Year: 1878

cetuIn, bu how meet the immediate diff
ultyP lie wenl back to his office. lhe
lppermost thought in his mind WAS:
must get those bonds back ut once Then
he thought of his friends name rs secu
rity. Il am accepted, he reasoned, be
cause the people know my friend will back
me. He would back me just the same if
his name was not on my paper. but the
bank of course requires that. They won
take my wor,! for it. 1t is II mere form,
anyway, something by which they can hold
US both. They simply want to protect
themselves. Well, they do it when they
have my name and his. Ill protect him
| tell them he'll buck me, and | tell
them so by writing his name on my
note"


Accordingly he tore up the note and
wrote new one, dating it month previ-
Gus, and initiating his friends name on the
back us indorser The question then
arose how he could offer this to the bank
when he had just told the president that
his friend was away. He had ante-dated
the note to get over the difficulty, but he
saw ut once that it would he absurd for
him TO assume that he had returned to his
office and suddenly remembered this note.
Moreover, his friend WAS well known at
the bank, and the matter might be men
toned. The circumstances were very pc
culiar, and he resolved to take Il step
which was very disagreeable to him, but
apparently unavoidable. He woald 90 to
one of the bill brokers on the street and
get the note shaved. Ie had slight ac-
quainance with one of the least unpleas
ant of these men, and he went o him, He
assumed II tone of trankness,


Mr.. Roberts, he said, q use a fictitious
name), Il have never had any direct deal
ings with you, and | should not come
now, us you probably know, but | have
special reason. My blnk has given me
good deal of accommodation, and | shall
have to ask for more shortly; they have
been very oblging, and wish naturally
to stand well with them Now, want to
raise matter of one thousand dollars for
week or so only, and just to tide over u
sudden call, and | would rather make IL
special provision Can you favor me? |
suppose your rates are II little higher, but
that have considered


"Mr. Roberts gave IL little laugh, and
took the note in his hand. He turned it
over and looked at the Endorsement. He
went to gas light for the office was rather
dark, and looked at it again. At that mo-
ment the writer Of the note had an in
stinctive belief that he was detected. He
was obliged to steady himself by the desk
Mr.. Roberts looked up.


Fifteen per cent he said.


That's pretty high tune, but I'm not
going to make the rounds for this. I'll do
it," Nothing more was SAID. The money
pissed inlo his hands and he left the notr
with Roberts. He hurried off and re
dee ed his friends bouds. returning them
to the sale in the same condition in which
he found them with II Thank God, that is
done There remained now this note,
His friend returned in three days, and
readily lent his name to tile indorsem' nj
of note, which he offered at the bunk
The note was accepted, and with the pro-
crrds he took up the forged note W irh hc
had left with Roberts. rhe forged no e
Only after he had thus covered the two


Transactions did he think of that word anu
dare to say it to himself. Under thu
pressure of the few day, which had cover
cred the whole transaction he had been
too intensely absOrbed in one thought. the
recovery of his position, to sit down ~ all
and think of the matter. The release
brought him an unspeaknble lighlne>s OF
heart. Just at this time also, Il successful
venture brought him quick returns; in a
short time he was on his feet again, and in
his subsequens business was never again
subjected 10 like strain. Riches came
to him; he was prosperous and had unm-
paired credit. Add to this that II few
weeks later Roberts died. This was the
only man who could possibly have been
aware of the act, and there was NO reason
to suppose that he would ever disclose his
suspicious, for besides being u very reti-
cent man, his own share in the transaction
would have been culpable.


"Well, now, Godthwait, Judge if this
man, with his narrow escape, with his
secret buried in his own breast, had need
to feel other than thankful us he saw other
men fall into the same snare and without
like good fortune. Yet the man was
like dyspeptic. lie carried this load
about with him and could get no relief.
Often and often he was ready to declare
that his misery was greater than that of
men who did the same wrong and had
been discovered. Hit friend treated him
with the old frankness, but he could never
receive it simply; every expression Of
trust was like II stab. rhe excuses and
palliatives which he had used ut first were
utterly empty to him now, and if he repeat
ed them to himself they seemed the veriest
! mockerics


"If he could only be suspected, he
sometimes thought, there would be some
relief; but 10 have no one suspect him, to
be spoken of us upright, made him utterly
loathe himself. Before Roberts died, the
man had certain fascination for him.
lie was afraid Of him, yet he used to
watch him in the street, and once took
pains to walk with him. 1t seemed rs ii
men would think less of lin if he We're
known to be Roberts companion, and yet
though he walked boldly down the street
with him, he was seized with sudden
fear lest Roberts should himself accuse
him of his crime, and he left him abrupt
ly. Roberts gave little chuckling laugh
us he left him; at THAI moment he saw his
friend coming toward him. He fled from
him rs he had fled from Roberts.


1t was now that he began to seek some
relief in religion. He had long been a
member of the chuAh, but for while
after his deed, he had kept away from
church. lie went again, and took his seat
also in the prayermeeting. The pastor
one evening proposed that the meeting be
given up to the telling of experiences and
he heard one and another get up and CON
fess their religious reverses. He suddenly
thought-'O, if | could only get up here
among my brethren and make confession
of my guilt He stood up; cold per-
spiralion started to his forehead; he began


in broken tones; he told them what a
miserable sinner he was; how faithless he
had been; how false to his vows. lie
spoke in an agony; then he asked them to
pray for him, and sat down. He had con-
lessed sin, but not his sin. and us he left
the room he heard some one whisper,
How beautifully he spokeH


"Thcn he tried to work it off. lie gave
himself TO his business and was very pros
porous; he was liberal giver; an he
made special point of seeking the fami-
| lies of men who had BETRAYED their trust