Year: 1862

Iped in there on the afternoon OF the 81
day was the very letter. LEFT that lei
ler, with the money in it-and Io'
/; what had become Of it? I learned, .
nv perfect satisfaction, that after
went out on that afternoon no one els
entered the counting-room until Sayer
came in. There was but one conclu
sion before me. George Ssyers mus
have taken the money! And thus
reasoned:


"When my clerk came in, and foun'
those letters upon the desk. he supposed
that the boy had left them there, ant
he did not dream that / had been Their
before him. When / refolded the let
ter must have brought the parts Of tn
wafer SO nicely together, that my cIerl
did not notice tbatS-tse seal had beel
broken. When his eyes rested upor
that money, how easy for him to taxi
it. and destroy the letter and. in cast
it was missed, to lay the blame upor
the mHil, for the mail did, sometimes,
make mistakes. 1t appeared to me an
absolute certainty that the money must
SO have gone. And this was not all. =
l learned that George had recently been
spending considerable money in repair
ing his mothers house.


"In the evening, after all others had
gone, and the outer doors had been
closed, / called George into the count
iDg-room, and once more asked him
concerning that letter snd that money.
He paled and trembled, and declared
that he knew nothing oft. | told him
that it could not so be. / told him how
l had seen that very letter. and how |
had left It upon the desk with the 9TH
ers. The other letters were all ac-
counted for, but not that one. Still he
declared that he knew nothing. i told
him that be had been spending consid-
cradle money of late. He started as
though l had struck him."


"Mr. Lamson," he said, his whole
frame quiYering with excitement, "what
money ] have used was honestly mine" I"


"I asked him where he obtained it. !"


"Never mind" he quickly answered.
And then he informed me that be would
answer no questions outside Of the store
while such charge was resting against
him. He declared that be had served
me truly and faithfully; and that he
had taken a pleasure in so doing; and
he wondered how I could accuse him
of such thing.


81 remember that gave him stern
answer, and he, in return, vindicated
himself in manner that offended me.
became impatient, and demanded that
he should make restitution. l knew
that my manner was naughty and over
bearing, and the youth resented it.
In the end, / informed him that need
ed his services no more; and l told him
that out of consideration for the feelings
of his mother and sister, | should not
bring him to justice. In short, /
turned him from my employ, and the
cause of my so doing could not be hid
den from the people Of the town. l
cannot tell you all that he said to me.
With one breath he would plead his in
nocence in tears; and with another
breath he would denounce me in bitter
est terms for my treatment Of him..


"Mrs. Sayers came TO me to plead
for her boy; but she had no power to
make me waver in my determination.
explained to her the evidence l had Of
his dishonesty; and though she could
not believe her son guilty. still she
could not tighten the weight Of testimo-
ny against him.


81 engaged clerk, and put the miss
ing five hundred dollars to profit and
loss.' Sometimes ! wondered if, by
some possible means. George Ssyers
could be innocent. ButI could not see
it. NV new clerk was not worth hall
so much for business as George had
been; and doubted il l could find an
other to fill the place as it had been
filed.


"Of course I could not be ignorant OF
the movements of young Savers after
he left nv store. At the end of month
he found employment in distant town;
but he did not remain there long. The
story of his disgrace finally followed
him, and he was discharged. He came
home, and tried to work on farm, but
his health failed bIm and he was sick
nearly all the following winter. In the
spring his mother came to me and asked
me to help her boy. She said he was
entirely broken down in spirit. and she
feared some worse fate might befal
him. But l would not put forth my
hand until George would acknowledge
his error. II he would come forward
and confess his crime, and promise me-
some sort OF restitution, ! might Dc
something for bin. The widow turned
from me sad and sorrowful. 1 knew
that she suffered; l knew that the gen
tie sister suffered; and knew tha
George Sayers was in danger of tn,
wine cup. But what could / do?
had taken my stand, and could not de
part from it.


"In the month of MAY, l made up my
mind to take a partner. I.did not 6nt
a clerk to suit me, and l fancied that
could DO better to take some man who
would feel an interest with me. Ny
brotber-in-lsw was anxious to come in
and partial arrangements were made tc
that effect. / took an account of al
INV stuck: and then / went into my