The houses
referred to were burdened with a mortgage of nearly ten thousand
dollars; this had, of course, to be released; and, in procuring the
money therefor, he strained to the utmost his credit, thus cutting
off important facilities needed in his large, and now seriously
embarrassed business.
It is the last pound that breaks the camel's back. This abstraction of
money and property took away from Jasper just what he needed to carry
him safely through a period of heavy payments, at a time when there
was some derangement in financial circles. In less than a month
from the time he settled the estate of Reuben Elder, the news of his
failure startled the business community. He went down with a heavy
plunge, and never again rose to the surface. His ruin was complete. He
had trusted in riches. Gold was his god; and the idol had mocked him.
CHAPTER XXI.
Beyond what has already been written, there is not much, in the
histories of those whom we have introduced, to be told, except
briefly, worthy the reader's interested attention.
Martin, the old accomplice of Jasper, finding his power over that
individual gone, and failing in the card he played against Claire's
nice sense of honour and integrity of purpose, now turned, like an
ill-natured, hungry cur, and showed his teeth to the man through whose
advice he had so long been able to extort money from Jasper.
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