Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1897-07-08

Marchmont had hitherto contrived 70
put Off the evil day Of reckoning Init
had been obliged to fix q date for i at
last. In another six weeks the tr,,th
must be revealed: Mr.. Marchmont
must stand before the world as q CON
vlcted thief, betrayer of the trust of
dead friend, and Harold and his
sister must learn that owing to his
embezzlement they were reduced from
comparative affluence to absolute beg
gary. Small wonder that, as the
Wretched man sat alone in his private
room, his face looked gray and lined,
or than he glanced often at certain
locked drawer, in which some weeks
previously, he had placed tiny phial
There IS always that means of es-
cape. | can never face the lad and
his sister and tell them that I have
ruined Them" thought Marchmont,
who, to do him justice, was even more
concerned to think of the calamity
which he had brought upon his young
friends, than of the probable conse-
quences to himself of his rash acts.
IF I'd only drank the contents of that
bottle three years ago, before all this
took place! thought the merchant
bitterly.
cts not our fault, but simply our
misfortune, Marchmont, that we are
in such straits, the junior partner
would often say. cit was those
unexpected failures abroad that
dragged us down. But we're quite
clear, thank heaven, from any imputa-
ton of reckless trading 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 loss,
and getting worse every day.
True, the accounts of the firm
We're clear and clean enough; it was
in his private capacity that Mr..
Marchmont had gambled and embez-
zled. But to sswind up his business
would preclpitate the discovery of his
private malpractices; and with the
natural desire of putting off the evil
day as far as possible, Mr.. Marchmont
still chung to delay. Six weeks yet
remained to him, and then-at the
worst-there were the contents of the
vial.
s'Truth is stranger than fiction" is
a trite remark; and the singular acct
dents" which novelists are often ridi-
culed for adapting into their tales not
unfrequently take place in real life.
One morning Mr.. Marchmont, who
was usually the last to arrive at the
Office, found Jenkins, usually SO cool
and quiet, in state of extreme,
though suppressed excitement.
"Come here, /" said this gentleman,
dragging his partner by the arm into
the private sanctum, and carefully
shutting the door. IT don't want the
clerks to get an inkling Of what I 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 African firm failed
and let us in SO heavily?"
eyes, and valueless enough they
have proved" said Marchmont indif-
s.Have they?" cried Jenkins exult-
ingly. ssJust wait and see. I have
received private information-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 well-we may
make fortune yet out Of the sale of
that valuable estate. Z"
And such, in fact, proved to be the
case. Jenkins, a shrewd and cautious
man of business, successfully nego-
tiated the matter; Marchmont, indeed,
being too dazed by this sudden change
in the situation to intermeddle much
in the affair.
There were delays, and many dis
cussions, and much correspondence,
but the matter ended-th to Mr..
Jenkins good management-ln these
erstwhile despised 'sAfrican farms, .
proving veritable 'sgold mine" to
the original owners who sold them for a
sum which entirely recouped Mr.. March
mont for his private losses, and enabled
Mr.. Jenkins to retire from the firm
as he promptly announced his inten-
ton of doing with comfortable
competence.
ct have made my money, and l
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 composnre. It was neces-
sary, 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 usually
satisfied to receive their own, without
indulging in too close scrutiny, as to
how it has been dealt with before it
arrives in their hand. Mr.. Marchmont
WINGED, however, as he saw that Har-