The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-11-11
NUMBER Oy,4ss.

~ WdS uObf OIL u urSt Impulse, DuE
after due reflection, that I, George
Dunning, articled clerk In the office
of Messrs. Butler &c CLARK, solicitors,
decided on retaining the bank note
which I found behind my desk.
My first impulse, / need hardly
say, was to carry it to one of the
firm, with an explanation of the way
in which / had discovered it. For
the money was certainly not mine;
and ! hope was sufficiently honest
: man, If a poor one, to scout the idea
of keeping what did not belong to
me. So, as / say, my first thought
was to carry it to one of my chiefs
the earliest thing next morning, and
to relate how, moving my desk in a
search after O. fagorite pen which had
- alipped behind itland the wall, I had
- come upon this Bank of England
note amid the dust and scraps there
accumulated.
But second thoughts. brought
doubt, and perhaps o grain of sell
fshness. Suppose, I argued to
myself, (the rest of the clerks were
gone for the night; I had the Office
to myself, and plenty of leisure for
reflection, suppose this money does
not belong to Bustler 6 Clark more
than to myself? They have only
tenanted this Office for about two
years, and the note is dusty enough
to have lain between the desk and the
wall for eight or ten years. Then
Bustler 6 Clark took the furniture as
it stands, on moving in. It is posi-
BILE the note may have lain there all
the time. If they had lost it, I
> should surely have heard something
of it. ALI things considered, I may
have right to keep the money with
out forfeiting my claim to be an hon
est fellow; at all events, shall
acquire that right if I convince my
self that the note never belonged to
Bustler g. CLARK. 2 " 3,
Thinking IL out thus, I again scru-
tinized the valuable scrap OF tissue
paper in my hand. Upon first find
ing it, had thought it was some
trash as Tom, onr Office boy, was ac-
oustomed to purchase in the street.
Tom was forever buying cheap pen
knives, which would not cut; cheap
cast-iron cannons, which burst with
the first discharge. And favorite
bargain of Toms was to spend PEN
ny in O curious assortment of useless
articles, including four brass rings, q
sham hreastpin, counterfeit sove-
reign, a printed puzzle, couple of
ballads, and note for five pounds on
the "Bank of Elegance" Therefore
thought my treasure trove might
be one of Toms precious Bank of
Elegance notes.
Yet it was no sham paper money,
mine; but o promise to pay, signed
on behalf of the Governor and Com
pany of the national establishment.
Number OF, 492-and for 500 pounds.
Trembling with the hope of so
sudden an accession to fortune
more wealth than I had ever owned
at once-and with the fear of losing
it as suddenly, I re-opened the safe,
which it was my duty to lock at
night, and took. out the bill-book.
Herein L knew the numbers of all
bank-notes were entered which passed
through the hands of the firm. If
OF, 4S2 he'd ever belonged to Bustler
and Clark during the last five years,
I should find record of it in spe-
cial portion of the bill-book appor-
toned to Bank of England notes. +
r ran my eye down the money columns,
looking out for five hundred pounds.
A chill sense of disappointment
struck me as I came upon the entry
opposite date Of some eighteen
months back Number OF, 482 had
passed through the hands of Bustler
and Clark. Moreover, it stood re-
corded as having been paid away to
William Wylde; and there was mar
ginal note attached: 'tSee letter of
instruction from Theophilus Lang
brace, Esquire" with number and
date quoted.
Here was mystery at the outset.
Number 07,492 had been paid to
William Wylde eighteen months ago.
and yet had it in my hand. 1
hunted up the letter OF instruction
referred to,among the tied-up CORES
pondence of couple of years back.
The entry was correct. I found the
letter of Theophilus IIangbrace. one
of the firms clients, AUTHORIZING
Messrs. Bustler and Clark to nav
William Wylde the sum of five hun.
dred pounds, sin discharge Of all
claims" on Theophilus Langbrace.
and further requiring Mesms. Bustler
and Clark to obtain Wylde's receipt