Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1872-12-14

| IttoFtItu, iC tuTleu uoWn SOlue dlley
or street, and had disappeared, and |
found myself more completely bewilder.
ed than ever before. lrelated the Incl.
dent to George, but he could come no
solving the mystery-for mystery it Ger.
tainly now had become. Neither of us
could even suggest a possible explana-
tion. 1t undoubtedly had not been an
optical illusion, for, when we met him
in the country, George had witnessed
the same luminous phenomenon. though
perhaps not quite so vividly.
But | had made another discovery in
the glance that | caught of him this
time, for, quick as ii was, | noticed a
peculiarly about him that had never
seen before. His finger nails were al
most an inch in length, and trimmed to
a point, sharp as black talons. did not
tell George of this-why, | cannot say,
unless because the remembrance of their
claw-like look invariably made me
shiver, and, hardly knowing what to
think of the old man, did not mention
it; then, besides, it was really but a
trivial circumstance.
The following day business at the
bank proved remarkably heavy, at least
my particular share. 1t tseemed to have
taken sudden freak of remorse for the
easy time it had been allowing me, and
Immediately concluded to make full
atonement. worked steadily through
all the morning and half the afternoan,
allowing myself only few moments. for
dinner. About 8 o'clock, tired and
cramped in position, | leaned back in
my chair TO take Q good stretch, and
had just closed my mouth after most
refreshing yawn, that came near imperil-
ing the desk, when | heard the teller
say to some one:
He thinks when he gets twenty five
happen to him, and he'll be amsng the
highest in the land. He works hard
enough for it, poor man and is as
honest about it as if the whole world
was looking on. Or course, the very
fact of his trying to get twenty-five
thousand shows that heis badly cracked,
utterly crazy. 1t is Il queer idea of his,
but nobody can reason with him about
the ma after"
had not heard who he was talking
about, nor did inquire, but thought
to myself as trimmed my pen: "Well,
twenty five thousand is not much you
have ten times that amount, and did
not come by it very easily either, but
nobody thinks you are cracked or
" utterly crazy, and it is hardly queer
that a person should want money in this
age of the world, and, if he is honest, it
is more than can be said Of"
My quill had most beautiful point!
Indeed, | quite prided myself on the
art of pen-making, and hi ghly pleased
with the satisfactory result of this deli
cate operation, fell to work again with
renewed energy, forgetting all about
twenty-five thousand, or fifty thousand.
or any other particular thousand in the
high pile of notes that still remained
waiting to be entered. | plodded
bravely ahead, but my good humor was
not destined to be of long duration, as,
before they were greatly diminished,
discovered another job, tor which GER
tainly had made no calculation.
1t was a mistake, resulting entirely
through the carclessness of the indorser.
Immediately saw a seven,mile trip into
the country for some of the bank clerks,
and | suspected it would more than
likely fall to my lot. | could not help
mentally anathematizing all people in
general, and this man in particular, for
being so loose about business affairs,
and apparently caring little how much
trouble and inconvenience they gave to
others. After appealing to the Presi-
dent for his decision, it turned out just
as | had anticipated; first, that some
one must 90 ont and see the man per-
sonally: and, second, that | must be
that unlucky "some one" The job had
just q single redeeming feature, which
was, that day or two, or even three,
made no especial difference, otherwise
it really would have been beyond my
Christian forbearance, as it was already
late, and | was tired, and the afternoon
hot and disagreeable.
waited until Thursday, vainly hoping
that the heat might moderate, or that
it might rain, but the morning dawned
without any change in the temperature.
Finding it impossible to delay the mat
ter still longer, | went over to the liv'
ery-stable, ordered the buggy, and, as |
had previously gained Georges consent
to accompany me-for there is no socie-
ty would quicker avoid than my own
i drove to his lodgings and picked
him up without wasting much time.
After all, did not know but it was
better thsn being cooped up in the
bank, which, il it was not as bright, was
considerably hotter, for the wind felt
very pleasant blowing softly against our
faces, and the farms lying along the
road, spreading far out as the eye could
reach, were much more interesting than
the musty pages of a ledger. The cher
les hung de9dripe upon the trees; the
black birds chartered among them TO
each other with red.stained bills. and
the cats, stretched lazily in the sun
shine, watched the winged robbers with
no charitable feelings. The leaves, it
they were thirsty, complained but
gently, and in the fields the grasshop'
pers without tagging still held their
jubilee, and from the level pastures far
ther Off came the sound of distant
bells, and sometimes close by the road
side the farmers whetted their scythes.
Yes, it was certainly not so disagree
able as | had imagined, and while we
rolled pleasantly along | experienced
quite revolution of feeling toward the
author of this forced journey. When
we arrived at our destination and were
ushered into his presence, the business
was speedily accomplished, and after |
had satisfied what remained of my irri-
table feelings by showing, in gentle
manly manner, the Nervousness of the
r,;st,ko and fully impressed the awful