Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-08-17
CHAPTER Ill.

Giving them list, they gave me
memorandum offer for the lot. l accept.
cd their offer and the next hour was n
very bad 60 minutes for me. There was
considerable delay, and my suspicious
were fully aroused, and at one time /
thought they had made some discovery;
but, as fact, my suspicious were Who'll
| ly unfounded
Tho banker and clerks were simply
hurrying around, anxious to oblige me
and have the money out Of the bank be-
fore 1t closed. At last the amounts were
figured up and verified by myself. One
of the partners hastened off to the bank
and in five minutes returned with very
pretty parcel Of 175, 900 gulden.
Going TO Rothschilds', in Rue La
fltte, l bought exchange on New York
for $50, 900, and left tho same night for
London. Very many times JouTneyed
over that route in after years, but never
with quite so light heart. was young
and enthusiastic; all the glamour and
! poetry OF life hung around me, while
was too inexperienced to notice whittier
was drifting or to understand the pow
erful current upon which / had en-
barked. In fact, had sold myself to do
the doyil's work, and day by day the
chain would tighten, while all the time
l thought could when 1 pleased stop
short on the downward grade and take
the back track. More experience would
have taught me that every ono who for
sock tho path Of honor not only thought
the same, but had purpose to even ev-
orything up some day and make restitu-
ton. And today there is not a criminal
but who at tho start looks forward to
the time when he will no longer war
against society, but will go out and
como in at peace with all men But,
when ono comes TO think Of it, what
FOOLS game ia that of man who fights
against society
Tho criminal has but two arms; very
short and weak they arc, nnd of flesh
too He has but two eyes that cannot
| possibly sec around the nearest corner,
while society has million arms of steel
that can reach around tho world, and
million eyes which are never closed,
that can pierce the thickost gloom with
sleepless vigilance, The poor, unhappy
criminal by fortunate dexterity may es-
cape for u little, but at last society lays
her iron grasp ON him. and with giant
force hurls him into dungeon. As for
| the short lived, tempestuous success that
somo fow criminals have, is there any
sweetness in itf say no success won
| in honest fight Is sweet, but | know
| from my own experience that the sue
cess of crime brings no sweetness, no
| blessing with it, but leaves tho mind a
prey to thousand haunting fears that
make shipwrcck of peace.
wont down to Liverpool and en-
barked on the good ship Java Ten days
lator we sailed through tho Narows
During my last day IN London 1 went
| to Westminster abbey and spent three
hours in that Valhalla of the Anglo
Saxon race. 1t made tremendous i'm
preston upon my mind. In no oths
work Of human hands do tho spirits OF
so many departed heroes linger certain.
ly in no other does the dust of so many
Of the great dead rest, and as I read
memorial upon memorial to departed
greatness / realized that the path of
honor and Of truth was the only one for
men to tread.
All through the voyage tho influences
OF the abbey were upon me; felt was
troading ON dangerous ground and re-
solved | wopld have no more OF Il.
Would had then resolved, when met
Irving Sc Co., TO throw all the pluudor
in their faces and say, "I'll have none
Of it, and here we part. felt that |
ought TO do that. but weakly said, |
need the $4,000, and I'll give the
rogues their share and then sec them no
more. Ind fully made up my mind to
that, knowing Irving would be ON tho
wharf eager TO meet me.
In sailing through tho Narrows and
past Staten Island was making up my
mind as to the little speech / would
mako. We rapidly nenred the wharf in
Jersey City, and l quickly recognized
Irving standing ON the edge Of the close
ly packed crowd, watching tho steamer
with nervous look on his face
Flo sprang ON board, rushed to mo
with beaming face, grasped my hand,
and putting the other ON my shoulder
led me toward the gangway He had
not spoken yet, but as We were going
down the gangplank he said, MY boy,
you have done splendidly," and then,
putting his mouth close to my car, whis-
perod I'VE have got another Job for
You, and it's beautyr'
Going up tho wharf with Irving, l
was ON the point Of telling him / want
ed no more Jobs, bat weakly put it or,
and by so doing, of course, made 1t more
difficult He told mo Stanley and White
were waiting at Taylor's hotel on Mont
gomery street, u fow doors up from the
wharf
Wo soon were there, and they gave
me warm and even enthusiastic recep-
ton, and. opening box. produced
the 10 bills OF exchange for t5, 900 each,
informing them they should have their
cash In 20 minutes. 1t was curious TO
see these men handle the bills Of ex-
change, passing them from one to an
other, examining them with anxious
eaiNs But where were my good resolu-
lions and what had become Of them?
Why, they, under the ofgeot Of the wine
and the magnetic Influence Of these
three minds. Ind gone flying down tho
bay, and under q favoring gaiowere fast
speeding seward beyond tho ken Of
mortal eye, NOT to ho found by me again
-. a.