Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-06-05
From the Brookly Daily Times.
MY GREAT CRISIS.

| Our firm, Soaring & Grayton, commits
sion merchants was not very import
ant one at the time OF which am about
to tell you. but it was doing we'll and
growing. We had one-half of big
my partner, Nat Soaring, was in charge,
and l ran our Western branch IN st.
| Louis, where / had good many friends
and was engaged to be married to q
very beautiful and fashionable young
lady, Miss Helen Daviess. One morn
ing received this telegram:
| Mr. David Grayton Third Street, st. Louis-Mr.
| Soaring left for Canada last night. BAGLEY.
! Bagley was our bookkeeper in the
| New York Office. | was paralyzed with
astonishment and horror. The first
idea that flashed upon me was that my
partner had been operating far beyond
our capital, probably taking flyers on
the street." had found himself inextric
ably involved, and, clutching what he
could from the wreck, had fled across
the border. His flight argued some
thing criminal in his operations. 1t
was terrible, Bagley no doubt meant
| well in trying to hide the disaster and
shame as long as he could, but why had
he not been a little more explicit
Again and again l wired to him for more
facts, but got no reply. / suppose he
was keeping away from the Office to
avoid creditors and legal process and
other npleasantnesses, but, as ] subse-
quently learned, he was simply playing
billiards. While l was half wild with
anxiety Helen's brother Henry he
spelled his name Henri, which may
give you some idea of the club-called
upon me. He was no good, a mere club
| hi inc xxyho ho ho6
money, drinking much more than was
good for his poor, weak head, thinking
more of dress than anything else, and
processing contempt tor business as
''vulgaw;' still tolerated him-because
he was Helen's brother. He came, as
he told me, without any diffidence or
circumlocution, to "touch me for CEN
tury"-or, in plain language, to borrow
500 that he would never dream of re-
paying-to enable him to "plav the
races that afternoon. Annoyed and
him how / believed myself situated,
and said that [ didn't really know
whether [ had 500. or even one that l
| might rightfully call my own. Finally,
| | let him have half the sum he demand
ed and he went away only half as un-
| grateful as he would have been if lie
had got the hundred, presume.
The next morning, after night of
sleepless anxiety, got from Bagley the
reply.
.'He has gone. That is all 1 know
about it"
Bagley must be drunk, I said to N.Y.
| tried to open communication with a
| legal friend in New York, but in vain.
He was off "stumping the state" in a
political campaign, as | afterward
| learned. It seemed to me that l would
| have to 90 to New York to straighten
matters out, yet leaving St. Louis now,
If a crash was to come, was hazardous.
| People might say that l had run away.
| That evening I called upon Helen.
Nobody who has not been through such
an ordeal as mine can know how sick at
soul [ was for some affectionate, en-
couraging sympathy in my distress, and
| to be my wife to find it. ) he was not
alone, as | had hoped TO find her, as she
/ knew I was to call that evening. A
| brainless young fop named Dingeon-a
fellow of about her brother Henri's
calibre-Dut the only son Of a rich man,
was with her, and she was doing her
| best to entertain him. Me she treated
with marked GOODNESS. When he at
! length took his leave I said to her:
Darling, | fear that [ have some bad
news that may compel delay in the
realization OF our hopes"
s'Ah, indeed ~ she replied calmly,
with an intonatlon OF merely polite in
| terest, not at all personal concern.
EYES," I continued, though a little
chilled by her manner, 81 do not know
vet that it is positively so, but | fear
! that Soaring q Grayton have failed, and
| that am ruined.'
| Henri mentioned something about it
| to me to-day. [ think he said that your
partner had skipped to Canada
cit is hard for he TO think badly OF
Nat, whom | have known all my life,
but that report has been telegraphed to
me, and | have not yet been able to
| learn anything to the contrary. Ii it is
true it will prevent our marrying for
some time, until [ shall have got my
nose above water again"
She was silent for minute, and then
said, Jelly: II do not approve of pro-
tracted engagements.
well" [ replied, not wishing to un-
derstand in her words the meaning that
l feared: "Are you willing to marry
me at once and join me in the struggle
that [ may have before me? If so.
nothing in the world could make me
happier, stronger, or surer of success"
"No," she reioined, 81 am not willing
To be frank with you, I could not con-
tent myself as the wife Of a struggling
poor man, who could not afford to give
me the life to which | am accustomed"
'.Then you desire to break our en-
gagement?"
"Yes; I do not wish either to be a
burden to you, or to waste the best
years of my life in waiting for man
| who possibly may not succeed"
/ [ pleaded, and reasoned with her, but
nnavailing. She had bundled together,
| in her pocket, ready to hand TO me, all
my letters, and her engagement ring; SO
termined upon in advance of my COM