The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1870-11-10
THE HOUSE OF PENYYPACKfR.
By J. W. WATSON.

tHs NIuuoN VI tue carriage as We passed
small low built old fashioned house, tha,
looked as if it might have seen some bet
ter days, but at THAI particular moment
seemed to be what is technically called
going to the dogs" There was deer
and eager interest in his gaze which | could
not help noticing, and which he could not
help seeing excited my curiosity.
DO you see that house ?" he asked.
"OI course do. Who could help see
ing 1t that had eyes p
well, sir, | could tell you story con
nected with that house which has infu-
enccd my whole life"
If there is anything I am always open
tor, 1t Is story, provided there Is any
thing in it. Therefore | said.
And why don tyou?'
We were going out of town to dine,
Warrener and |, and when these words
were spoken we were passing through
what had once been, and in less degree
is still, a prominent business street in Phil
adelphla. As We went he told the story, and
| shall give 1t in his own words, suppress
ing merely such as were in answer to the
eyclamatlons OF the listener
That house twenty years ago was one OF
the strongest and Sturdicst of our private
banking houses, and | was clerk in it
halt dozen years learning under excel
lent tuition principles Of finance that have
since stood ne III good stead. 1t was
known as the house OF "penuypacker and
Son J" and though, strictly spcuking, there
was no son, the elder Pennypacher having
departed this life before | knew Of the es>
tablahment, yet it kept the old title and
retained the old sign. Ephraim Penny
packer who had been originally the Son, +"
was, when | tiGst knew him, past sixty,
and looked at least twenty years Older
There was Il legend in the office that he
never bought any clothes for himself, bat
went on wearing those Of the late progcn-
ltor, by which he always remained twenty
years behind the aye in dress, as in all
things else. Not bGt what the house OF
Pchnypacker 4 Son knew the one grand
secret OF making money, but they, t | may
Use the term, made ii stOlIdly and stead
I!y there was no flash about their opera
ton>. and [ verify believe that if ANYBODY
had proposed the Old Ephraim such a
thing as speculation, he would have stood
a rare chance Oi lmmOIatiun before escaping
into the street.
Bat II there was no son, there was a
daughter, and very nice girl She wa~
LYDIA Penuypacker was her name. Al
some time, without doubt, Lydia had had
a mother, but not within her own recol
lection; ana wc--ttat Is, myself and the
other clclks-had no legend in reference
to this to guide 0nr Researches. We all
knew that LYDIA was a pretty girl and a
good girl, that sEc vas just turned twenty
at the time, | mean, when my story re-
ally beEIns-aud that her father treated
her badly :-uo- merely through negIcct
and ulggardilncss, but sometimes to the
extent Of bru'al har.i.UcSs, including even
the lLtl.c,ion oi blows In saying this
do no, mean to assert that Epmuim Pen
nypacker was IL all respects bad man ,
but lie wa absorbed in the acquisition of
wealth, and IN his treatment Of his dauyh
ter seemed to act as though he resented the
COST OF her support, or was wrcaking upon
her some ma ice naturai against Nature
Tor having cast upon him useless burden,
in place of the SOU to whom the
house of Peunypackcr lad a natural
claim. Many a time have caught the
poor girl IN tears, ami many a time have
had to di>suadc her from a resolve to run
away from home aud earn her own living
in some other city.
The clerks Of Prnnypackcr & Son all
lodged and boarded with Eohraim in IA
house not tar distant from the Office. The
discipline was strict. We could not be out
after nine IN the evening. Oar meals
were symbols of dyspepsia, not only in The
quality Of the vianGs, but In the silence
and gravity with which they were con
sumed. L have often thought since that
nothing could have saved US all from the
pangs Of that terrible disease, save the
fact that the quantity served to US was too
small to make any serious demand upon
the digestive organs OF babe.
v hen | speak of al the clerks, | speak
only of four, Cor Ephraim believed in get
ting the largest amount Of work out of the
smallest amount OF clerk. and carried this
behet into extreme practice. Of these
clerks my story Is connected with only one
John Barrett. de was my room mate,
and acting cashier and paying teller in the
absence OF Ephraim, and sometimes in his
presence. John was seven years my sem
ior-thOugh he never claimed ANYTHING Oh
that score-and not OF social nature; I've
known him TO sit a whole evening in our
little room without speaking word. His
associations were very limited; indeed, un-
der our discipline they could not well be
otherwise, as but part Of Sundays, and
about an hour between breakfast and
work, was all the time we had to cultivate
ou.>door courtcsieS, save the evening
hours from seven to nine, and these were
not always our own. And now, having to
a certain extent described my personages, |
will proceed to give the opening scene in
the drama.
1t was very hot day in midsummer, and
every one in the office went about his work
in dozy condition | know that as it
approached three c'clock | caught uyselt
mapping on my high stool, and should per,
haps have proceeded farther than nap bat
for two reasOnS-frstiy, that the high
stool would inevitably have dropped me
and, secondly, Mr. Ephraim Pennypacker,
who was out upon Change, might be ex-
pected to pop in at any moment To-
ward three there entered lady. rather
elegantly dressed, not very young but
with a face which cnce seen could not
easily be forgotten 1t was somewhat
handsome in outline, but hard ana stony
with a cold blue eye that spoke little OF
sentiment and everything of business
She went straight TO John Barrett's desk
which was next TO m'ue. ana presented
cheque. Her entrance, though quiet
4 p. L