Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1897-07-23

DtlOIt tutlug duu ouOthOA ~
TO confess that a trustee has-to
put 1t bluntly-made away With
money that does not belong to
him 1t was no small addition TO
the torturing anxiety Of the situa.
tion that jenkins was so perpetual
~ advocating a voluntary wind
ing up of the firm, and a candid
statement of their affairs. Of
course, the crash aud the discovery
we're bound to come shortly; even
already Mr.. Marchmont iancied
that some suspicious were arising
III young Williams mind, for the
youth had become rather pressing
regarding the fixture of a date on
which to 90 into all the trusts &C
counts, and have the investments
duly transferred. Alas! all these
'investments' had been non existent
for some time. 1t had often been
desperate struggle to pay the
interest on the vanished capital,
aud the delays which had OCCASION
ally ensued had perhaps aroused
some suspicion Of the truth III
Harold Williams mind. On ole
pretence or another, MarchmOnt
had hitherto cOntrived to pat oil
the evil day of reckoning, bat bad
been obliged to fix date for 1t at
last. In another SIX weeks the
truth must be revealed: Mr.. VI arch
mons must stand before the world
as convicted tibet, betrajer OF
the trust of a dead friend, and
Harold AMI his sister must learn
that owing to his embezzlement
they we're reduced from compare
tive affl renee 70 absolute Oeggary.
Small wonder that, as the wretch e
ed man sat alone IN his private
room, his face looked gray and
lined. or that he glanced of en- a,
certain locked drawer, in which
some weeks previously, he had
placed time phial.
There is always that means OF
escape. l can never face the Lao
and his sister and tell them thai
l have ruined them thought
Narchmont, who, to do him justice,
was even more concerned to think
of the calamity which be had
brought npon his yonng friends,
than of the probable consequences
te himself Of his rash acts. If I'd
onl, drank the contents OF that
bottle three years ago before all
this took placeP thought the mer-
chant bitterly.
Its not our fault, bat simply
oar misfortune, Marchmont, that
we are in such straits the jnnor
partner would often say. 1T was
those unexpected failures abroad
that dragged Us down. But we're
quite clear, thank heaven, from
any imputation of RECKLESS trad
rng,' and need have no objection
to face our creditors fairly, and
let them go over our books for
themselves. AS business men they
will be reasonable in the matter
and we're only carrying on now at
a loss, aud getting worse every
day
True, the accounts of the firm
we're clear and Clean enough; II
was IN his private capacity that
Mr., Marchmont had ga o 6led snC
embezzled. But to 'wind up bis
business would precipitate the dis
cOyery of his private malpractlces;
and with the natural desire o
pattlng off the evil day as far as
possible, Mr.. Marchmont still clunl
| to delay. Six weeks yet remained
to him, and then-lt the worst
here we're the contents of th'
vial.
srruth is stranger than fiction
liz "a trite remark, aud the 'singulal
accidents which nOvelists Al
often ridiculed tor adapting INT
their tales not unfrequently tax
place in real life. One mOrnln
| llr. Marcbmont, who vas usnall,
the last to arrive at the once
found Jenkins, usually so cool am
qaiet, IN state of extreme, thong
suppressed excitement.
Come here said this gentle
man dragging his partner by tn
arm into the private sanctum, an'
carefully shutting the door,
! don't want the clerks to get a
, inklining of what l have TO sa'
You remember those farms at tn
Cape which we took over-as Ii
t only asset we could 10y hands on
when that South African hrI
e failed and let us 10 so heavilyY
Yes. and valueless enough the
s have proved said Marchmont II
J. differently.