 Bob's reason began to look plausible. t was quite true, as he said, that the oard of directors would willingly loan i'm $5,OOO, but after all, this business 7as little irregular and I didn't feel uite right about it.
 ''Tlme is passing" said Bob, glancing t his watch, "and If you can't favor me D this little matter of business, must ry elsewhere. am going to have the honey tonight, sure, and if you won't clip me there are others who will. Why 'om," said he, earnestly, chow can you esitato one moment? You have my ositive assurance that everything is ight. I only ask you to do tonight that you wouldn't hesitate moment l doing tomorrow. Then think of your uty to yourself-to Nell-''
 'Say no more," said I, 'you shall have he money"
 Bob and hurried to tho bank, and fter going through the form of drawing p and signing the necessary note, I Tent to the vault to get the money. A ueer, nameless feeling crept over me as approached tho door and seized the andle to work the combination. gave he handles the usual preliminary turns nd then started to work the combina- on. To my great surprise, to my hor- pr may say, found that the combina- on was completely obliterated from my lind. I couldn't remember turn nor gure. was as utterly helpless as if i ad never seen combination look in my fa. shut my eyes and rubbed my Wine RoonO|