The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-12-18
ACT I,
TIE CURTAIN RISES.

In a court yard in the city of London, which
was No ThOroughfaTe either for vehicles or foot
passengers-a courtyard dlVerging from steep,
a slippery, and q winding street connecting
Tower street with the MiddleseX shore of the
Thames-stood the place OF business Of Wllding
& Co., wine merchants. Probably as a joCose
acknowledgement OF the obstructive character
OF this main approach, the point nearest its
base at which she could take the river III so in.
Odorously mlnded) bore the appellation Break
Neck Stairs. The court yard itself had likewise
been descrptlYey entitled, in old time, Cripple
Corner,
Years before the year one thousand eight
hundred and sixty-one, people had lett OIL
taking boat at Break-Neck Stairs, and Watermen
mad ceased 10 ply there. The Shiny little
causeway had dropped 9T0 4o 'oT three tfyee "
niles and a rusty iron moorinG ring were all
that remained Of the departed Break. Neck
glories. Sometimes, indeed, a laden coal barge
would bump itself into the place, and certain
laborious heayers, seemingly mud-engendered,
would arise. deliver the cargo in the neigh6or-
hood, shove off, and yanishi but at most times
the only commerce of Break-Neck-Stalrs arose
out of the conveyance OF casks ana ootties
both full and empty, both to and from the
cellars of Widing d Co., wlue merchants.
Even that commerce was but occasional, and
through three-fourths OF its rising tides the
dirty, indecorous drab of a river would come
soIitarily oozing and lappng at the rusty ring,
as if it had heard OF the Doge and the 'Adrlatc,
and wanted to be married to the great con-
!
Lold Mayor.
Some two hundred and fifty yards on the right,
! up the opposite hill (approaching 1t from the
! low ground OF Break-Neck- -Stairs), was Cripple
! Corner. There was pump in Cripple Corner;
! there was tree in Cripple Corner. All cripple
! Corner belonged to Wilding q Co., wine mer-
| chants. Their cellers burrowed under IT, their
mansion lowered over 1t. 1t really had been a
mansion in the days when merchants inhabited
! the city, and had commodiOus shelter to the
doorway without visible support, IKE the
sounding board over an old pulpit. IL had also
a number OF long, narrow strips OF window, 20
! disposed in its grave brick front as to render 1t
! symmetriCally ugly. IL had also on Its Ioot a
/ cupOia with bell in 1t.
'When a man at ive,and twenty can put his
| hat on and can say, That hat covers the owner
Of this property, and of the business which is
/ transacted on this property | consider, MIR.
Bmtrey, that, without being boastlul, he may
be allowed TO be deeply thankful. ldont know
how it may appear TO you, but so 1t appears
Thus Mr.. Walter Wiiding to his man of law in
his own counting ouse,-taking his hat down
from the peg 10 suit the action to the word, and
hanging Ii up when he had done so, not to over
step the modesty OF nature
An innocent, open.speaking, unused-looking
man, Mr.. Walter Wilding, with remarkably
pink and white complezlon ana ngute s inuo9 l.aoa
too bulky for so young man, though OF good
| stature, with crispy, curling brown halr, and
amiable, bright blue eyes. An extremely com
muncative man a man with whom ioquacuy
was the irrestranable outpouring OF content
ment and gratitude. MIR. Bntrey, on ine 0llel
hand a cautious man, with tWinkling beads fol
eyes, in large, overhangng bald head who IN
wardly but intensely enjoyed the comlcallty o
openness OF speech, or hand, or heaTt. -,
Eyes, y sand Mr. Bintrey. 'Yes. Ha, hap
A decanter, two wincglasses, and a plate o.
biscuits stood on the desk. -
"You like this iorty-hye-year-old port WineF
said Mr.. Widing.
"Like it," repeated Mr.. Bintrey. "Rather
STRIP
"Ips from the best corner of our best forty
fYe.year-old bin, >" SAID Mr. Wilding.