Year: 1878

"Pardon me i; let me refresh your further" The stranger unrolled his papers and spread them out upon the table, where he examined them rapidly.

 "Ah, I remember" he said. "I have only memorandum here in my own Your record of the trans action was on the new leaf you turned over on that New Years Eve, and that is the only one that did not come into my possession. However, my memoran- dunn is perfectly valid. On the night I speak of, you said most emphaticalIy that you would give your soul to secure the wife who could make you rich. I &C., cepted your proposal and delivered to you the wife. You are indebted to me in the sum of one Soul. I have come to close the account"

 The creditor looked at John and inn patiently drummed with his finger upon the table. John looked at the creditor without any further show of emotion than would have been evoked by any other collector who had called with an annoying bill.

 |" You have allowed the account to run long time," he said at length.

 "I have kept track of it and knew that it was perfectly safe," answered the creditor.

 "And those papers," said John, with & listless wave of his hand toward the table. Have they any bearing on this account 2"

 " Those are your annual vouchers, so to speak, "the creditor responded. ''They are the new leaves that you turned over at the beginning of every year. You were not so bad that you could not make good resolutions, and not so good that you couldn't break them at the first op- portunity. Every new leaf you turned over you tore out and threw away very shortly. I gathered them all up, as I do most loose things. You see good resolution repudiated is worth twice as much to me as bad resolutions adhered to. Your throwing these away was an annual acknowledgment of your indebt- edness to me, and my possession of them is cumulative proof in support of my claim.'

 "I am not at all disposed to dispute your claim," said John, very much as if he was book-agent who had called with forgotten subscription. The matter had escaped my memory, but now that you have mentioned it, we may as well have arranged the details of payment without delay"

 The Debtor drew his chair to the table and sat close beside the creditor. The latter smiled cordially and rubbed his hands, as being pleased that settlement was being made so promptly, and with out any unnecessary fuss. And the little lamp that John Hathaway's unloved daughter had left with him shed its dim light over the uncanny group and their dread transactions the gentle influence of the good aiding the evil purpose of the bad

 " Now," said the Debtor, " if you will take pencil and paper and make 8 memorandum of the various items in this business, merely as a matter of form, we can close the account in short order.''

 With some slight signs of reluctance and disappointment, the Creditor pre- pared himself to do the work suggested. When he was ready John Hathaway commenced to tell off the items.

 Twenty-Five years ago I married 8 woman did not love, my only motive belng to get her money. Put that down, ," he said.

 Next item," said the Creditor, writ ing.

 During all these years my only con- science has been the daily market re- port"

 have that down already" said the Creditor, sitting with his pencil sus- pended.

 My home, the home of my wife and child, has been only the waiting-room to my counting house."

 Counting house, repeated the Creditor, as he made the entry.

 For dozen years I have not troubled myself to think whether the money got belonged to me or to others so that the law would allow me to keep it."

 " Keep it p was echoed in business monotone by the Creditor, and the re- cital went on.

 'The fact that I was ruining other men has not deterred me from a single speculation.

 |" Go j; that is down."

 |" I have been director of three savings banks, and the president of a life insur. ance company"

 "What record 1t is P exclaimed the Creditor, pausing in admiration, and as he made the entry an approving smile overspr cad his face.

 The wife whose money was the cor ner-stone of my fortune have not beer grateful to. I have chilled her whole life and made it as wretched as possible l by my sneering indifference

 Go on." The Creditor said it glee fully.

 Notwithstanding the wrong I have done her, am so selfish that feel my self wronged by being bound for life tt woman whose mind is as gross as hel body"

 Body" said the Creditor, writing.

 "I have 10 love even for my child and care for her only as something | may sell, as I sold myself for a fortune There, have you noted all the items?" | AllGhe items" answered the Credi