African Camp Fires | Page 8

names, sir!" The officer addressed him
sternly. "Either take the money, or go. This is not a meeting for parley.
I understand you and your operations."
A few moments Bland stood, with an irresolute air; then, clutching
desperately at a pen, he dashed off a receipt, and was reaching for the
money, when Mr. Phillips drew it back, saying,--
"Wait a moment, until I examine the receipt." He read it over, and then,
pushing it towards Bland, said,--
"Write 'In full of all demands.'" A growl was the oral response. Bland
took the pen again, and wrote as directed.
"Take my advice, young man, and adopt a safer and more honorable
business," said Mr. Phillips, as he gave him the twenty-dollar bill.
"Keep your advice for them that ask it!" was flung back in his face. A
look of hate and revenge burned in the fellow's eyes. After glaring at
Mr. Phillips and Martin in a threatening way for several moments, he
left more hurriedly than he had entered.
"And take my advice," said the officer, laying his hand on Martin's
arm,--he spoke in a warning tone,--"and keep out of that man's way.
He'll never forgive you. I know him and his prowling gang, and they
are a set of as hardened and dangerous villains as can be found in the
city. You are 'spotted' by them from this day, and they number a dozen
at least. So, if you would be safe, avoid their haunts. Give drinking
saloons and billiard rooms a wide berth. One experience like this
should last you a life-time."
Thus Martin escaped from his dangerous entanglement, but never again
to hold the unwavering confidence of his employer. Mr. Phillips pitied,
but could not trust him fully. A year afterwards came troublesome
times, losses in business, and depression in trade. Every man had to
retrench. Thousands of clerks lost their places, and anxiety and distress
were on every hand. Mr. Phillips, like others, had to reduce expenses,
and, in reducing, the lot to go fell upon Martin Green. He had been very
circumspect, had kept away from the old places where danger lurked,
had devoted himself with renewed assiduity to his employer's interests;
but, for all this, doubts were forever arising in the mind of Mr. Phillips,
and when the question, "Who shall go?" came up, the decision was
against Martin. We pity him, but cannot blame his employer.

III.
ANDY LOVELL.

ALL the village was getting out with Andy Lovell, the shoemaker; and
yet Andy Lovell's shoes fitted so neatly, and wore so long, that the
village people could ill afford to break with him. The work made by
Tompkins was strong enough, but Tompkins was no artist in leather.
Lyon's fit was good, and his shoes neat in appearance, but they had no
wear in them. So Andy Lovell had the run of work, and in a few years
laid by enough to make him feel independent. Now this feeling of
independence is differently based with different men. Some must have
hundreds of thousands of dollars for it to rest upon, while others find
tens of thousands sufficient. A few drop below the tens, and count by
units. Of this last number was Andy Lovell, the shoemaker.
When Andy opened his shop and set up business for himself, he was
twenty-four years of age. Previous to that time he had worked as
journeyman, earning good wages, and spending as fast as he earned, for
he had no particular love of money, nor was he ambitious to rise and
make an appearance in the world. But it happened with Andy as with
most young men he fell in love; and as the village beauty was
compliant, betrothal followed. From this time he was changed in many
things, but most of all in his regard for money. From a free-handed
young man, he became prudent and saving, and in a single year laid by
enough to warrant setting up business for himself. The wedding
followed soon after.
The possession of a wife and children gives to most men broader views
of life. They look with more earnestness into the future, and calculate
more narrowly the chances of success. In the ten years that followed
Andy Lovell's marriage no one could have given more attention to
business, or devoted more thought and care to the pleasure of
customers. He was ambitious to lay up money for his wife's and
children's sake, as well as to secure for himself the means of rest from
labor in his more advancing years. The consequence was, that Andy
served his neighbors, in his vocation, to their highest satisfaction. He
was useful, contented, and thrifty.

A sad thing happened to Andy and his wife after this. Scarlet fever
raged in the village one