FOR hours after his wife had sunk into the forgetfulness of sleep,
Ellis lay awake, pondering over the ways and means by which he was to
meet his engagements for the next day, which, exclusive of Carlton's
demand, were in the neighbourhood of a thousand dollars. During the
previous two weeks, he had paid a good deal of money, but he was really
but little better off therefor, the money so paid having been mainly
procured through temporary loans from business friends. Most of it he
had promised to return on the morrow. Earnestly as the mind of Ellis
dwelt on the subject, he was not able to devise the means of getting
safely through the next day.
"And what if I do get over the difficult place?" was the desponding
conclusion of his mind--"ultimate failure is inevitable, unless a great
reduction can be made in expenses. At present, our living exceeds the
profits on my business. Ah! if I could only make Cara understand this!
She has been more considerate and wife-like of late; but I fear to say
one word about the embarrassed state of my affairs, lest the sunshine
of love be again darkened with clouds and storms."
With such thoughts in his mind, Ellis fell asleep.
On the next morning, he repaired early to his place of business, in
order to have time fully to digest his plan of operations for the day.
He had many doubts as to his ability to get through, but was resolute
not to yield without a vigorous struggle. Of the amount to be paid,
only four hundred was for notes in bank. The rest was on borrowed money
account. Fully an hour and a half was spent in drawing off certain
accounts, and in determining the line of operations for the morning. On
receiving two hundred dollars for these accounts, Ellis thought he
might with safety calculate; and a lad was sent out to see to their
collection. Then he started forth himself. First in order, he deemed it
best to see if he could not get a little more time on some of his
borrowed money. This was a delicate operation, and its attempt could
only, he felt, be justified by the exigencies of the case. The largest
sum to be returned was three hundred dollars. He had borrowed it from a
merchant in good circumstances, who could at any time command his
thousands, and to whose credit there usually remained heavy balances in
bank. But he was exceedingly punctilious in all business matters.
Both these facts Ellis knew. It would put the merchant to no
inconvenience whatever to continue the accommodation for ten days
longer; but the policy of asking this was felt to be a very
questionable one, as it would be most likely to create in his mind a
doubt of Ellis's standing, and a doubt in that quarter would be
injurious. Still, the case was so pressing, that Ellis determined to
see him. So, assuming a pleasant, partly unconcerned air, he called
upon the merchant.
"Good morning, Mr. A--," said he, in a cheerful tone.
"Good morning, friend Ellis," returned the merchant, pushing his
spectacles above his forehead, and fixing his eyes upon the face of his
visitor, with a sharp, penetrating look which rather belied the smile
that played about his lips.
"Let me see! Isn't it to-day that I am to return you the three hundred
dollars borrowed last week?"
"I don't remember, but can tell you in a moment," replied A--,
replacing his glasses, and taking from a pigeon-hole in the desk before
which he sat a small memorandum-book. After consulting this, he
replied--
"Yes: you are right. It is to be returned to-day."
"So I thought. Very well. I'll send you a check around during the
morning. That will answer, I presume?"
"Oh, certainly--certainly."
So far, nothing was gained. A hurried debate, as to the policy of
asking a few days more on the loan, took place in the mind of Ellis. He
then said--
"If just the same to you, it will be more convenient for me to return
this money on the day after to-morrow."
There was a slight contraction of brow on the part of Mr. A--, who
replied, rather coldly--
"I shall want it to-day, Mr. Ellis."
"Oh, very well--very well," said Ellis, hiding artfully his
disappointment. "It will be all the same. I will send you around a
check in a little while."
As he left the store, A-- said to himself--
"Of all things, I like to see punctuality in the matter of engagements.
The man who promises to return in an hour the money he borrows from you
should keep his word to the minute."
The failure to get a few days' extension of time on so important a sum
had the effect to dispirit Ellis a good deal. He left the store of the
merchant in a despondent mood, and was returning towards his own place
of business, when he met Wilkinson. Grasping the hand of the latter
with the eagerness of one who knows, in a great extremity, that he is
face to face with a real friend, he said--
"You must help me to-day."
"I don't see that it is possible, Ellis," was replied. "What amount do
you want?"
"I must have a thousand dollars."
"So much?"
"Yes. But where the sum is to be obtained is more than I can divine."
"Is all to go into bank?"
"No. Six hundred is for borrowed money."
