THE HOME CIRCLE | AdventAI

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Nov 21, 1878

THE HOME CIRCLE.

A Temptation.

GEORGE MILES sat at his desk in the counting-room busily casting up the columns of figures that lay before him. He had been discharged from his former situation nearly a year before, owing to the pressure of the times; and for a long time could find no work, until, fortunately, he obtained his present situation, which he had held for about three months. During his enforced idleness he had been obliged to run in debt over fifty dollars, and, as his wages now barely paid his expenses, he saw no way to free himself from the incumbrance. George was steady and industrious, and disliked extremely to feel under obligation to any one; consequently the thought that he was in debt worried him continually. As he sat there at work, the door opened, and a little old man entered the room.

"Good morning," said George, courteously, looking up. "Anything I can do for you?"

"Is Mr. Osgood in?" inquired the visitor, in a thin, squeaking tone that corresponded perfectly with his stature.

"My employer is out of town this morning," replied the clerk; "but I transact business in his absence."

"Are you his bookkeeper?"

"Yes, sir."

"Could you give me a receipt, supposing I was to pay him some money I've been owing him?"

"Certainly,"

"My name's Blair; Bill Blair;" said the old man as he walked up to the desk. "You see, I got trusted for goods and things up to about seventy-five dollars, more than a year ago; and I suppose Osgood has about given up ever getting his pay. You see he couldn't have got it if he had tried, for I didn't have the money. But it was an honest debt, and I have always meant to pay it; and now I have got the money I am going to! Seventy-five dollars and a half!" and he laid the money upon the desk.

The clerk wrote him a reciept, and carefully placing it in his pocket-book with an air of satisfaction, Mr. Blair took his leave. George sighed as he placed the money in his pocket. Probably his creditors would have to wait longer than his employer had waited for this money. How he longed for the time when he could walk the street with head erect, not fearing to lift his eyes lest he should see a creditor!

During the afternoon his employer came in. Mr. Osgood was a pleasant, jovial man, easy-going and generous, but thoughtless. He could get plenty of clerks for the wages he paid George, and it had never occured to him that George might experience any difficulty in getting along.

"Any callers?" he inquired, as he took a chair by the stove.

"A few; a Mr. Blair was in for a few moments this morning."

"Was he?" said his employer, carelessly. "I see him about every week. He's been owing me about seventy-five dollars for over a year. He keeps saying he is going to pay it just as soon as he gets the money. But he'll never get the money, I'm afraid. If he does he'll pay. He's honest enough. That's why I'm so easy with him. I say, Miles," he exclaimed, half jocosely, "what will you give me for that note. Chance for speculation."

"Where does he live?" inquired George.

"In that little house opposite the machine-shop."

A wild idea flashed through the mind of the clerk. His employer had asked him to buy the note. He would probably discount considerably from its face, and here the note was already paid, and the money in his pocket! The suddenness of the temptation blinded him. He did not see the wrong he would be doing; he only saw a means of clearing himself from debt.

"What will you take for it?" he asked quietly, veiling his eagerness.

"O, fudge!" laughed Mr. Osgood, "that was only my nonsense. I wouldn't advise you to risk your money! But I'll sell the note to anybody for twenty-five dollars."

"You say he is honest, but has n't the money?" said the clerk, thinking it would be best not to seem too eager.

"Yes, honest enough! Think you'll invest, Miles?"

"Yes, I believe I'll risk it. I guess I shall get back my money sometime. I'll pay you to-morrow, if you say it is a bargain."

He did not wish his employer to see the roll of bills, or he would have paid him on the spot; for he knew he would have to pay it from this money, as he had not ten dollars to his name. Mr. Osgood laughingly made over to him the note, and soon after left the store without once thinking to inquire for what reason Blair had called. As he passed along the street he chanced to meet Blair himself.

"Ah! how do you do?" said the merchant, pleasantly.

