The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1894-06-14


lips quivering from chagrin and dis
appointment. Almost unconsciously
he bent his steps toward distant hill.
whereon lay the city cemetery, and
half an hour later le was walking up
the hill with long. sweeping strides,
TOTALLY Indifferent to the fact that the
duet of the road was destroying the
polish of his shapely shoes which that
very morning he had put on with so
much care. Flinging himself upon the
first bench he came to, he tried for
time to control his feelings, but at
last he burst into tears.
Paul Williams was man OF five
and twenty. and for four years he
had held the position from which he
had now been SO suddenly dismissed.
He was the son of widow, who had
been able TO give him good educa.
tion, aud who, dying, left him small
legacy. Though ho had no habits
which could have been called really
bal. hc unfortunately possessed traits
OF character which kept him from sue
cecding as his friends had just reason
TO expect. He was one of tho men,
bcrs of n band of young men who,
though not really dissipated, had
formed the dangerous habit OF spend
ing money as fast or faster than they
earned it. His pride had again laid
trap for him, and always wishing not
to appear small, he spent his money
freely on tho most trivial things.
Some two years before the time of
which we write he had begun to pay
his attentions to II young lady who
was now his betrothed; and wishing
most of all not TO appear mean in the
eyes Of the woman he loved, he had
often made her presents and spent
money upon her when she would have
respected him Just as much, perhaps
more, ifhe had kept his purse closed.
But though in this way he had spent
nearly all of the legacy left him by his
mother, the young man might not
have come TO grief had it not been for
another habit more seductive and in
finitely more dangerous than oil the
others-the practice of running into
debt heedlessly and without thought.
1t had always been a failing with him,
but within year it had grown strong
er than ever. His credit, borrowing
the common phrase, was good, and
when anything in shop or store caught
his fancy he would order it done up,
and telling them to charge it, would
take it away with him. In this man
ner he had made bills which, could he
have known their proportions, would
have made him tremble.
All these things presented themselves
to Paul Williams in their true light
for the first time, as he sat alone in
the silent cemetery. After q time he
came to feel that the action of his en-
ployers, harsh as it might seem, was
not without cause; and then, though
what he was to do in the future
seemed blank, he began to lay plans
| to extricate himself from bad matter
with an independence and self-reliance
Mt which he himself was surprised.
First of all he would draw what money
he had in bank, and as far as possible
.--,Jvi .
and try 10 find something TO do
which would enable him to pay the
rest. Acting upon this resolve he
drew out his note book and noted the
names of his creditors; the list was a
long one, and with each succeeding
name his face grew graver. But when
his task was finished he shut the book
with determined air, and thrusting
it into his pocket arose from his seat
and walked rapidly away. Two hours
later Paul Williams sat in his room
with package Of bills, on each of
which was the ominous letters "Dr. "
on one hand and on the other roll of
bank notes. All told he was in debt
seven hundred dollars! Three times
he went over the figures in bewil-
dered way, only TO find each time that
he had made no mistake Then he
turned and counted the bills before
him; there was less than four hun
dred dollars, n little more than half
what he owed. But he felt resolved
to do the best he could and act the
part of n man. So, after a hasty din
ner, he once more sailed out on the
, street, and visiting each of his
creditors paid what he owed them un-
til not dollar remained in his poe.
Eet, Three things now remained for
, him TO do: to see his late employers
and obtain settlement; to call upon
his betrothed and tell her all that had
| happened and all that might happen !;
and then to leave Johnsport and go he
knew not where. On visiting the Office
, of Dodge ~ Co. he found but one
member of the firm in, son of the
man with whom he talked in the
morning, not present at that time.
'Paul, he said, as he handed him n
/ check, 81 am sorry about this thing.
5 It's wretched business from begin
, ming to end, and if 1 could have had
my way about it, old boy, it would
not have happened. As sonn as 7