THE FALSE FRIEND. (From the German of B. Averach.)

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XX, Issue 23, 25 March 1892, Page 25

THE FALSE FRIEND. (From the German of B. Averach.)

At the age of fifteen I was apprenticed by my father to a locksmith in the town of Munich, my native place. I was an only child, and both my parents dying toon afterward, I was left alone in the world. My master was a stem, exacting man, bat just to those in his employ. Wben he paid me my first week's wages he said to me : 11 Max, yon do not need more than half of this money now. I will pat the remaining half in the savings bank for you." On the following day he went with me to the bank, where my deposit was duly registered, and a passbook given to me, on the firßt page of which my name was inscribed, and on the second the amount deposited, seven crowns. I remember well the childish pleasure I felt when I took it in my hands and looked at the writing on tke ■mooth, white paper. It seemed strange that I should be the p«gflasaor of seven crowns, earned by my own labour, and ev«n more so that people should be willing to trnst the fruit of their bard toil in another man's hands, with no better sec-rity than a line written io a book. On my way home I said to myself : " Here is tho beginning of a fortune," and I inwardly resolved to lay by each week a small sum to add to my first deposit, My desire seemed to create a feeling of avarice entirely at variance with my usual disposition. I gave up every little luxury, and in a few we«ks I had five crowns more, which I carried to Mr Menninger, the city councillor, who managed the affairs of the savings bank, a trust that he fulfilled gratuitously and with scrupulous fidelity. He praised my economical habits nnd encouraged me to persevere. The amount, Ive crowns, was credited to me and the date added. Strange to say, my joy on this occasion was not equal to that which I had experienced on my first visit to the bank. •• This is a slow business," I thought. " A long time must elapse before I can amass a sum ot any importance. But these disquieting reflections were of short duration, and I resumed my usual cheerfulness, and went to work with fresh alacrity. It would have been well for my future happiness had I kept my feelings and wishes to myself. Among my companions in the shop was a gay young fellow, rather wild in his habits, with whom I was often alone. Unluckily for me I took him into my confidence. He shrugged his shoulders and laughed at my simplicity. " What do you expect to do with such a paltry earn ?" he asked. "Rich people, who live in luxury, can afford to let their money lie and increase. Bat as for poor rogues like you and me— it is nonsense to think of such a thing." His words gave me no concern, for I hai always be?n strictly honest ; but they made on me a certain impression, nevertheless. la every man there are two diverse nacres by which he is altiraitely ontrolled. I was young and fond of p'eaaure. Not long after this I began to allow myself my former luxuries, with the mental excuse that life was short, and that there was no need to make myaelf miserable for the sake of economy. Yet I did not feel altogether so happy in the indulgence ot my desires. One Sunday evening I took my book out of my strong box and looked into it with a feeling of relief at the certainty that my deposit was still untouched. Julius Sto'.z, the companion of whom I have spoken, was with me. fle took the little book from my hand, and tossing it up gayly over my he^d, exclaimed : 11 There goe3 the fortune of the great cipitalisr, Max Werner !" About a month before Christmas a large fire broke out in the part of the city where the saviogj bank stood, and that buildiog, with others near it, was entirely destroyed. What was my consternation upon learning that all the books and papars belonging to the bank were lost also j Julius, to whom I spoke of this misfortune, only ridicnled my fears. " Silly fellow ! " h9 exclaimed. " You have no cause for alarm. The city guarantee tha piyment of all deposits made at the savings bank, and you have your receipt to siow. Your moaey is all rfght." His assurance comforted ma, especially after closely examining my receipt he affirmed that it waa strictly correct. He spent that night with me, and after we had been in b.d an hour or two he woke up saying : " Max, there is a chance for us to make money and live like other rich folks. We can invest our capital, too, and travel around world. We can go to California and try our iuck in the gold mines." " A fine idea," I answered, " but where are we to get the money for the voyage 1 " " You forget jour receipt." " Yes ; but you spoke of that aa a mere trifle." " We can convert it into something better," he answered, getting ap and lighting the lamp. " A lucky thought has occurred to me. Let me see your book again." I arose, opening my box, gave him the book, with a vague feeling that my insignificant savings might yet expand into a fortune.

