"Tell me all about it, George," I said, as calmly as I could."How much is it?"He stared at me aghast."You won't go?" he cried."You--you are going to stick by me even--even--""There! there! pull yourself together, old fellow.We won't give up the ship yet.How much is it? It can't be a great sum.""It ain't.But, Ros--you--you can't--you mustn't be mixed up in this.I shan't let you.Don't you see?"I argued and pleaded and reasoned with him for what seemed a long time before he would consent to tell me the whole story.And when it was told there was nothing new or novel in it.The old tale of an honest man who had not meant to go wrong, but, tempted by one of those wiles of the devil, an "inside tip" on the stock market, had bought heavily on margins, expecting to clear a handsome profit in a short time.The stock was Louisville and Transcontinental and the struggle for its control by certain big interests had made copy for financial writers for nearly a year.George had bought at a time when one syndicate had, so it believed, secured the control.
Then something went wrong in the deal and the shares began to decline in value.He put up more margins and still more, but it continued to decline.Finally under the spur of another "tip," the last of his own savings having gone to the insatiate brokers, he sent, to bolster his account and to save him from utter ruin, some bonds belonging to the bank.
"Not much," he declared, "only about thirty-five hundred dollars'
worth, that's all.I never would have done it, Ros, but I was wild, desperate, you see.Here I was, getting ready to be married;Nellie and Cap'n Jed and the rest believing me to be comfortably fixed.It's easy enough now to say that I ought to have gone to her and told her.If I hadn't been certain that the market would turn and I'd be all right in a week, I'd have done it.But I was sure I'd be all right and I couldn't take the chance.I knew what her father would say about her marrying a pauper, and I just couldn't take the risk of losing her; I couldn't.She means more to me than--than--oh, wait until your time comes! Wait until the girl comes along that you care for more than the whole world.And then see what you'd do.See what it would mean to give her up!
Just wait--wait and see!"
"Yes, yes," I put in, hastily."I understand, George.But the stock, Louisville and Transcontinental, how is it now?""Just the same.It is dead, practically speaking.It hasn't moved half a point for six weeks.I've been expecting it would, but it hasn't.It's all right; the value is there; I know it.If I could only hang on and wait I could get my money back, part of it, anyhow.But I can't.I can't wait.And the broker people have got those bonds.Ros, I've been fighting this thing for weeks and weeks.I ain't slept a night for years, or so it seems.And next week--next WEEK I was to be married.My God! think of it!""Here, here! Don't do that," I urged."Brace up.You and I must work this out.Wasn't there any one you could go to? Anyone you could borrow the money of? Thirty-five hundred isn't such a lot.""Whom could I go to? I tried.Lord knows I tried! I did borrow a thousand of Cap'n Elisha Warren; trumped up some excuse or other and got that.But that was all he could let me have.And I know he thought my asking for that was queer.""Did you consider going straight to Cap'n Dean and--""Dean? Cap'n Jed? Her father? Oh, Ros, don't be a fool altogether!
I beg your pardon, old man! I don't mean it.You mustn't mind.Iain't responsible for what I say just now.But I couldn't go to Cap'n Jed.You know him.He's as straight and square and honest as he is obstinate and cranky.If I went to him I couldn't tell him the truth.And if I lied he'd suspect and want to know why I needed to borrow money.And Nellie--don't you see? There's the real awfulness of the whole thing.I couldn't go to her and tell her Iwas a thief.I couldn't see her face when I told her.And yet she's got to know it.She's got to know it!""But why? The stock may go up any day and then you could withdraw part of your margin."He struck the table with another blow."The stock ain't moved for six weeks, I tell you," he declared."And, Ros," he leaned forward, his haggard face working with emotion, "those bonds ain't in our safe here, where they should be, and the bank examiner is due here within the next four days.He's at Middleboro now.I'phoned Bearse, the cashier there, this very forenoon on a matter of business, and he happened to mention that the examiner was in his bank and working his way down the Cape.It's all up with me!
All up! And Nellie! poor girl; I can't be here when she finds it out.I know you think I'm a poor specimen of a man, Ros, but Ican't face the music.No," desperately, "and I won't."He was giving way again, but I seized his shoulder and shook him.
"Stop it!" I commanded."Stop it, George! Let me think.Be quiet now and let me think.There must be a way out somewhere.Let me think."He leaned back in his chair."All right," he said, hopelessly;"think, if you want to.Though why you should want to think about a thing like me I don't see.And I used to despise a crook as much as any one! and a coward still more! And now I'm both a crook and a coward."I knew his cowardice was merely on Nellie's account.George Taylor was no coward in the ordinary sense of the word, nor was he a crook.I rose and paced up and down the room.He watched me listlessly; it was plain that he felt no confidence whatever in my being able to help him.After a time he spoke.
"It's no use, Ros," he said."Don't worry your head about me; Iain't worth it.If there was any way out, any way at all, I'd have sighted it long ago.There ain't.Take my advice and leave me.
You don't want to be mixed up with an embezzler."I turned on him, impatiently."I have been mixed up, as you call it, with one before," I said, sharply."Is my own family record so clean that I need to pretend--there, George! don't be an idiot.
Let me think."
The clock chimed ten.I stopped in my walk and turned to him.
