Jasper County Democrat, Volume 7, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 July 1904 — Tom Matthews’ Decision [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Tom Matthews’ Decision

By CYRUS DERICKSON

Cnpi/righU 1903. bp K. M. Whitehead

His name was Thomas Matthews, but everybody around the store called him Tom. He had come to the business of Haines & Co. when a boy ten years old, and in fourteen years he had gained the position of bookkeeper and cashier. At every stage he had been complimented on his honesty and fidelity, and the day he took charge of the books and the cash Harris, the active partner, said to one of the “Co.:” “Well, Johnson, I feel a load off my mind. Tom is as straight as a string, and we need not worry about him. I don’t believe that he could be tempted to do a crooked thing.” Never did a young man carry a cleaner record into an office. There had been a thousand chances for peculation, but Tom had not been tempted. If any one had whispered in his ear that temptation was going to get the best of him he would have smiled at the idea. He had put in another year when it came and during that year had married and established a home. The firm had made him a liberal present in cash, and up to the hour of his temptation, had his books been examined and his cash counted, they would have been found correct to a dot. To oblige a friend he took SSO from the cash account for three or four days. The friend repaid the loan and put Tom on to a “sure thing” in the stock market. Tom invested his week’s salary and made S2OO. It was his first speculation, and the thing seemed so easy that he gave it a whirl a month later and came out several hundred dollars to the good. The man who wants to speculate can run across “sure things” every hour in the day. Tom had known of scores of men in trusted positions going wrong through speculation, but bis name should never be added to the list. He would make or lose with his own money, and not a penny belong-

lng to Haines & Co. should be put In peril. That was the policy he pursued for six months, sometimes gaining and sometimes losing; but, of course, there

came a day when the market was upset, and he found himself on the wrong 6ide of it and had to “borrow” from the firm to make good his margins. Such a step is always called “borrowing,” and the man who takes it always feels himself thoroughly honest. The market continued to drop, and in four or five days Tom was closed out and owed the firm SSOO besides. He could have raised that through friends and squared things up, but be had lost by the market and he meant to make good by the market. There must be cashiers who borrow the firm's money and are lucky enough to return it, but no one ever hears of them. It Is of those who would return it if they could, but find it impossible, that are held up to public gaze and sent to prison. Tbe SSOO became SI,OOO and then had SSOO added to it before Tom let go of stocks. That was a larger sum than be could raise outside. The end of the year was drawing near, and if his books were overhauled he must surely be branded as an embezzler. He had “covered” the shortage in a way, but an expert would uncover it In half an hour. The trusted cashier who goes wrong has a choice to make. He can face the music and take his punishment or be can flee the country or commit suicide. He puts off his decision to the very last houf, hoping he knows not what, hut the hour comes at last when he must make it That boor came to Tom Mat-

thews, and he remained behind in the office to decide what step he should take. lie fully realized that he must choose between the three evils, but tbe hours went by and he could not make up his mind. He should have left tht store at 6 o’clock, but he was still there at 9 and at 9 was yet undecided. As he sat with his face in his hands and the office only dimly illuminated by a single gas jet something touched him on the arm, and he lifted his head to find a stranger standing beside him. “You must excuse me for calling so late,” observed tbe man. “but the fact Is I had some difficulty in getting into the store.” “Who are you, and what do you want?” asked Tom, more puzzled than startled. “Oh, as to my niune, you can pick out any old thing, but as to what I want, I dropped in to do a little business with you.” “But the store is closed.” “Yes, I know, and that’s my best time for doing business. Don't you savey ?” “You don’t mean that you are a burglar—a robber?” queried Tom, after looking the man over for a moment and wondering if it was a real live man who stood before him. “That’s pretty close to It,” laughed the man as he sat down on the nearest chair and brought out a cigar and lighted It. When he had taken a few puffs he resumed: “I’ve had my eye on this plant for some time, and when I got in tonight I didn’t expect to have your company. How does it come that you are here, and what's the matter that you look so seedy? I'd been spying on you for half an hour before I entered the office, and I think you’ve got a peck of trouble on your mind. Let’s hear what it is.” It was a strange situation, but the cashier was in a strange nuxxL The caller had said that he was a burglar and had come with designs, but yet there was a touch of sympathy in his tones. Tom hesitated for a moment and then told him all. The man listened, nodding or shaking his head now and then, and when he had heard all he said: “Look here, my boy, there’s only one Way in this thing. You’ve got to be either all good or all bad. You can’t be half and half and make a go of it I’m all bad, and I get along very well. What are you going to do?Y "For God's sake, what am I to do?” wailed Tom. / “Want to turn bad?” “No.” “Is there money enough In the safe to t#ike you out of the country?” “There’s about SBOO in there, but I wouldn’t touch a penny of it. I’ve yielded to temptation, but I’m no thief.” “And if yon were given a chance?” queried the burglar after awhile. “A chance! Why, man, I’d live on crusts before I’d put myself in this position again. Think of my fonr-

teen years’ record! Think of my wife and relatives!” “Yes. The game wasn’t worth the candle. Suppose you give me your home address.” “What for?” as he wrote it down. “Just to know where you live. Suppose that we also go out now.” “Yes, but—but”— “Just to get out, you know. I’d like that SBOO in the safe, but to get it I’d have to crack you on the head and add to your troubles. If I were you I’d go home and manage to keep this thing to myself for a day or two longer. Come, let’s walk out together. l*our way is up the street, and mine is down. So long to you.” Before Tom left his house next morning a messenger brought a package containing $1,500 addressed to him. An hour after the package had been delivered the senior partner of the firm was saying to the burglar of the night before^ “Well, I’m glad he took it that way, and he shall have his chance. Tom’s honest, and we have got to have honest men about us. I don’t think he’ll meddle with stocks again, and on Thursday when his books are overhauled they will be found all O. K. All right, Simpson; all right. You worked it beautifully.”

“WHAT AM I TO DO?" WAILED TOM.