Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1892-10-11


them and Chalmers found himself again
In the 9pcn air he felt him'slf In need of
physical action 10 relieve the mental
strcs. under which he had held himself
a. long. A walk would 10 him good.
and as he started toward the hotel Ia
whicl, he hal sent his luggage be took
definite satisfaction in ci-uDching the
truscu snow of the Iayeusn, briskly un-
der foot.
IL was after midnight ani the ASPECT
% the city had changed. The lights
CLEANED ~ brightly as ever In the tall
towers. hut the merrymAk.r- were gone
fron the strcet-. virtuou. and respect.
able folk hal gone 20 their home. an'i
only the wayfarrr and the guardians
" the p.ace remained. Here and there
. burt 10 light and noi.~ came on,
from the suddenly opened door of a
drinking place. as . tip-y reyeler came
r-.ling out. A beggar brushcl Ia.t him
AMI asked for aims. In the square,
where hal shone such brilliant scene
hut little tim. t-for-. the shadows ~
the foliag. now male que.r hicksring
shadows On the smooth snow. AMI In
their Lalf light q wretch.i unst-i out
cas-, 10 ,h. street. lurk-i and le.rcd q,
him. "Poor devil. he muit.r-'i 90 him.
s.lf ~ b. tn>sssl her coin. 'we're all In
trouble together" and hi. thoughts were
~ hi- brother. In hi. narrow cell. and of
himself. and - the blackhaired woman
whom they both loved. bu, whom now
neither perhaps would ever wei.
Having put hi. hand 10 the task. Chal'
msr. now shrank from nothing that
wa. ne.lful to further his purp~e, Ills
hrst duty IN the morning was io see Mr.
R0ln.y. this he preferred io do ai that
g,n,lcman's house rather than at the
hank. where be- was ~ we'll known and
where he felt that he would H. siarr,i at
curiou.ly. The lank president was cour'
,.ous, bat Lrnly negati,-i his pro
ppsals
Il am sorry for you. Chalmers. he
.aid. but ! can't DO . thing 10 help
you. So, can't recommend the gov.
-rnOr a. parlon him. II wouldn't h.
night. No. don't care about th. money.
th. hank can stand that we'll enough:
bu, it, the principle % th. thing. Lots
~ young men right her. In this town
ar- following IN Georges footsteps. AMI
they've got a. L. scared ou, of u. Its
'li. only way 10 stop them"
Il did not understand. Mr.. Rodney.
aid Chalmers siiffiy. that stock gam.
bling-spsculaiion well call twas NJ
wholly opJoscl Ia your own practice.
Speculation Il. bloweir' exclaimed
th. president. with unfcignei as,unish.
ment. Il hoI- you don't take any stock
In that cock ani bull story your brother
told Ia Mis- Tcnnant. l thought that
wa only for the purpose of letting her
down easy. - ! didn't say q wori-
though i, was mighty har'i work 10 keep
still-when she came here to M. with
Oh. deed. ~ every blessed thing she
ownei and wanted Ia SQUARE his ac-
counts. That girl'. trump. ] tell you.
Chalmers. Hut do you suppose ] wouli
sec her little fortune go to replace money
tha, had gone into the rapaciou. nav
~ this Mile. Leonie. a. che calls her
selff No. sir; ! amt that kind % q man.
Il presume you know what You are
saying. Mr.. Rodney" replied Chalmer.
with calmne-s. startled though he was
by the presidents implications. "But
remember. u you traduce my brother
needle-sly OF attribute to him matters
that You cannot sul-taniiate In his
present deienseless condition You will
have to answer to me"
"I.ook here. Chalmers" returned the
other: neither you nor ! are fools. and
We both know something of the world.
Now listen Ia Tue minute. II George
had bought stocks during the slump last
fall tas I understand this story goes).
when certificates were selling for about
the value of waste paper, aud had got
hold % more than he could carry, and
had come to me and made q clean breast
of II. don't You suppose ] would have
helped him out. even II he had been dip
ping into the hanks funds for the pur-
pose, wish 20 gracious somebody had
had the sense to 20 In then. and To drag
me and the hank after them. hut we
were all afraid-thought the bottom had
dropped right out"
The president ended with Sigh at the
recollection of the los. opportunity; the
sight of Chalmers' white face. pale and
fixed as marble before him. recalled 10
him the subject In hand.
"No, SIR he resumed, "that wasn't II
at all. I don't want TO hurt you. but
You might as well know the straight
story now"
lie looked at his companion interoga.
lively, and the latter nodded to him to
continue.
"The thing had been going On for
three years, and might have gone on for
m many more. OF until the hank was
ruined. II IL had not been for one OF
these government bank examiners. who
are always poking into other peoples
business. lie saw that thiiss were go
ing wrong. and told me 10 hrst. Then
we called George into my private room.
and he owned mp 10 the whole thing at
once. You see. IL had gone 20 far he
couldn't hope TO cover his tracks much
longer"
"How do you know where the money
wenti What proof have your
Everybody knew that but ourselves;
and we might have known II II We
hadn't been blind ~ bats. He had fur
nished suite of rooms for this Leonis
within O stones throw Of the best houses
On Euclid. They say she has everything
there that money can boy. Our money,
too, mind you." he added quickly. "And
as for diamonds and other claptrsp OF
that sort. be gave her enough to sst up
q shop"
"Csn You give me the exact amount
Of my brothers defalcationY'
"Ycs. sir. I can. Of course. But
would rather not. We specified certain
matters, suiiicient 10 insure conviction,
In the indictment, but We didn't tell the
public the whole story. We have Per
souslly made good the entire loss TO the
bsak now, sad We doa't eass 70 publisa