The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1902-01-31
CHAPTER IL. Continued

= GUS Nhdh no one can possibly beilevo
it2 Ii is follyi Confide in me. il is your
Nnly chance of salvation / am your
employer. il is true; but am before
and above all your friend your best
end truest friend. ] can not forget
that in this very room. fifteen years
Rgo, you we're intiustcd to me by
your father; and ever since that day
have : had cause To- congratulate my
self on possessing so faithful and ell
cient a clerk. Yes. IL is Gf,ecn years
since you came % me. ! ,vas then
Just commencing the foundation ct
my fortune. You have secn 10 gradn-
ally grow, step bt step. from almost
nothing to its present height As
my wealth Increased { endeavored to
better your condition. you. who. al
though so young are the oldest OK
my clerks. At each inventory Of my
Gsrtune, increased your salary"
Never had Prosper heard him eN-
press himself In so feeling and pa
ternal manner. Prosper was silent
gith estonishment.
Answer" pursued NJ Fauvei;
"bave | not always beeR like ia
ther to you? From the FIRST day my
house has Leeu open TO YOU; you were
treated as "a member of my family.
Madeleine aud my sons looked upon
you a. q brother But you grew
weary at this peaceful life. One day,
year ago. you suddenly began to
shun us. and since then
The memories Of the past thus
evoked by the banker seemed too
much for the uphuppy cashier. he
buried his face Ia his hands, and wept
bitterly
"A man cun conhde everything to
his father without fear of being
harshiy Judged" resumed N. Fauyel.
"A father not only purdous, be for
gets DO I not know the terrible
femptations that beset young man
in city like Paris? There are some
inordinate desires before which the
6rinest principles must give way, and
which So pervert our moral seuse as
to render as Incapable OF Judging be-
tween right aud wrong. Speak Pros
per, speal<sl"
What do you vlsh me TO say?"
'"rbe truth When an honorable man
Yields. iu All hour Of weakness, to
temptation, his first step toward
atoncmcnt is confession. Say TO me,
Yes, have been tempted. d&zzled the
sight OF these piles of gold turned my
brain am young. | have passions
~" musmured Prosper, ~
Poor boy" said the banker, sadly;
edo you thiak ! ana ignorant of the
lifc yeo have beer leading since you
lcf nsy roof "a year ago? Can you not
understand that all your fellow-clerks
are icalous o. youf that they do not
forgive poi fur earning twelve thou
sand frnncs year? Never have you
comioiued piece oil folly without my
being Immediately informed of il by
an anonymous letter. ! can tell the
eNnct Number of ngats you have
spent AZ the gomiug-table, and the
amount of money yon have squan-
dcred Oh envy has good eyes and a
quicl earl have Great contempt for
these cowardlv deuunciations,bu but was
forced not only tc heed them, but "a
make inquiries myself. II is only right
that I shoulG huow what sort Of a
life a. ied hY the iuan TO whom | in
trust NY fortune and my honor"
Prosper seemed about TO protest
against this last speech.
'Yes. nay houor.. insisted NJ. Fauyei
fn voice thui sense of humiliation
rendered stui more vibrating. Yes
my credit might have been compro
missed to-day hy tiis, Monsieur dc
Clamerau. DO sou know how mucl
shall lose las PAYING him this money
And suppose I had not had the Sc
curitics which have sacrificed Yo'
lid oat know possessed them
Tue banker paused, as If hoping fo
confession. which, however. did no
COME
"Comc, Prosper, have courage, b.
irapk Z wdi go upstairs. You vii
loot again ia the safe; am sure tha
in your agitation you did not searcl
thoroughly This eveaing / viii re
tUru. and. I am cuuddeut that, dur
ing the day. you win have found,
net~li,e three tundred and fifty thou
sSas fraacs, az least the greater poi
tiop of it; aud tomorrow neither so
nor I will remcmhrt anything abou
this False alarm
a. taugei had risen and Was abou
20 ica.c the ROOM when Prospe
arose. aud seized him by the arm.
Your generosity IS useless, mol
sieur.' be said bitterly; having tai
en- nothing { can restore nothing
have searched carefully the banl
notes have heen stolen
hut by nhoc, poor fool9 4
whom
"Isy ail that is sacred, ! swear th'
n was not by me-.
The b,ukeys face turned crimso
~Misec,lle Wretca' cried he, do 20
mesn io say that { tools the money
Prosper bowed h.s hfud and did n'
answer.