Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-11-08
A FINANCIAL FAILURE.
THE STORY OF A NEW ENG.
LAND WOOING.
WRITTEN FOB THE EVENING STAR BY
SARAH 0REE JEwETT.
CHAPTER i.

O. HE days business Of the old County Saw
- ings Bank was nearly done. hr.Pendell,
the treasurer, and his three assistants
80 were busy making up their accounts
Mr. Pendell was a methodicai old
fashioned business man who did most OF his
writing at plain, high desk, where be stood
leaning on one elbow hour after hour with no
apparent fatigue. As for the three younger
men they were seated at more or less ornate
roll-top desks; two of these clerks were Mr..
Downs and Mr. Hathaway, reliable accountants.
and botn in the later twenties Of their age. At
she least elegant of the desks, with his face to-
ward the street. sat Jonas Dyer, young, good
looking country fellow, whose round face had
never known an anxious furrow until he came
to his junior clerkship q few weeks before.
He was a poor lad himself az to this worlds
wealth, and of late had been forwarded in life
by an old uncle who was senior director of the
bank. Jonas Dyer's mother was perfectly con-
ident that he would be this uncle's heir, but
old Mr.. Dyer was Of that spirit and temper Of
mind which sometimes results in large gifts to
lmpersonal tract societies, and Jonas knew
shat 4 great deal might depend upon his own
diligence and accuracy in accounts. He was
siov at figures and slow with his pen, and he
had by nature no gift for saving. Ii was fortu-
1dtc tudb ne 10 bpcEu, ObueINisc
there might have been clearer revelations of
his generous traits. Everybody gave him con-
yratulations enough on his good chance in the
County Savings Bank, but nobody wasted SYM
pathy on the Gagged heart OF poor Jonas, who
Owed free life and out-of-doOr air. He some
times felt as if the new bank fittings, and
especially the handsome iron fret-work be-
hind which he stood, all savored of the prison.
and that during bank hours at least he was
Dorrowful captive. The other clerks were fond
Zad
went on, different spirit in their young asso-
ciate. BY some mysterious insight they we're
aware OF the tone that Jonas mother always
took in laying his duty before him. She was
devoted mother, but she loved the ex-
hortiug sound of her own voice, and
had talked so much to her grow
ing boy that he had become stolidly reticent.
Perhaps Downs and Hathaway had found their
example in one Of Mrs. pyer's rare visits to the
bank, when it may be suspected that she had
come in merely to look upon her only son at
his desk, trusted he was with untold gold
and on the high road to fortune. There was
nobody else there that day on the customers
side when Jonas timIdly presented his mother
TO his three companions. Old Mr.. Pendell be-
hayed with courteous dignity, inviting Mrs.
Dyer TO come in and sit down, while Jonas I'M
fastened the wicket gate for her, and, blushing
red, gave her his own chair. How fast the
good woman did talk without knowing it.
Jonas went ostentatiously into the great safe to
divert her mind and show her how completely
he felt at home, trying by the way to escape
direct look at Downs and Hathaway. To tell
the truth, he was just twenty years old and
hardly felt as il he were sixteen.
Il tell Jonas" Mrs. Dyer was saying, "that
there is q good deal to be proud Of and CRATE
full for in this situation. ! know he's a good
boy. il not 80 quick as some, and advise him to
be attentive and bidable to you, Mr.. Pendell
and want him to be constant at meetin' and
to avoid worthless associates. / felt very anx-
iona ahOut him when he frprn
home. He Amt no judgment what to eat"
Jonas came bursting out Of the safe with an
expression of agony.
Il guess Mr.. Penden will let you come in
and see where he keeps all bis money" the
poor boy told his mother, trying to behave as
IL there were q great joke going on. He did
not look at the other fellows.
II tell 'em up our way that there's nothing
10 prevent your filing your pockets unless it's
your own honesty the visitor said, and then
happily became speechless as Jonas let her take
che hurried look into the gold and silver
drawers. He was fond OF his mother, but she
insisted upon treating him like boy, and since
be had lived in town among strangers he had
begun to feel as IL he were q man. The call
was abruptly ended by the appearance OF q
friend who had brought Mrs. Dyer to town
shopping. Downs and Hathaway shook hands
politely with the good woman and seemed to
take pleasure in accepting her kind Invitation
to conn up with Jonas and stop awhile when
ever they got leave. But alasi from this call
much misery took rise; it was the delight of the
elder clerks to treat Jonas as if he were both
touchingly young and delicate OF constitut on.
They never went so far as to show the slightest
disrespect in allusion to or quotation from the
anxious mother; they simply adopted her solicit
tude about Jonas, who was seldom allowed in
their presence to put on manly behavior. But
if they did not chat him about this they would
be sure to find something else, and SO, as they
explained his bank work with unfailing patience,
our hero bore their chatting and mockery as
pest he might and with whatever bravery and
unconcern he could muster.