The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-11-11

Il tshRbby 6ctof, who siilad secondary
!; parts 81 tranApo ontine theatre. and
who freqnented tavern at which;
onr Office boy Tom was too often
Eseen. twas in Tom 5 presence that
had met w ylde, III whom I cav
little to admire or,eyen to tolerate.
1 a boastful, trnculeht man he seem.
ed at the best, much given to
4 gin, and to an inordinate estima-.
! tion of his abilities, which were more
4 patent to himself than to the mana
ger. He had married, as I learnt
1 from Tom on the first introduction,
above his station; in fact, it was said
that his wife had been lady, the
daughter of our client, Theophilus
Langbrace. How Wylde's vulgar
manner and loud assertiyeness had
fascinated her was q mystery which
| the lady would never answer now, for
she was dead. It has been an i'll
sorted union; and Wylde, who had
received some assistance from his
father-in-law during his wife's life
time, fell into worse ways after her
death, and grew more drunken, more
dissipated, and more arrogant.
This, then, was the person for
whom the note for five hundred
pounds had evidently been intended,
and who appeared in our books as
having received number O7,4S2.
That he had never come into posses
sion of his due, the obvious gift of
his father-in-law, was proved by the
note in my possession. The mystery
was not to be cleared up that night,
it was certain; so / determined to
wait till next day and question old
Graham.
Old Graham was clerk IN the en-
ploy of Bustler & Clark, fellow
worker of mine, with whom we
younger fellows held little commu-
MON. He was shy, little, broken
down, prematurely old man, whose
retiring habits and general timor-
BUSINESS left nothing in common be-
tween him and the rest, and who
made few acquaintance. Theyounger
men spoke of old Graham with haJf-
pitying, half-contemptuous tone, as
one whose ways of life did not consort
with the ardent spirits who enjoyed
existence on eighty pounds u year. I
believe 1 understood the old man best
of all my colleagues. We were good
friends, for beneath that shy and
shambling exterior he possessed a
kind heart, and he had a treasure in
his home, of which the rollicking
young bloods at Bustler & Clark's
never dreamt. 1 alone could esti.
mate that treasure. / alone was q
welcome guest in the modest ground
-four at Remington, and knew how
much beauty and gentle worth were
represented in Kate Graham. MY
Intimacy with her father had taught
me this, and the knowlege soon
brought a warmer feeling. Seeing
how dear she was to him, 1 had come
to hope for time when I should sup
plant him in her care and love. 1
knew that / was welcome in the
household, lit consisted but of him
self and her,) and I left the rest to
time and constancy. AS matters
stood, L was too poor to marry, until
the discovery of the five hundred
pound note awakened hope which I
determined should only be realized
according to the dictates of strict
honesty.
at 8 o'clock on the morning after
the discovery, old Graham appeared
at his desk, punctual as st. Paul's.
1 entered into careless conversation,
and at last broached the subject of
the payment to Wylde.
''You have been in the Office long
time, Mr.. Graham" I said; edo YOU
happen to remember man who used
to come about here named, if T re-
member right, Wylde-Wm. Wylde?"
He turned cadaverous color, and
his fingers wandered aimlessly to his
scanty gray hair.
"What-what do you know about
Wylde?" he asked, in his timid man.
ner.
81? o, very little. I know he is
an actor, that's all. He used to get
money paid him on behalf of our
clients, did he not?" I answered.
oarelessly.
'I-I don't know; it is not my de-
partment. [ don't pay money. Il
never heard of him." said Graiam
nervously.
"No. 1 suppose not. Perhaps Mr.
Murdon will know" I replied.
Mr.. Murdon was our cashier. The
Old man grew more agitated than be-
fore.
You had better not ask him." he
returned, hastily. "Mr. Murdon