"Pretty well!" was the reply; "I feel better than I have for a year; for I can look you in the face without feeling I'm owing you. Ye see, I got into the machine-shop, and jest as soon as I got money enough saved, I says to myself, 'I will clear off that old debt that Osgood has against me.' I suppose your young man told you I dropped in and paid the money this morning? He gave me a reciept."

The truth flashed over Mr. Osgood's mind.

"I was in the office only for a few moments to-day," he said. "And Miles didn't speak of it. However, I'm glad we are straight once more."

The merchant was in an unpleasant state of mind as he walked home. So his clerk had cheated him; coolly and deliberately swindled him out of fifty dollars! He could see the whole game now. In a day or two Miles would have come in with a smiling face to his work, and the thought that he had induced Blair to pay the note. Scoundrel! And he had placed perfect confidence in him. Well, Miles could have the pleasure of giving up the money and losing his situation. Perhaps he thought it paid to cheat his employer; but possibly his views on the subject would be changed on the following day. Mr. Osgood was very indignant, and justly so.

That evening, while the merchant was vainly endeavoring to crowd this affair from his mind, and trying to fix his attention on his paper, there came a ring at the door-bell, and shortly after the servant ushered the clerk into the presence of his employer. The latter, by strong effort, controlled his feelings, and greeted him as pleasantly as he could, directing him to be seated, curious to know what had brought him there at that time.

"Shall we be alone?" asked the clerk, soberly.

"Yes, sir."

"Then, sir, I will disclose my errand here," said he nervously. "For about nine months before you engaged me I was out of employment, and after spending all my money was obliged to borrow money at different times, amounting in all to over fifty dollars, in order to get along. Since then, I have been able to save very little, and the debt has been on my mind constantly. I could not bear to be indebted to any one, and I could see no means of paying it. This morning Mr. Blair came in and paid his note. This afternoon I commenced to tell you of the fact, and was about to hand you the money, when you told me of his note, and how you did not expect it ever to be paid. Then you asked me what I would give for the note. I knew you meant it for a jest, but I was tempted. In an instant I saw how I could manage it, and I yielded. I bought the note of you, when I had the seventy-five dollars and a half, that belonged to you by right! But I was alone, and thought it all over, I began to realize what I had done."

"I think I never did anything deliberately mean or dishonest before, and I saw this was dishonest, for I had cheated you out of fifty dollars. I took out the money and counted it over; but it did not satisfy me. It came over me more and more that I could not keep it; that I must undo the wrong I had done; that the knowledge of having cheated you would be more unendurable than being in debt. It was to clear up the debt that I wanted the money."

"Then I began to plan how to set the matter right. The idea came into my head to make over the note to you in the morning, pretending that I dared not risk my money on it; and in a day or two, give you your money as if it had just been paid. But I saw that such a course would lead me deeper and deeper into deceit, and after much unhappy thinking, concluded to tell you the whole, as I have done. Of course I do not expect to remain in your employ any longer; and I cannot ask you for a recommendation, but it will be my own fault. Here is the money. Good night, sir, and good bye."

And he turned toward the door.

"Hold, George!" exclaimed Mr. Osgood, with some emotion.

"Come back here and sit down. I've got something to say to you."

He obeyed, wondering.

"You did wrong, George," continued his employer, kindly, all his resentment having vanished. "But I presume you would not have done so, had I not unconsciously tempted you. You have given me the money and desclosed the whole affair, expecting to lose your situation and thereby your means of living. The fact of your confessing it so soon strengthens my confidence in you. On my way home this afternoon, I discovered that the note had been paid to you and had fully decided to discharge you in disgrace to-morrow, and should have done so, had you not done as you have this evening. Take your place in the counting-room as usual. Your salary shall be made sufficient for your needs."

The clerk's heart was light again, as he walked home. The merchant kept his word; the increase of salary enabled George to pay his debt speedily. But he never desired to repeat the experiment of appropriating another man's money for his own needs.—The Standard.