The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1903-10-03
gelett Story.
HIS EVIL GENIUS.

know what brought 1t there! Ii you "oui'
only give it up, and-and-"
ssAnd what, dearest p he replied, tear
ing his eyes for a moment from the --latest
tips and sporting intelligence, and letting
them rest fondly on his young wife pretty
face. "What is the other grievance
real one, or only imaginary like the first ?
'sThey are both very real troubles tt
me, dear" she replied, sadly. ''Not
grievances, but troubles. And they press
upon my heart night and day. The first
is your terrible mania for speculation
gambling, pure and simple, either horse
racing or on the stock exchange; the other
in the increasing influence which that man
Sharp has over you. Week by week, day
by day, have seen it grow. and it makes
nv heart stand still with fear--
"Fear?' echoed Godfrey Grey, flush
ing deeply as he spoke. "Now, what on
earth is there to be afraid of? Sharp is
as good fellow as ever breathed; he
wouldn't hurt fly, and am quite capa-
BILE of protecting myself
physically, yes" she replied, sadly,
as she looked at the stalwart form and
handsome face, ''but not morally. Fred
Sharp is what men call good fellow,
but what we women call a bad lot! lie
leads you on to gamble, he makes you fired
with mad desire for wealth hastily made.
Sooner or later the end will come-ruin,
real and complete, dismissal from your sit
uation, bankruptcy-pray Heaven it may
not be prison CELL 1t is my love for you,
Geoff, that makes my vision so clear. L
see in Fred Sharp your black angel-the
man who ere long will blind you so COM
pletely that you will be no longer able to
distinguish right from wrong. .
s'You women are so fond of flying to
conclusions, said he, irritably, because of
the truth underlying her words, truth he
could not fail seeing in spite of himself;
land as usual you are all astray. The
fact is that it cuts me to the quick, hurts
my pride to see you so shabbily dressed, to
see you cramped up in box of place like
this, to think of you forever as only the
wife of a clerk. Oh! Violet, my mania
for wealth is all for your sake, dearest, be-
cause | cannot bear to hide your beauty
away in a cottage. | long to see you shine
in the society nature intended for you, as
You did in your fathers house, as your
sister do in their weather. husbands. L
alone am poor.
land | fell in love with you poor. [
married you poor. desire no riches, only
your love, Geoff- own dear pretty little
home, and clear conscience-Oh! If you
would only set my heart at rest and be con-
tent-as am-with your salary. Isis
that man coming tonight? Are you--are
you going out with him ? Geoffrey' S
eyes fell beneath her sweet, clear gaze and
her heart sank She was not one Of the
women that grudged her husband his club
or would have denied him the society of
his old friends; but she saw the whirlpool
bearing him off his feet and she seemed
powerless to save him.
If Fred Sharp was his evil genius his
wife was his good angel, and fair enough
in appearance to add strength to her plead
ings; but for once her entreaties, her elo-
quence, her beauty, was wasted, for her
husband buried himself in the paper again,
a moody gloom upon his brow The crisis
she dreaded was at hand, and he meant to
make one bid for fortune-then he would
give it up forever He shivered as he
realized how many barques had been ship
wrecked on the sea of speculation; but this
one thing was so safe, SO certain, there was
no possibility of failure, or even then at
the last moment he would draw back; but
Fred Sharp had had private tip-had
seen with his own eyes-it was dead GER
tainty, and old Mason would not return for
another week. He had control of all the
cash, and $500 at that juncture would be
turned into thousands before he had to ac-
count for it, But how late Sharp was.
He said seven O clock, and it was just on
eight.
!; \ x 1;
''Come in-oh! thought it was you
''Stoppage on the line, horrid nuisance.
Never mind, come along now, it's all right
about that biz You re lucky fellow to
be in it. You have the money all right,
of course p
cat the office" weakly, while sense
of awful depression seized him. "But,
Sharp, my Wife
ooh! | forgot to ask about her, airily.
''Pretty little woman; never saw prettier,
pom my honor. And just think what it
means to her. Why, it's little less than
crime to keep creature like her boxed
up in a wretched little space like yours.
Excuse plain speaking, old chap, but she II
be the happiest women in England when
you 90 to her and tell her how much you
are worth. Show her your bank book
she's been used to better things than you
can give her as yet, but we'll change all
that.
Godfrey heart was heavy as lead, but
his very power Of speech seemed affected,
his free will gone-lost in the subtle inhu-
ence his evil genius exerted over him.
The evening was passed in different
places-but the society was all the same,
the conversation all on the same subject
and the papers were scanned by eager,
burning eyes, and voice kept whispering
in his ear that before another week had
fed that 500 would be 5, 0O0-old Mason
would never know anything about it-he
should buy partnership in some first rate
firm.
And so the roseate dream went on, night
passed, and Sharp, eager for the money,
called at the office for it almost as soon as
Geoffrey reached there himself
Just as he was handing the notes over a
terrible revulsion of feeling set in. Conf
Dental clerk; one who had been in the
same office for Is years; trusted by old
Mason as his own son would have been.
"Good heavens, Sharp" he said, al
most CHASTITY in his pallor, cliff it fails;
if there is any mistake, nothing can save
me. list not my money. II feel
like a thief. -
He was thief; but Sharp's airy answer
treasured him.