" Splendid I " he exclaimed after a close scrutiny of the handwriting. "No one would ever suspect it I Now you shall see what a magician I am. lam going to change these five crowns to five bun dred. We shall soon have the funds to start for California I " His words terrified me. "Nol " I cried out. You must not do it ! I will never consent to such a thing 1 " " Lst me alone, Max," he answered, smiling, " I only want to show you how easily it can be done." I still objected, but a fatal curiosity took possession of me, and I liid: " Let me see how you propose to go about it. But you must take another piece of paper. I cannot have my receipt spoiled and lose the little money I have now." All this time my mind was a prey to conflicting emotions. I hoped that ho would fail, and that this would quiet the guilty promptings of avarice ia my heart. Then I wished him to be successful. I trembled from bead to foot. "Be quiet 1 " he exclaimed, "or you will Bhake my hand and spoil everything 1 " I said no more, but sat down opposite to him and looked on as he changed the words inscribed in my precious little book aad dried the ink with his breath, He then took a small knife and erased some letters. I still trembled but I Baid to myself, " You are rich now, and you may be more so." I looked at his work. The words were : " Received five hundred crowns." There was no appearance of the pages being tampered with, and the bank register was burned. We went to bed, but Julius kept me awake a long while describing the different life that we might lead in future, and already I imagined myself crossing the ocean and amassing new treasure in a foreign land. Then we both fell asleep. But my repose was short. I opened my eyes suddenly, and tbe whole scene I have described seemed to be again passing before me. I looked around. The moon shone brightly into the room, and I saw my passbook lying on the lid of my box. I jumped out of bed, moved by a determination to tear out tbe lying record. II Batter lose all," I thought, " than commit an act so vile." But my resolution failed me when I touched the precious possession, and I crept back to bed and slept heavily until daybreak. The next day my master noticed my anxious countenance and inquired if anything had gone wrong with me. At the table I was moody and silent, and his good wife rallied me upon my loss of spirits. How guilty I felt at the thought that they imagined me honest and virtuous while I was secretly meditating a crime I I had always found it hard to keep a secret. Julius was the only person to whom I could open my heart" He only laughed when I asked him how a dißhones man could possibly live in peace, and related storiea of adroit thefts that had escaped detection. As time wore on and no one seemed to suspect me of wrong doing, I became more easy in mind. But one morning, shortly before Christmas, my master's children came running up to me, saying : "We know a secret about you— a secret that we must not tell you." Their innocent words cut me to tha heart although I knew the* were only jesting about the gift that their father designed for me. Christmas eve came. I was standing at the door of the shop late in the afternoon when a maid sirvant came up ia great haste and said that I was wanted at Councillor Menningpr's. "Have they sent for me especially ?" I inquired. " Yes. I was told to ask for Mix Werner. Come without delay and bring his tools," she added. "I shall be reidy to accompany you in a few moments," I answered. The very mention of the councillor's name frightened me. Could my secret bi known 7 No one had seen my book except Julius Stolz, and I did not intend presenting it at tha bank for several months yet. However it was not likely that they would send a servant girl instead of a policeman to arrest me. I walked on uneasily beside the messenger. She was youog and had a face expressive of honesty and good sense. •' What ia your name ?" I asked. "Catherine," she replied. It was my mother's name. I told her so, and, after a littla conversation, we reached Mr Menninger's honae. I was shown into a room on the first floor. It was warm, well-lighted, and famished with taste and elegance. I looked at the luxurious carpet, the costly paintings, the rare flowers, and whispered to myself : •• This is the way rich people live." Mr Menninger came in soon after with a handsome jewel case in his hand. He said that the lock was broken, and requested me to open it, but, finding that I needed a particular tool to open it, and that this had been left behind, I had to return to the shop. When I got back to the councillor's he told Catherine to remain in tbe room with me, while he went out to speak to a messenger that was waiting to ace him in tbe hall.

