Year: 1879

/ discounted ut the bank after his friends
| return. but how meet the immediate diff
Iculty? lie went back to his office. The
uppermost thought in his mind was: |
must get those bonds back mt once Then
he thought of his friends name rs a secu-
rity. : am accepted, he reasoned. be-
cause the people know my friend will back
me. He would back me Just the same if
his maine was not on my paper. but the
bank of course requires that, They won't
take my word for it. 1t is 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. I'll 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 n 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 la,l just told the president thai
his friend Was away. He had ante-tltted
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 u
| the bank, and the matter might be men
| toned. The circums ances were very pc
culiar, and he resolved to take Il sep
which was very disagreeable to him. but
apparently unavoidable. He wo lid 20 10
| one of the bill brokers on the street and
get he note shavel. He had Il slight tc-
| quainlance with one of the least unpleas
ant of these men. and he went 10 him. He


assumed II tone of franknrss


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


Mr.. Roberts gave II little laugh, and
took the note in his hand He turned it
over and looked ut the Endorsement. He
went to II 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
stnctive 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 n pretty high tune, but m not
going to make the rounds for this. I'll do


it," Nothing more was said The money
passed into his hands and he left the note
with Roberts. He hurried off and re-
deemed his friends bonds, returning them
to the safe in the same condition in which
he found them with Thank God, that is
DONE There remained now this note.
His friend returned in three days, and
readily lent his name to the Endorsement
of II note, which he offered at the bunk.
The note was accepted, and with the pro-
ceeds he took up the forged note which he
had left with Roberts. The forged note
Only after he had thus covered the two
transactions did he think of that word and
| dare to say it to himself Under the
pressure Of the few days which had cover
cred the whole transaction he had been
too intensely absorbed in one thought, the
recovery of his position, to sit down at all
and think of the matter. The release
brought him an unspeakabe lightness of
heart just at this time also, Il successful
venture brought him quick returns; in
short time he was on his feet again, and in
his subsequens business was never again
subjected TO like strain. Riches came
to him; he was prosperous and had unim-
paired credit. Add to this that :. few
weeks later Roberts died. This was the
only man who could possibly have been
aware of the act and there was nc reason
to suppose that he would ever disclose his
suspicious. for besides being II very reti-
cent man, his own share in the transaction
would have been cul pable.


"Well, now, Goldthwait, Judge if this
man, with his narrow escape, with his
secret buried in his own breast had need
to feel other than thankful as he saw other
men fall into tho same snare and without
IA like good fortune. Yet the man was
like 4 dyspeptc. He 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 |
pallialives which h. had used at first were |
utterly empty to him now and ii he repeat
ed them to himself they seemed the veriest
mockeries.


"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, tn,
man had II certain fascination for him.
He WAS afraid of him, yet he used to
watch him in the street, and once took
pains to walk with him. II seemed rs ii
men would think less of lin if he were
known to be Roberts companion. and yet
though he walked boldly down the street
with him, he was seized with II sudden
fear lest Roberts should himself accuse
him of his crime, and he left him abrupt
ly. Roberts gave little chuckling laugh
as he left him; at that moment he saw his
friend coming toward him. lie fled from
him rs he had He'd from Roberts.


1t was now that he began to seek some
relief in religion. lie had long been il
member of the church but for II while
sfer bis deed, he had kept away from
church. lie went again, and took his seat
also In the prayer-meeting. 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. lie suddenly
thought-'O, if could only get up here
among my brethren and make confession
of my guilt He stood up; cold per-
splration 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. He I
spoke in an agony; then he asked them to
pray for him. and sat down. lie had con-
fessed sin, but not his sin, and us he left {
the room he heard some one whisper,
How beautifully he spoke'


Then he tried to work it off. He gave
himself to his business and was very pros
porous; he was Il liberal giver; anil he