Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1902-07-25
A Passage in the Life
of an Honest Man ~
By HOWARD FIELDING.
copyrighted by Daily Story Pub. Coz

Copyrighted
~ GORGE was a thief, at o'clock
II in the afternoon. Half an hour
earlier he had been merely an i'm
prudent young man who had neg
lected a matter of $25 borrowed by him
from "cash."
If his account had been turned
over to anybody else but Williams,
the matter might not appear so
black, but George had been promoted
over Williams head; the fellow hated
him, and would carry the matter
straight to the supreme head of
everything.
Even now, if he could borrow the
$25-but he had tried all his friends
in the office, and it would not ''be
easy to get out" Yet it must be
done; the alternative was criminal
prosecution-sheer ruin.
George laid his hand upon the lid
of his desk to pull it down. With or
without an excuse he must go out
and find that money. 1t was impos-
sible that he should wreck his life,
destroy his prospects just as they
were beginning to be so bright, and
break his fathers heart with shame
all for sum not much greater
than his wages for a week.
Just as he arose from his seat, a
hand was laid upon his arm, and he
turned to face Old Ben, the soft
footed messenger, mysterious as
demon of eastern fable, who did the
will of the supreme head of the es-
Enlistment.
''Mr. Hartman wants to see you,"
said this slave Of-the-rinp
George uttered faint sound as if
some one had struck him lightly in
the pit of the stomach. He tried to
say ''all right but his vocal organs
moved like those of the dumb.
This must be the end of him.
Either his crime had been discovered
already or his interview with Mr.
Hartman would take the time in
which he might have saved himself.
1t mattered not which way fate
might choose.
Il wonder if there is anything in
making a clean breast of it?' he said
to himself, as he walked toward Har-
riman's room; and then he remem-
bered what had happened to a GER
tain young man who had done that
very thing.
At the thought, George shut his
teeth firmly, and endeavored to
stiffen his legs which felt like two
pieces of string. 1t seemed that the
floor was no longer on level and he
saw four knobs on Harriman's door,
as he stretched forth his hand to
open it.
There was aat-topped mahogany
desk as large as a dinner table in the
middle of the room, and at the oppo-
site side of it sat Hartman. His
eyes were smaller, his nose was
larger, his chin was fatter, and his
colorihg was a brighter red than ever
before in Georges recollection of him
The protuberance on the top of his
head seemed higher than usual, and
the blueblack hair stood up on it, as
if upon the back of an angry cat.
George had been in the great mans
presence oftener, during the past
year, than any other minor employe
in the main office. He was an object
of envy on that account. Hartman
had intrusted to him certain portions
of the correspondence with the chiefs
of the smaller agencies throughout
the country, and had frequently re-
ceived the young mans suggestions
with favor. George admired him; be-
tieved he was the greatest business
genius between the two oceans; and
bad accepted his favor as the highest
blessing in the gift of Providence
The idea of appearing before this man
as thief was thing to die of.
Lang" said Hartman, I'm going
to give you a chance
Georges brain made five hundred
rapid revolutions in his head Conld
this mean that Hartman had been
told of his dishonesty and would for
give him If he confessed? Probab ly:
and if he could have found a voice, he
would have begged for mercy
''Ninety-nine clerks in a hundred. -
Hartman continued. will always be
clerks. 1 believe that you are the
nundredth man. You've been hand
ling some correspondence with our
agents-under my direction-and you
\ have shown comprehension of the
subject that has made me think well
: Of you"
George merely bowed. He could not
speak aloud All his faculty of Ian
guage was occupied in interior sound
ess cursing of himself for his incred-