"Thii it a floe house," I said, addressing tba young girl. " You would hardly be willing to exchange it for a cottage, would 4 you r "After one has lived a while with rich people," she answered, " one learns that it makes little difference whether the floor is bare or covered with a rich carpet, so far as happiness is concerned. The principal thing Is to live a quiet life and to keep a olean conscience." Her words affected me ao strongly that I dropped my tools, and a miit came over my eyes. She laughed and said that I was not Tory skilful at my trade. At last I succeeded in opeaing the casket, and my eyes were dazzled by the sight of a diamond necklace sparkling upon the blue velvet lining. Catherine advanced to the door, and called Mr Menninger, who came in immediately, but scaroely had he looked at the diamonds, when he seized me roughly by the arm, exclaiming : "There is a brooch missing— a brooch that contained the most valuable stones in the set I" Notwithstanding my innocence, I shook like an aspen leaf. Perhaps this was only a snare to entrap me. They bad fouod out my secret, and I was to be arrested and probably put into prison. I was about to fall upon my knees and beg for mercy when Catherine's voice roused me to defend myself . 11 What I" she exclaimed. " How can you imagine suoh a thing possible ? I have not left the room since he came." "Be quiet I" said the councillor. "We will examine you, too. Stay where you are." He then called his wife and told her that he had intended to present her with the diamonds, which were his mother's, as a gift, and that he had just discovered that the brooch was missing. Turning to mt, he said : "You can appeal to the law if you wish. Otherwise I will search you myself, while my wife examines Catherine." " What I" exclaimed the astonished girl. "Do you suspect me ?" The sight of her distress made me so indignant that I abandoned my determination to confess everything about my bank book to the councillor, and submit quietly to the humiliation of an examination. My mind was filled with aogsr and a thirst for revenge. It seemed to me (hat I had sunk to the level of a slave, and my own fault seemed venal in comparison with this cruel outrage, especially when I saw Catherine suffering through me from the same odious suspicions. Of course the search was in vain. Nothing was found upon my person nor upon Catherine's. As I left the room I said to her : 11 Be patient I I will try to repay you for what you have had to end are on my account." I went into the street almost blind with rage. The lamps were lighted all over the city, which was gay with sights and sounds of Christmas- But in my owo heart all was dark and cold. Julius seemed rather to enjoy the recital of my wrongs. II You see now, my friend, how poor wretches like ourselves are treated by the ricb," he said exultingly . ,' What do they care for our feelings T After tbis I hope you will be less scrupulous about helping yourself to whatever comes in yonr way." Some'months later, while I was at my work in the shop one day Catherine entered with a padlock in her band, and requested me to fit a key to it and bring it to the councillor's. When I went on my errand Catherine was washing off the front steps. She stopped to shake hands with me, saying : " I have good news for you. My master received a letter this morning from hi B sister, telling him that she had kept the brooch herself, but would send it without delay, and that she regretted the disappointment to him." " Why did he not let me know it at once ? ' I asked; " It was his intention to do so," answered Catherine « but he desires me to say to you that you are now completely cleared of the charge. It was now the month of May, and I decided to go to tbe bnilding in which tbe bank waa established, and present my receipts. Julius urged me not to delay longer, and my scruples had vanished by this time. When I entered the office Mr Menninger was examining accounts. My first feeling of alarm at the thought of what I was about to do subsided as I looked at him and remembered all he had made me suffer. I waited a few moments before I presented my book He «x Joined it carefully. No one was in the room but ourselves, and the *ly sound to b« heard was the monotonous ticking of the clock on brl^A? 1 ; !i J hear * beat ' iol^tlyanda cold sweat covered my brow. At last he opened the cash box. * •• You have a considerable sum," he said. " Will you have it i* silver or bank notes V v " In bank notes," I replied. He handed me over a roll of bills and asked me to count them over while he made ur the balance in coin. I could scarcely S 2u JSssssr 1 gold piecefl ° pon tbe ** -AS.

" Are you not tbe young apprentice that came to my home on Christmas Eve ! "Yes sir," I answered. —"I am trnly glad to ace yon again," he laid, " I often reproached myself for not baring soaght yoa and aaked your pardon for my in* justice, You most bare felt it acutely. I beg that yoa will forgive me, and if I can ever serve you in any way do not hesitate to let me know. But wbat is the matter f Are you ill 1 " I can never describe wbat I suffered while he was speaking, There I stood, graaping the roll of bills convulsively and staring at tbe gold pieces before me. I had never before touched so muoh money. Tbe temptation was strong to resist the voioe of conscienoa and go away with my prize. Bat when I looked into the face of the man who bad so nobly confessed his own error, and who bad made me such a generous offer of assistance, I was completely vanquished. I fell upon my knees, crying oat : "No I lam a miserable impostor I Take back your money I " Then I confessed everything. The councillor had a noble heart. He saw that my grief was sincere, and assured me that my secret was in safe keeping. Bat he insisted upon having Julius arrested and said that he most leave Munich at once. It is not necessary to add that I destroyed my receipt before leaving the savings bank. Mr Menninger proved a valuable friend. He lent me a sum of money sufficient to enable me to go into business on my own account, and a few years later I attained success.