The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1897-12-17
A LUCKY OUTCOME.

office, realizing the fact that he was a
ruined man, and, worse still, that he Had
involved others in his own financial dis
astcrs without either their knowledge or
their consent. 1t was the old. old tale.
lll-fortune in business, rash speculative
Investments to meet extravagant eXpend-
iture, then misrepresentation OF trust
funds to repair past losses and enable
him to continue his gambling ventures
with the wild hope that previous misfor-
tunes could be retrieved. Now all was
gone, the fortune Of his orphan clients as
we'll as his own, and i'll another month
or so, when Harold Williams would be
~, and the trust would, by the terms
of his old friends will, have to be rem
dered up, discovery of the real condition
OF affairs must enSue.
IF you will consent to become their
trustee. Marchmont," the dying man had
said, Il shall appoint no one to act with
you. | can trust you fully, and shall
leave everything in your hands until Har-
old is "a. | know you'll do your best
for him and Ellie, and keep the money
where it is-in good, safe, nonspeculative
Investments
Mr.. Marchmont, then prosperous
merchant. had readily undertaken the
charge laid upon him, and fulfilled it
honestly enough until within Il year or so
before the time our story commences,
but there had been a time of great finan-
cial depression, and Mr.. Marchmont's
firm had suffered like the rest of the
world. and then in fatal hour he had
been tempted to gamble on the Stock ex-
change. He had won, had lost, lost
again. grown reckless, and now that
1000 which should be handed over to
Harold and his sister in another six
weeks was as nonexistent as was Mr..
Marchmont's own private fortune. Bust
ness was much depressed still, and Jenk-
ms, the other partner, had begun to ad-
vocate boldly facing the real condition of
t ti and winding up the firms af-
fairs, but Jenkins was, of course, igno-
rant of his partners embezzlement of
trust funds.
1t is one thing for a business man
whose affairs have become involved
through unexpected misfortunes to "call
a meeting of creditors" and lay the facts
plainly before them, and another 10
nave to confess that trustee has-to
put it bluntly-made away with money
which does not belong to him. 1t was
no small addition to the torturiug
anxiety of the situation that Jenkins was
SO perpetually advocating voluntary
winding up" of the firm and candid
statement of their affairs Of course,
the crash and the discovery were hound
to come shortly. Even already Mi,
Marchmont fancied that some suspicious
We're arising. in young Williams mind
TOR the youth had become rather press
ing. regarding. the fixture of date on
which to go into all the trust accounts
and have the investments duly trans
ferred. Alas, all these Investments
had been non-existent for some time. Fl
had often been a desperate struggle to
pay the interest on the vanished capital
and the delays which, had occa sionally
ensued had perhaps aroused some srls.
picion of the truth in Harold Williams
mind. On one pretence or another March.
mont had hitherto contrived to put Of
the evil day of reckoning, but had been
obliged to fix date for it at last. In
another six weeks the truth must lie re.
vealed. Mr.. Marchmon, must stand be.
fore the world as a convicted thief, a be-
trayer of the trust of dead friend, and
Harold and his sister must learn that
owing to his embezzlement they were re-
duced from comparative affluence to alb.
solute beggary. Small wonder that, as
the Wretched man sat alone in his private
room, his face looked gray and lined, or
that he glanced often at a certain locked
drawer, in which some weeks previously
he had placed tiny phial
''There is always that means of es-
cape. l can never face the lad and his
sister and tell them that l have ruined
Them" thought Marchmont, who, to dc
him justice, was even more concerned to
think of the calamity which he had
brought upon his young friends than of
the proba BILE consequences to himself of
his rash acts. eff I'd only drunk the
contents of that bottle three years ago,
before all this took place." thought the
merchant bitterly.
Heavily the days dragged on, jenkins
growing daily more insistent that they
should put up the shutters''
Its not our fault, but simply our
misfortune, Marchmont, that we are in
such straits,' the Junior partner would
often say: ut was those unexpected
failures, abroad that dragged us down,
but we're quite clear, thank heaven,
from any imputation of reckless trad
ing, and need have no objection to face
our creditors fairly and let them 20 over
our books for themselves. AS business
men they will be reasonable in the mat
ter, and we're only carrying OH now at a
loss, and getting worse every day."
True, the accounts of the firm were
clear and clean enough. 1t was in his
private capacity that Mr.. Marchmont
had gambled and embezzled, but to "wind
up his business would precipitate the
discovery of his private malpractices, and
with the natural desire of putting off the
evil day as far as possible Mr.. March
mont still chung to delay. Six weeks yet
remained to him, and then-at the worst
there were the contents of the phal.
"Truth is stranger than felton, is a
trite remark and the singular ACCIDENTS
which novelists are often ridiculed for
adapting into their tales not infrequent-
" take place in real life. One morning
Mr.. Marchmont, who was usually the last
to arrive at the Office, found Jenkins usu-
ally so cool and quiet, in a state of ex-
IRENE, though suppressed, excitement.
"Come in here" said this gentleman
dragging his partner by the arm into
their private sanctum, and carefully shut.
ting the door. Il don't want the clerks
to get an inkling of what l have to say
You remember those farms at the Cape
which we took over-as the only asset We
could lay hands on-when that South AT.
rican firm failed and let us in so heavily. "
eyes, and valueless enough they have
proved said Marchmont, indifferently.
"Have they?" cried Jenkins, exultant
ly: Gust wait and see. have re-
| ceived private Naturalization a source
l am not at liberty to disclose-that gold
has been discovered in some part of this
land, and that if we wait and play ou1
cards well we may make fortune vet
out of the sale of that valuable estate.''
And such, in fact, proved to be the
case. jenkins, shrewd and cautious
man of business, successfully negotiated
the matter, Marchmont, indeed, being toe
| dazed by this sudden change in the situa.