The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1916-01-13

business uau COulu uOI HdNO bCSh
worse If it had been dropped from
above by a winged messengaS Of the
gods Of financial ruin:
Mr.. Russell Irwin.
City.
Dear sir-As Mr.. Clay failed to apply
for an extension last night, have placed
for collection, the note hold against Ir-
win & Clay for a loan of $4,000. Out of
the city today and Sunday. You must
settle Monday.
THOMAS NEAL.
Dazed and stunned, and seemingly
bending under a weight of suddenly
added years, Irwin CROPPED angrily for
the telephone and in an imperative
tone called for his partners house
number.
Hello, Clay, this you? Well, hurry
down-while you have been dallying
at home we have gone under-we're
ruined-completely smashed"
This was the message that had
startled Clay at his late breakfast,
Irwin wasted no time in prelimi-
udIleS Nu6u Sldy AulllCulJ OAhOASN
the firms luxuriously furnished pri-
vate offices.
Fine business" he shouted, angrily
showing the letter at his junior part
ner. Fine business this, missing an
appointment of such Importance; neg
lecting to secure the extension Of that
note; fine business"
Clay, confused and ashamed, an
swered nothing.
"Oh, Edgar, Edgar, l trusted you,"
continued the other man. "My only
folly has been that I placed any re-
sponsibility on you. And this is the
result. Why didn't you get the extern
sion on that note?"
Il forgot" began Clay in schoolboy
fashion. Il forgot l meant to at
tend to it. To tell you the truth 1
started for Meals office, but met
some of the boys there and Ill,
we'll, l made night of it. l forgot
business and everything else. /
we'll, you know my weakness, Rus
SELL"
Eyes, l know your weakness.
know, too, that you inherited it from
your poor, dead father. Perhaps you
are not entirely to blame. l should
have known better than to have left
so important detail to you.
II might have known what the re.
suit would be; might have known.
You were drunk and we are ruined.
Earnestly but without passion the
two men entered into discussion OF
ways and means.
So earnestly were they engaged in
conversation that neither heard the
entrance of Isabelle. Her manner was
still nervous and the agitated state Of
her mind was betrayed, if in no other
way, by the restless flash in her eye
and the quick, sharp jerk of he1
words:
81 hope I'm not intruding, gentle
men,"
They both started,
One look at Isabel'es frankly open
countenance assured them that she
had not overheard their discussion
and both men breathed more easily
Il came to get some money, Ed
gar"
"But your allowance, child?" i'm,
terposed the father. you've drawn
it in advance now"
Il know, father, but 1 lost it.
played at Cora's-at Mrs. Blake's, anG
now, unless l can get some money al
once, my name will be ruined. l sim
ply must pay my gambling debts
They are debts Of honor and must be
met"
Perhaps if Isabelle had made hel
demand at more opportune time
perhaps If Clay had been less harsh
in his refusal, old King Folly NIGH
nave been foiled; might have lost two
promising victims, and what follows
might never have been written.
'I can't give you a cent, Isabelle
he shouted, "and if you foolishly gam
BILE again, I'll repudiate your debts.
"Very we'll, Edgar" she answered
coldly, what follows will be on you,
own head" And haughtily, majestic
ally-like a queen of tragedy-sht
swept from the room, leaving the twt
men still more depressed to wrestlt
with their problem-a problem tina
seemed without answer. And thert
we too, will leave them for the pres
ent.
Peter West lay dying. And the Sc
cret that was dying with him grew
heavy on his conscience. At the yer.
time that Edgar Clay and his partne
were seeking to pierce the black pal
of ruin that was slowly pressing dow
on them, he was seeking to penetrate
the still blajcker curtain of the futur
seeking to know his fate.
IT didn't do it; l didn't have any
thing to do with it. God knows In
innocent" he mumbled over and owe
to himself.
The nurse leaned over him.
did you call?" she asked.
ut was nothing" he feebly ar
swered. II was talking to myself.
II didn't do it, God knows it's moth
ing on my soul-I'm innocent-innc
cent-innocent." a-..e
But the still small voice could not b
silenced. And so Peter West hes
tated at the door Of eternity. Hi
VNN~~~.Ns~Ne~~-~N-~~
the nhrasa nripinatad with tho Iris,