The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1895-12-26


his community. IL a tragic drama. But
once In a while II happens that the
story OF n fatal mistake Is neither told
by the daily press nor aired In the
courts: and when the tragedy Is thus
whispered from mouth 10 mouth II
seems TO come nearer home and TO af-i
feet ~ more deeply than crime OF pub
lie notoriety.
The treasurer OF large manufacture
Ing company In the east, by reason OF
bis caution In hard times and his hnan'
eial daring In prosperous times. had not
only doubled the resources Of his COM
pany. but had accumulated property Ia
his own right.
Business men respected his intultlye
ability and apparent integrity. and his
noighbors honored him as a model ciu-
zen. Women used to say 10 his wife.
How happy you must be with such a
noble husband"
No one lived a more open lie than he.
The president, and directors Of bis COM
pany had long since given the whole
financial management Of the business
into his charge. and the inspection Of
the books was made so grudEingly and
so seldom that :; had come to be- hardly
more than a form.
But one day while the treasurer was
Ia the city, the president had occasion
to look az some papers IN the safe The
more he looked. the more interested and
he graver he became he did not no.
tice the flight ~ time. for he was exam
ing the accounts Of years past Before
he realized II the treasurer stood beside
him, with trembling limbs and ashen
face.
There IS an error In your books"
aid the president. with severity. How
30 you account for a deficit Of Over
thirty thousand dollars?"
My Godw cried Mr.. S. Don't have
ne arrested. Think o; my family.
Come with me; you shall have II all"
Terribly agitaied he dragged his ac.
user to his house and up TO an attic
room. Of which he alone had the key.
There he opened a secret panel and
displayed to the Ertonishcd president
stocks, bonds and money. the accumula.
lion OF years OF theft
With tears streaming down his face
he confessed the details and methods
of his long-cOntinued stealing.
why have you done this? You have
not used the money. Tell me Why"
As his president asked these ques.
lions. the eyes Of the wretched man gilt
tered strangely. lie tried 10 answer
and could not. with a despairlng ges-
ture he pushed the hoard away from
him and uttered a great cry. Was Il
possible that be was going mad?
In few days his physician pro.
nounced the embezzler hopelossly in
sane. lie was not sent TO an asylum
but was confined In his own house with
suitable attendants. The company gen
erously kept silent. and the cause Of
their treasurer's insanity was not made
known TO the public. His toWnsmen
To-day do not suspect H.
But day after day and night after
night. the patient wanders from his
sleeping-room 10 the attic chamber
counting over imaginary papers and
mutterlng to himself. There Is an er,
rorl There Is an error" That Is hi,
'easeless cry. Until he dies. In all prob
ability his lips will form only thos,
four fateful words: There Is an er.
ror!
There are few more striking lllustra
lions than this. OF the fact that the SOU
has It's own ledger. and lis own debit
and credit account with It's conscienc,
and It's God. The balancing Of thii
,edger, and the adjustment Of the &c
count. must be considered sooner Of
later. Happy Is he. against whom
there II no charge that recalls unhal
lowed deeds. and that s,irs to acutenesi
the consciousness Of Just condemnation
/ by God and man.