"To whom is the latter due?"
"I must return three hundred to A--."
"He can do without it for a few days longer."
"I have just seen him; but he says it must be returned to-day."
"He does?"
"Yes. He wants to use it."
Wilkinson stood thoughtfully for some time.
"Can you return the sum in a week?" he then asked.
"O yes; easily."
"Very well I'll go and ask him to loan me three hundred for a week.
He'll do it, I know. You shall have the use of it for the time
specified."
"If you can get me that sum, you will place me under an everlasting
obligation," said Ellis, with more feeling than he wished to display.
Twenty minutes afterward the money was in his hands. It had been
obtained from A--, and during the morning returned to him in payment of
Ellis's loan.
So much accomplished, Ellis turned his thoughts towards the ways and
means for raising the seven hundred dollars yet required for the day's
business. By twelve o'clock all of his borrowed money was returned; but
his notes still remained in bank. In view of the difficulties yet to be
surmounted, he felt that he had erred in not making it the first
business of the day to take up his notes, and thus get beyond the
danger of protest. But it was too late now for regrets to be of any
avail. Four hundred dollars must come from some quarter, or ruin was
certain.
But from whence was aid to come? He had not spent an idle moment since
he came to his store in the morning, and had so fully passed over the
limits within which his resources lay, that little ground yet remained
to be broken, and the promise of that was small.
While Ellis stood meditating, in much perplexity of mind, what step
next to take, a man entered his store, and, approaching him, read aloud
from a paper which he drew from his pocket, a summons to answer before
an alderman in the case of Carlton, who had brought separate suits on
his due-bills, each being for an amount less than one hundred dollars.
"Very well, I will attend to it," said Ellis in a voice of assumed
calmness, and the officer retired.
Slowly seating himself in a chair that stood by a low writing-desk, the
unhappy man tried to compose his thoughts, in order that he might see
precisely in what position this new move would place him. He could
bring nothing in bar of Carlton's claim unless the plea of its being a
gambling debt were urged; and that would only ruin his credit in the
business community. A hearing of the case was to take place in a week,
when judgment would go against him, and then the quick work of an
execution would render the immediate payment of the five hundred
dollars necessary. All this Ellis revolved in his thoughts, and then
deliberately asked himself the question, if it were not better to give
up at once. For a brief space of time, in the exhausted state produced
by the un-equal struggle in which he was engaged, he felt like
abandoning every thing; but a too-vivid realization of the consequences
that would inevitably follow spurred his mind into a resolution to make
one more vigorous effort to overcome the remaining difficulties of the
day. With this new purpose, came a new suggestion of means, and he was
in the act of leaving his store to call upon a friend not before
thought of, when a carpet dealer, whom he knew very well, came in, and
presented a bill.
"What is this?" asked Mr. Ellis.
"The bill for your parlour carpets," was answered.
"What parlour carpets? You are in an error. We have no new parlour
carpets. The bill is meant for some one else."
"Oh, no," returned the man, smiling. "The carpets were ordered two
weeks ago; and this morning they were put down by the upholsterer."
"Who ordered them?"
"Mrs. Ellis."
"She did!"
"Yes; and directed the bill sent in to you?"
"What is the amount?"
"One hundred and sixty-eight dollars."
"Very well," said Ellis, controlling himself, "I will attend to it."
The man retired, leaving the mind of Ellis in a complete sea of
agitation.
"If this be so," he muttered in a low, angry voice, "then is all over!
To struggle against such odds is hopeless. But I cannot believe it.
There is--there must be an error. The carpets are not mine. He has
mistaken some other woman for my wife, and some other dwelling for
mine. Yes, yes, it must be so. Cara would never dare to do this! But
all doubt may be quickly settled."
And with, this last sentence on his lips, Ellis left his store, and
walked with hurried steps homeward. Entering his house, he stood for a
moment or two in one of the parlour doors. A single glance sufficed.
Alas! it was but too true.
"Mad woman!" he exclaimed, in a low, bitter tone. "Mad woman! You have
driven me over the precipice!"
Turning quickly away, he left the house--to return to his store?--Alas!
no. With him the struggle was over. The manly spirit, that had, for
nearly two weeks, battled so bravely with difficulty without and
temptation within, yielded under this last assault. In less than an
hour, all sense of pain was lost in the stupor of inebriation!