Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1899-06-01

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| TS1ZlShSSESS principal person
YNTMlz/#N&$&sS age, whom [ will
gx' U'0 w ~ call Carleto
Coke, because that was not his name,
was not rich man as we reckon
riches nowadays. But in Virginia in
the old days he was regarded as very
comfortable. That is to say, he
owned one plantation near Richmond
whose lavish hospitality exceeded its
productive capacity by several thou
sand dollars year, and two planta-
tions in Mississippi that were profit
able enough to make good the de-
ticiency, with ten or fifteen thousand
dollars year to spare.
Better still, his credit was undis-
puted, and to the Virginian of those
old days credit was vastly more i'm
portant than cash. I shall never for
get how he made me ride forty miles
through a cruel winter storm in order
to pay few hundreds of dollars to
friend to whom he owed the sum.
The friend observed that as nothing
in the world could tempt him out in
such storm to use the money, he
could not see why Mr.. Coke had made
anybody face the bitter weather in
order to place it in his hands. But
when repeated his remark Mr.. Coke
SAID "Never in my life have failed
to pay a debt-big or little-.on the
day that it was due. That is why my
credit is always good"
But he enjoyed another kind of
credit that was even better. He was
the best loved and most honered gen.
tleman in all the country side-the
one man whose word was law to all
his neighbors.
He had a friend whom I will call
William B. Arkwright. He was man
of as "good family" as any in Vir-
ginia. Bnt he was not prosperous.
His planting was successful enough,
and he might have lived comfortably
upon its proceeds. But he was WIS.,
ionary. He was given to projects,
each of which he expected to yield
him great fortune, but each of which
left him with somewhat heavier
debt than before to carry.
1t was in his enthusiasm for one of
these projects that Arkwright one day
asked Carleton Coke to help him to
funds by indorsing his note. The re-
quest was declined on the ground
that the project was visionary and I'M
certain, and would probably have no
other result than that of plunging its
author into new difficulties.
Three months later Carleton Coke
received notice from bank in Rich
mond that q note for $4,000, Endorsed
by himself, would fall du e within a
few days.
He went to the bank and asked to
see the note. 1t had been executed
by William B. Arkwright. 1t bore
Mr.. Coxe's Endorsement, forged by
its maker, unquestionably in full con
fidence that he would be able to meet
the obligation and thus wrong no one.
TWAS the old story of good intentions
thwarted.
Without a word as to the forgery
Carleton Coke took up the note, Civ.
ing his own obligation in its stead.
Meantime Arkwright went South upon
some plea of business, and his family
heard no more of him. Nevertheless
name that had always been held il
honor was saved from disgrace by the
act of self-sacrifice. And the self.
sacrifice was the greater because that
year Clubhouse fire had burned
Coxe's Mississippi cotton crop and
thus deprived him of his income.
Arkwright had disappeared, but ne
shadow of scandal rested upon his
name to grieve his wife and render
his children outcasts by an inherit
ance of shame. The country South
was infested with bandits at that time
and the disappearance of any mar
travelling there with good horse wa
not difficult to account for. Tit
honor of distinguished family wa
saved, and even to his own wife tn,
man who had saved it at SO dear
price breathed no word of the hideou
truth.
A month or two later Mr.. Coke wa
summoned to serve upon the gran'
jury of his county.
He went to court, for he neve
shirked and never equivocated and hi
soul simply could not consent to lie
But he declined to serve upon til
grand jury. When questioned by tn
Judge as to his excuse, he replied:
81 have none. I simply decline t
serve"
''But, Mr.. Coke, there must be
reason" said the Judge.
'eThere is. 1t is reason touchin
my honor, and am bound to indicat
it to you. The oath of grand iuro
binds him to bring before the gran
jury any facts that he may know cor