“Your telegram was a great relief,” Mr. Blaisdell answered in an excited tone, “but I was all ready to come, as, from the tenor of Haight’s message this morning, I feared the worst. You are sure the affairs of the company are all right?”
“Perfectly sure,” replied Houston, calmly, “so far as money is concerned, poor Morgan has wronged no one but himself.”
“Well,” said Mr. Blaisdell, with a sigh of relief, “I am glad to hear that, but this is an outrageous affair,––simply outrageous,––a man in his responsible position, trusted as he has been, coming to such an end as this, under such circumstances and amid such surroundings! It is a disgrace to himself, and to those associated with him in business,––to the entire company!”
The thought flashed through Houston’s mind that a deeper disgrace than this awaited the company, but he only replied:
“I had not looked at it in that light, Mr. Blaisdell; I, as one of his associates, certainly feel no disgrace attached to myself. I had thought only of the terrible pity for a life so needlessly ruined and lost.”
“Pity!” said Mr. Blaisdell, contemptuously, “If a man willfully degrades himself and disgraces his friends, I have no pity for him, he deserves none for such dishonorable, dishonest conduct.”
“His dishonesty, as you term it, must have been of rather an unusual type,” said Houston, “since I offered him money only last night, and he refused to take it.”
“So you knew of his habits and offered him money? It was your duty to have reported him to me.”
“I do not need you, Mr. Blaisdell, or any one else, to tell me what my duty is here,” replied Houston, with dignity, “I did not know until recently to what extent Morgan was gambling, and when a man is in trouble, I will never give him a push downward.”
One of the workmen just then came to Houston for instructions regarding the shipment which he had ordered from Silver City, thus attracting Mr. Blaisdell’s attention in that direction.