The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1870-11-18
seIerteS sturu.
Row HARTLEY. FRANK & co. sUS.
Il PENDED. -
From Appletoals journal.

- From Appletoa's journal.
It was m May, 1853. had been a.
Pennsylvania on q visit to some relative
of my wife's, and retuned on Saturda
afternoon. called at my Office in Wa
street, and found both my partners in hig
glee. Business had Been even more, pro
ftable than urual during my temporar
absence; and so rapidly was our reputation
for skill and straightforward dealing ris
ing and extending. that telegrsms had tha
very afternoon bser received from one O.
the departments st Washington. urginI
my immediate visit there, IN order to IN
dertake some financial negotiations requir
ing more than ordinary tact and manage
ment Il was already late. Both my part
ners were anxious to get awsy-one to at
tend q rowing match, the other to take hil
young wife out riding. But a few words
could be exchanged in reference to the
Washington enterprise, and scarcely g
word was said In relation to business mat
ters in general They hurried up town;
and I went over TO Brooklyn to dine, and
packed q fresh valise, SO as to leave fol
Washington by the 9:15 P. N. train.
Through one of our messenger boys
from the Office, had secured state-room
in the sleeping-car, and, on reaching the
train, walked through the entire length of
it to find that my state-room was at the
very rear end of the last car. The couch
In It had not vet bees made up; but on
the seats were sitting two gentlemen. with
heads bowed down, In earnest, whispered
conversation. peered through the mar
row door in the dim light of the car, to
make sure that it was letter K-the letter
70 my room-and. not desiring TO sit down
then, was quietly stepping back into the
passageway, intending to pass ont on to
the platform, when one of the gentlemen
looked up, and recognized a well-known
New York merchant. with whom my firm
frequently had large business transac-
tions, and whom had repeatedly happen
ed to meet on the Washington cars within
the last few months. Referring mentally
to q remark had made to him the last
time we met on the cars, said, jokiHgly,
as held out my hand to him.;
81 kssN should find you somewhere On
board; 1 looked all through the train for
you" 8.
s.You did7"
1 thought his hand trembled as held it,
and I noticed strange look OF fear and
agony upon his oountenance, entirely un-
suited 70 the pria, half-reseryed, wholly
self lf-satisied expression which the wealthy
Mr.. Brisket generally wore. But I paid
no special attention to it. The cars had
started; there was the usual jolting, and
jsrring, and MISUNDERSTANDING and
bell-ringing. on going out of the depot;
and ip the dina light of the sleeping-csr-
DINNER than elsewhere in this corner state
room-everything looked unnatural and
distorted thought no more of it.
ssDid you look for me?" he repeated
sswhy?" F
"You have forgotten, It appears, what 1
told you two weeks -ago-that We always
seem to go to Washington together.
"Oh, I remember, he said; "put Frank
told me this morning that you were out of
town, somewhere up in Pennsylvania, and
were not expected home till Monday"
For some reason or other, it struck me as
strange, that Frank, my partner, VINO him !
self attended TO all of Mr.. Brisket's bust
ness, should have mentioned my absence, |
(which ordinarily would pass entirely unno- |
ficed by any one of Franks particular Gus. |
toners, for the reason that in those days |
1 was scarcely ever in the Office. but at /
tended to outdoor work excllsively. It I
was besides, one Of my pet rules, both
with my clerks and junior partners, never
to tell any one anything in connection with
business that could possibly be avoided.
But, before the thought could really as
sumo q definite shape IN my mind, Mr..
Brisket gently drew me down on the seat
beside him, saying, IN a very absent-mind-
ed way, to the gentleman opposite him:
"Mr. Brandon, this is Mr.. Hartley, of 7
Wall street. whom you have often heard
of: -.--F - ~. -s-s.---.. ~ -
The person addressed looked up some
what peevishly, saying: - 80
'Grsnt, Mr., Brisket- Thomas Grant,
sir. Do get the name right; it is simple
enough" f1FEaE
To my astonishment Mr.. Brisket made
no reply, offered no explanation for mis-
naming his acquaintance, but kept look
ing, with vacant yet anxious eye, up the
passage-wsy of the ear, as though he mo-
mentarily expected an apparition to enter {
by the door at the opposite end.
offered some apologetic remark on the
facility of making mistakes, spoke about I
the weather, the crowded train. the great 4
% mfort of the sleeping-cars; and, finding q
my companions rather tedious, walked I
to the front platform of the car, and Lit Z
cigar, the aroma ef which mingled not IN 8
pleasant with an occasional Whit of sea. b
breeze coming across the salt meadows II Y
The cigar and the night-air sharpened nv Ii
brain, for like lightning the thought fash e
ID upon me suddenly: There issomething "
wrong about Brisket he is after some .'
great game, or he is in some mischief. = "
a
been rumors, faint and fleeting, that the e.
yreat merchant was not altogether imma- Il
,ulate. But somehow his manDer did not p
ook like that Gambling? Noi He was o.
90 timid. too, sensitive; and, if he had, 1t
10 sum that be could lose could hurt him. n
t was impossible. who was that man as
nth him2 had snindistinct recollection l.
Il having seen him before. aud the impress W
non was by no means in his favor. He Is
lad the look OF Southerner, and in those th
lays men readily thought Ill Of any one b
whose complexion was little darker than st
lis neighbor's. Was he mixed up with 70
3nsket In some way7 We're they engaged sa
q some smuggling operation, or vorse?- ia
Sut, while was specializing, the train ran cI
nto the dimly-igted Newark depot. "
rev the last Whit of my cigar, and enter hi
d the car: but, as shut the door behind Liz
ne, heard distinty g firm and somewhat an
but not loud voice CRY, stPo- nc
Ger It came from the rear end of the TO
Al, and sounded precisely as though some a
ne IN the state-room, where hs6 left Mr.. to1
'risket and his friend, had put his head ha
ut of the window to utter the CRY. pl
I stepped rapidly along the car, and no
,oked into the room. The two were lean ba
70 back ON their couches, apparently ca
sleep. could not resist the temptation All
say: sz...s -e at
ssWas il you who called for the police?"
Grant only opened his eyes, as with half, of
eepy curiosity; but Brisket fairly jumped. 1 =
his feet, ivid with terror. wi
And now almost ct our ears. the same we
oice, not louder, but with more emphatic wa
1thority, again cried, ,"Policemsnr COZ
Bnsket put his hand to his coat-pockst iDs
i knew he was feeling for revolver-gnd car
Used himself to his tull height, with en VA
r of desperate resolution that aid not der
link his countenance capable of express wa
&. But, the next instant, as if sudden hel
recollecting himself, he sank back in his soT
at. saying, as if to explain his excite ter
ent; ne,
1.-The air is perfectly sitting here; an an
most choked." G.
1 was now thoroughly convinced that sor
msthing was wrong with Brisket step kn