once he beheld with dismay the entrance of one of his own upon his new place of business as he stood behind the high desk casting up a column of figures luckily there was an inner room to which he stealthily retreated with beating heart and listened there to the loud tones of the woman who was at home a most soft spoken and creature but this accident did not happen again a business man and he felt more and more secure in the companionship of his young partner it was surprising how his zest and ambition seemed for a time to return how pleased he was when an uncommonly good day s trade was reported he shook his head when the young folks asked him to come to their wedding but he slipped as large a as he dared into the bride s work little hand and stole away toward his own house it had made him desolate to see the rooms the lovers were to live in they had asked their benefactor to visit their new home in such a way that he could not refuse and they told him they never could have got on so well without his help little miss was not going to give up her sewing at present she would take care of their tiny housekeeping and earn all she could in the spare time just as she had always done they did not seem like city people at all they had the simple ways of country folks and john thought of them with deep affection as he sat at the head of his glittering dinner table that night and lifted a glass of his best wine in a shaking hand to drink secretly mr and mrs william s health and prosperity a business man at last there came a time late one spring when the old business man seemed much than he had ever before he hardly ever w nt down to the great office now and was even glad when the rare expedition was safely over with once or twice he took his seat at some assembly but he was an and was more annoyed than otherwise with the empty show of deference from his in office every day when it was possible however he paid an early visit to his young friends in east number street and on many a morning when there were few customers coming in he gave the ambitious proprietor and suggestions there was a young boy added to the force of this experiment a lad from whose bright face seemed to please the old gentleman and on one of the last visits sent him home with mr it caused a good deal of curiosity and interest when the adventure was for he had helped the guest up the high steps of one of the best avenue houses but the morning calls were nearly done mr only appeared once more and then when the owner of the little shop had � � r a business man gone down town he and liis young wife talked a great deal that night about their benefactor he s been the making of me said to himself sadly as the days went by after that and his friend did not come again for a long time mr s daughter had said proudly that her father was able to take an hour or two s walk early every morning in these late spring days she had fully that he used up all his strength in doing so much and that he was fit for nothing all the rest of the day at length john was taken away to his country place and before the summer was over he died the poor rich man had almost ceased to care anything for even the as he had often fondly called it though he was still grateful for the pleasure that came to him as he dreamed of and planned for the future fortune of the happy young people in east number street his wi was made some months before and was as just to his own family and to public needs as all his dealings had been there was one which surprised his family entirely � he left five thousand dollars to one william in east number street and among the a business man latest of his private papers was a note to this written in a trembling hand which con strangely with his former clear i have left something for you as a remembrance mr said i have no doubt that you will make your way in the world by its help and your own exertions and i owe you something for your kindness and respect to an old man remember that getting money may make you poor as it has me and can leave you at last a beggar for a little friendliness and sympathy and occupation there are other things which a man needs beside wealth to make him happy i am your grateful friend john the young man s eyes were strangely as he read heavens he said awed and astonished i used to think that he was n t the broken down old fellow we took him for at first but there he was all the time one of the richest men in the city how pleased he used to be some days to help behind the counter when two or three customers a business man came in together so that was old john perhaps our place made him think of old times when he was just beginning himself answered the little wife i remember the first time i saw him one windy morning when the dust blew in his face and he turned round and looked right in at the window he made me feel real bad he looked so and i never thought he was going to give us such a lot of money he s given 