The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1893-12-16
MISSING
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D on Cne part OK lanQlOrQS OF
t~radespeople can rob them Of their
| birthright. They may be poor, but they
are well born" Their clothes may be
the worse for wear, they may ride in
omnibusses, end they may not always
still they are ladies and gentlemen by
birth.
When Mrs. Leacroft found that Jack
| Smedley was a real" gentleman, she
smiled upon him, and was gracious,
and she discovered that her people"
had in some years gone by known
some Of his people" and she vas able
to tell him whom his great aunts mar
ried, and what relation he was by mar
riage to several people who occasion
to her majesty and among the guests
at the balls and receptions Of the sea-
son.
And when Jack and Rose discovered
that they were in love with each other,
Mrs. Leacroft was glad: Mr.. Smedley
was a rising. young man. He was sure
to attain a good position in the city,
and, though a business man, he was
1.-THE scion of q county family"
1t was not q very long courtship.
Six months after they were engaged
Jack and Rose were married, and they
took a tiny little house in the Camden
road, and had one little maid-of-all-
work, and were very economical, for
they had determined to save all they
could, and never, never get into debt
or to launch out beyond their means.
1t was a happy little home, and it
grew happier as Jacks position i'm
proved, and they had a big grown-up
servant, and the little drawing room
began to fill with elegant nick-nacks,
and Rose had prettier and more x
pensive dresses, and they could give
modest little dinner parties, and take
their holiday comfortably at the sea-
side, not in lodgings, but at the best
hotel.
Then they moved to a bigger house,
and had stalls at the theaters and at
the opera, and a hired brougham took
them and brought them home, and
they oon began to taste the pleasure
of being 'well-to-do."
Everything ]prospered with Jack after
his marriage. The firm had been
pleased with him before. They were
delighted with him now. He was mar
ried, and that removed the last draw
back to their complete confidence in
Al "A AIl1NSOlAC SOuuE 4c41OW VI OAC-
and-twenty Is not so desirable as a con-
fdential clerk as a young married man
of the same age.
So perfect was the firms faith in
Jack that, when the head clerk started
in business for himself, Jack took his
place, and from that moment was alb
solute. He saw the principal clients,
managed the biggest jobs, signed
cheques In the firms name, and took
over the entire command Of the ship;
and the partners, who were growing
old and had made their .''pile," gradual
" left the business more and more to
him, until at last they did as he told
them, instead of telling him what he
was to do for them. And finally, things
going on so well, they took longer holt
days than usual, and didn't mind about
being away both together. Mr.. Smed-
ley" was now practically the firm, and
clients asked for no n else. If one
of the partners was In and saw q eli
ent, the client just said How dye
dog and then said he would wait and
see Mr.. Smedley.
When things were in this delightful
position Mr.. Smedley was very differ
ent from the Jack Smedley Of old days.
He was as handsome and amiable as
ever, but not so economical. He had
a beautiful house in town, and his wife
had her horses and diamonds, and they
gave grand parties and had launched
out in a life which was q costly and x
travagant n
Everybody knew that Jack didn't do
it on his salary. You don't live up to
$1,000 a year on f1,00O. But there was
no mystery about 1t. Jack, with his
s,$1vooko y,nnrylnN~n ~ thu ,,,nulyofc
had made coup after coup on his own
common gossip that during one panic
he had made over EDO, 600 in American
rails, and out Of the electric light boom
while it had lasted he had cleared an
other 100000.
One day-it vas q week before the
dinner party referred to at the opening
Of this narrative-the partners came up
to town smiling and bland, and when
they arrived at the Office they invited
Mr.. Smedley to favor them with q few
moments conversation in their private
room.
They told him that In consideration
of his talents, and his long faithful
service, they had determined to take
him into partnership.
OF course Jack thanked them effu-
s~ively-dream of his life-never repay
their kindness, etc.
Then they went into details, and ex-
planned that as there was to be a part
nership, everything must Of course be
done in q proper way, and go an &C
| countant would come and 60 through
the books, and put everything straight,
so that they might make a perfectly
fair and business-like start as between
themselves and. their new and junior
| partner.
"Quite right" said Jack; and 1t was
arranged that the accountant should
get the accounts straight, and then the
| deeds should be drawn up and the part
nership should be settled.
The night OF the dinner party w,ls
the night before the accountant was
Ito commence his labors. On the fol-
lowing morning Mr.. Smedley packed a
| portmanteau and kissed his wife, tell
Ing her he had to go out OF town to see
O. client OF the firms, who was Ill and
wanted to sell out his shares in various
undertakings and invest In consols.
He didn't 60 TO the office, and the
partners were afraid he was III, and
gent up to his house. Mrs. Smedley,
astonished, wrote note to say he
had gone out OF town for the firm.
Then the partners were astonlshed,
too, and couldn't make 1t out, and didn't
Euntil the accountant struck them
speechless with horror and a~Tlazeinent
by Informing them that there was Y
sum 9of nearly $4,000 which was not
properly accounted Tor. 2 which he
wanted to know about before he could
balance.
This led to d closer Investigation, and
then there was no doubt as to the
motive nf the confidential clerks dis