I was after, and positions do not come at call. Sometimes they come
without it,” he smiled with the dawning of his old-time grace on his
handsome face, “but I find that one can see his resources go, dollar
by dollar, and finally, cent by cent, in the search for employment no
one considers necessary to a man like me. Perhaps if I had had less
pride, had been willing to take you or any one else into my confidence,
I might not have sunk to these depths of humiliation; but I had not the
confidence in men which this last half hour has given me, and I went
blundering on, hiding my needs and hoping against hope for some sort
of result to my efforts. This pistol is not mine. I did borrow this,
but I did not mean to use it, unless nature reached the point where it
could stand no more. I thought the time had come to-night when I left
your house, Mr. Sedgwick, suspected of theft. It seemed the last straw;
but--but--a woman’s look has held me back. I hesitated and--now you
know the whole,” said he; “that is, if you can understand why it was
more possible for me to brave the contumely of such a suspicion than to
open my pockets and disclose the crusts I had hidden there.”
“I can understand,” said Mr. Sedgwick; “but the opportunity you have
given us for doing so must not be shared by others. We will undertake
your justification, but it must be made in our own way and after the
most careful consideration; eh, Mr. Blake?”
“Most assuredly; and if Mr. Clifford will present himself at my office
early in the morning, we will first breakfast and then talk business.”
Young Clifford could only hold out his hand, but when, his two friends
gone, he sat in contemplation of his changed prospects, one word and
one only left his lips, uttered in every inflection of tenderness,
hope, and joy. “Edith! Edith! Edith!”
It was the name of the sweet young girl who had shown her faith in him
at the moment when his heart was lowest and despair at its culmination.
Transcriber's Notes:
Italics are shown thus: _sloping_.
Variations in spelling and hyphenation are retained.
Perceived typographical errors have been changed.