San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-12-03
THE END OR HIS TIME.
By JAMES KNAPP REEVE.

teous, but firmly negatived his pro-
posals.
81 am sorry for YOU Chalmers" he
said, ''but | can't do thing to help
YOU. No, | can't recommend the gov
ernor to pardon him. 1t wouldn't be
right. No, don't care about the money,
the bank can stand that well enough;
but it's the principle of the thing. Lots
of young men right here in this town
are following in Georges footsteps, and
they've got to be scared out of it. It's
the only way to stop them"
Il did not understand, Mr.. Rodney"
said Chalmers stifiy, that stock gam
MISREPRESENTATION We'll call twas so
wholly opposed to your own practice"
Speculation be blowedr' exclaimed
the president, with unfeigned astonish-
ment. Il hope you don't take any stock
in that cock and bull story your brother
told to Miss Tenant. | thought that
was only for the purpose of letting her
down easy, so l didn't say word
though it was mighty hard work to keep
still-when she came here to me with
, the deeds of every blessed thing she
owned and wanted to square his &C
counts. That girls trump, tell you,
Chalmers. But do you suppose would
see her little fortune go to replace money
that had gone into the rapacious nav
of this Mile. Leonie, as she calls her.
self? No, sir; amt that kind of man."
81 presume you know what you are
saying, Mr.. Rodney" replied Chalmers
with calmness, startled though he was
by the presidents implications. But
remember, if you traduce my brother
needlessly or attribute to him matters
that you cannot substantiate in his
present defenseless condition you will
have to answer to me"
"Look here, Chalmers" returned the
other; neither you nor | are fools, and
we both know something of the world.
Now listen to me minute. If George
had bought stocks during the slump last
fall las l understand this story goes),
when certificates were selling for about
the value of waste paper, and had got
hold of more than he could carry, and
had come to me and made clean breast
of it, don't you suppose l would have
helped him out, even if he had been dip
ping into the banks funds for the pur-
pose? wish to gracious somebody had
had the sense to go in then, and to drag
me and the bank after them. But we
were all afraid-thought the bottom had
dropped right out"
The president ended with sigh at the
recollection of the lost opportunity; the
sight of Chalmers white face, pale and
fixed as marble before him, recalled to
him the subject in hand.
''No, sir" he resumed, "that wasn't it
at all. l don't want to hurt you, but
you might as well know the straight
story now"
He looked at his companion interroga-
lively, and the latter nodded to him to
continue.
"The thing had been going on for
three years, and might have gone on for
as many more, or until the bank was
ruined, if it had not been for one of
these government bank examiners, who
are always poking into other peoples
business. He saw that things were 60
ing wrong, and told me so first. Then
we called George into my private room,
and he owned up to the whole thing at
once. You see, it had gone so far he
couldn't hope to cover his tracks much
longer"
"How do you know where the money
went? What proof have your"
Everybody knew that but ourselves;
and we might have known it if we
hadn't been blind as bats. He had fur
nished a suite of rooms for this Leonie
within stones throw of the best houses
on Euclid. They say she has everything
there that money can buy. Our money,
too, mind you" he added quickly. "And
as for diamonds and other claptrap of
that Sort he gave her enough to set up
shop"
"Can you give me the exact amount
of my brothers defalcation%
Eyes, sir, can, of course. But
would rather not. We specified certain
matters. sufficient to insure conviction,
in the indictment, but we didn't tell the
public the whole story. We have per
sonally made good the entire loss to the
bank now. and we don't care to publish
Just how badly we were hit through our
own stupidity"
Gas you please" answered Chalmers.
81 only asked in order that | might re.
imburse you. | have instructed my
bankers in New York to have sufficient
funds ready, and if You will name the
amount will give sight draft for it. y
"On my word" said the president
more kindly than he ha last spoken, 81
appreciate your offer, Mr.. Chalmers,
and the motive that prompts it. as.
sure you do. But we cannot accept
your proposal. l presume you will en-