The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1871-09-28
Selected STORY.
GRoCER'S CLERK.
BY s. GETCHELL.

Rap-tap-tap sounded at my Office door,
and Bane Darwell, without waiting for re-
ply to his summons, rushed i'll and seizing
INV hand with vice-like grip looked into
my astonished face, with eyes brimming over
with fun, mischief and hearty good humor
"Why, where in the name Of the wonder
full did you come from this morning?"
gasped l, as soon as was able to command
my speech. -
"Rather sudden, isn't it, old friend !?
Well, became tired of folly and Aimsy
fashion, and thought I'd experiment little
by way of change. came to your city as
an employee of Crank & Grinder, groccrs.",
can employee of-eh-what?" gasp!ed
in CONSERVATION, as my brain suggested the
possibility that my rich and elegant friend,
Bane Darwell, in one of his strange freaks,
had conceived the idea of serving the pros
porous firm he had mentioned.
"Listen," he answered, taking chair
and lighting cigar. "I have become tired
of the hollow, unsatisfactory routine OF
fashion. I am smiled upon and caressed by
the tickle fair ones, not because am Bane
Darwell, good enough fellow, social, oblig-
ing and agreeable, perhaps, but because l
am master of fine estate, owner OF man
sion with brown stone front, the envied
possessor of a goodly amount Of bank stock
and like appendages. l say am tired of
this, and as l. am old enough to. marry am
determined to find some one who will love
me for myself one who will prefer
my society to the lisping, shallow, bewhisk-
cred ball room beaux and devotees of. fash
ion.l Oh, you ne :dn't stare your eyes out
at me,;: 1 mean every word say, and am IN
my proper senses, too" .....s.. .,,i ,:H
eff | should act according to my impress
sion Of duty I replied, at length, =
should summon the proper authorities and
have you placed in an asylum for all such
poor uafortunatcs, for I verify believe you
are crazy at. .::ggi, .t~@. ~"
,"No, no, old fellow; I'm just recovering
myself from a long period of hallucination, y,
he replied with musical chuckle, at the
same time putting huge volume offragrant
smoke from his mouth. .,....
l tried to convince him of the utter un-
reasonableness of his plan, but my argu-
ments were lost on him, and he soon left ME
as intent on his project as when he entered.
The next day, as glanced from my win
dow, saw him, mounted upon grocer's
plain, coarse garments,
15Ed~ hs 9e t5Hs afh2a gaht Nth sFiFsas H.
as his rough vehicle ratified by, and I, with
a sigh, fell to cogitating on the absurdity of
human nature in general, and of Bane Dar-
we'll in particular. - ..s.i
"If by any strange, lucky chance, l ever
became rich, I'll never voluntarily place my
self in any such position" 1 muttered to
myself. as busted among innumerable doc
uments and illegible manuscript. p, .
Weeks rolled away. !. saw nothing OF
Bane Darwell, except an occasional glimpse
which caught of HIM as he passed my Of
fee. doubtless he is too much occpp ed in
his new vocation o.bestow thought upon
an old friend" thought l, as with curling
lip tried to dismiss the subject from my
mind.
Time passed on-the holidays drew nigh.
Bane had found time to. give me hasty call,
assuring me that he was thus far we'll salts
fed with his scheme, and that he had found
Young lady who was the embodiment Of all
his wild dreams of truth and sincerity. "ln
fact, there are two," he said "One of them
is niece and ward of my employer, and
the other is friend of hers, visiting at the
house They are to give party next week.
will manage to secure you an invitation,
that you may judge if my opinion of the
| two young ladies is not correct. Luckily l
am pretty well up in the estimation OF MIR:
Crank, and am treated more as member OF
the family than as an smployee. 1t was by
this meansthat I became acquainted with
1 the young ladies of whom I have spoken.
You will attend the party, won't you, dear
friend2 I am anxious to hear your opinion
of them, especially of sweet Anne Langdon,
Mr.. Crank's neice. I must confess that l
love her, while. I only respect her friend,
Lucy Morton" =.
So saying the curious fellow waltzed out
of the room without giving ME time to reply
and I saw no more of him until the evening
of the party, when, having received the in
vitation promise by him, presented my,
self at the stylish residence of the Cranks:
Bane Darwell was there before me, attired
in an elegant suit, which was in ill-keeping
with his position as grocer's clerk. Oi
course I was introduced to the ladies in
question, and, at the first opportunity, Bane
grasped my arm, exclaiming- .
sis she not beautiful? DO you wonder
that I love herr" ...'
"One question at time, if you please
I do think her pretty, and very sweet look
ing," replied. .}l: -. = ;,
"Ah, yes; tell you, my friend, she il
destitute of the mercenary principles which
actuate the ladies of my acquaintance, in my
own city her beauty would attract the at
tention of many millionaire, while she bes
tows her kindest smiles upon grocer
clerk"
could not dispute his assertions in regart
to her beauty, and he went on:
"Such lustrous, bewitching eyes ofmidngh
= darkness, such beautiful, olive complexion