Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-08-18

bHOuSu SuppEtsScu tAClttlh6uu
"Come In here" said this gentleman,
dragging his partner by the arm into their
private sanctum and carefully shutting the
door, II don t want the clerks to get an
inkling Of what have to say. You re-
member those farms at the Cape which we
took over-as the only asset we could lay
hands on-when that South African firm
failed and let us in SO heavily"
eyes, and valueless enough they have
proved" said Marchmont indifferently.
'Have theyf" cried Jenkins exultantly.
"Just wait and see. l have received pri-
vate informal ion-from a source am not
at liberty to disclose-that gold has been
discovered in some part Of this land, and
that if we wait and play our cards we'll
we may make fortune yet out of the sale
of that valuable estate.' -
And such, in fact, proved to be the case.
jenkins, a shrewd and cautious man Of
business, successfully negotiated the mat
ter, Marohmont indeed being too dazed by
this sudden change in the situation to in
termeddle much in the affair
There were delays and many discussions
and much correspondence, but the matter
ended-thanks to Mr.. Jenkins good man
"African farms" proving veritable gold
mine" to the original owners, who sold
them for sum which entirely recouped
Mr.. Marchmont for his private losses and
enabled Mr.. jenkins to retire from the
firm-as he promptly announced his in
tention Of doing-with comfortable COM
petence
~ have made my money and don't
mean to risk it in any business again, "
remarked this gentleman.
Thanks to this unexpected stroke of
luck, Mr.. Marchmont was able to look
forward to the dreaded trust audit with
more composure. 1t was necessary, of
course, to prepare very elaborate and
fictitious series Of accounts to conceal the
real facts, but at least the money was there
to be handed over, and recipients are usu-
ally satisfied to receive their own without
indulging in too close scrutiny as to how
1t has been dealt with before it arrives in
their hands. Mr.. Marchmont WINGED,
however, as he saw that Harold Williams,
when he kept the long deferred appoint
ment at the merchants office to ego into
the accounts" had brought his solicitor
with him, shrewd, keen eyed, middle
aged man Of well known ability in the
profession. Nothing, however, could be
more courteous than this gentleman's de-
meanor as he explained that ''his young
client, being somewhat ignorant of bust
ness" had suggested that he should ac-
company him and check over the trust ac-
counts. At least the money was forth
coming, as Marchmont thought with an
infinite sense of relief, but as the quiet
lawyer examined the accounts in silence
the miserable trustee felt we'll aware that
the shrewd solicitor had accurately gagged
the real condition of affairs and could
penetrate all the ingenious devices where
by figures had been manipulated to con-
ceal facts.
Indeed as Mr.. Vivian, the lawyer, turned
over the accounts he was saying to HIM
self: EXACTLY as l expected. These trust
funds have been made away with and re-
placed. Well, it's no business of mine to
point this out, and anyhow my client has
got back his own in the end
But there was a decided GOODNESS in the
tones in which Mr.. Vivian thanked Mr..
Marchmont for the opportunity he had
given them for inspecting his trust &C
counts, which were all IN due order
"And now we have only to arrange for
the formal transference Of the property to
Mr.. Williams and his sister," remarked
the lawyer as he laid down the last paper.
"No," exclaimed Harold who, like Mr..
Marchmont, had noted the GOODNESS of his
lawyers manner to the trustee. "No. Ivo
something else to do first"
Both the other men looked at the speak
er in some surprise
~ have to ask your forgiveness, sir,
said the youth ingenuously, advancing to-
ward Mr.. Marchmont and holding out his
hand. 81 am utterly ashamed to confess
that for some time have wronged you,
my fathers Oldest friend and the kind and
faithful guardian of my own and my sis
ter's interests, by wicked and unjust sus-
picions. Circumstances-not worth re-
calling now-had led me to fancy that
well, I'm fairly ashamed to say the words
-that--our money was not quite safe in
your keeping. l see now how mistaken
how wrong Iwas''-here Mr.. Vivian mem
tally calculated, "Was he?'--"and ask
your pardon for the wrong did you in
my thoughts. I feel it only due to you,
sir, to make this confession, ashamed as I
am to have to do it, but you will forgive
me, VIII you HOU!
There was a pause. Mr.. Marchmont
did not take the offered hand, but sat still,
with a strange, fixed look upon his face
II was SO anxious about Ellie, my little
sister," went on the young man. "We are
all alone in the world, as you know, but If
cruelty misjudged you, sir, am at least
ready to acknowledge myself utterly in
the wrong and to ask your forgiveness
We're my dear father here," added the
young man, with some emotion, 81 am
sure he would fully appreciate your kind
ness to his orphan children and thank you
as sincerely as l do for your noble and
conscientious fulfillment of the trust he
reposed in you"
Mr.. Marchmont slowly staggered to his
feet, an awful grayness oyerspreading his
face.
ut s-very-touching- and-gratify-
ing" he began in a strangely altered voice.
Then he suddenly collapsed and fell on
the floor-dead.
"The fellow had some conscience, after
all," thought Mr.. Vivian to himself,
whenever he looked back on the awful oc.
currence, but, lawyerlike, kept his own
counsel.
Failure Of the hearts action" was the
medical verdict with the addendum that
Mr.. Marchmont had long been in a critical
state Of health.
Harold Williams often reproached him
self for having by little additional ex-
citement possibly accelerated the fatal
catastrophe, but yet, as the young man
once remarked to Mr.. Vivian:
II cannot understand how my merely
thanking poor Mr.. Marchmont should
have affected him SO much. 1t was not as
II anything had been wrong with his ao-
eounts.
Mr.. Vivian only coughed In reply, and
to the end Of their lives Harold and his
sitter believed their trustee to have been n