The Republican journal., 1873-02-20

we found the balance on had was two
thousand dollars less than the amount re-
qulred. Here now was q chance for spec
ulation. What became of the sum Amy
was not long in deciding that its equiva-
lent had been mislaid-some check mis-
placed; but this was merely guess-work.
Her proposition, at next meeting. was
to search thoroughly the papers in the
safe. Not succeeding there, books and
papers in the vault were taken, one by
one, and turned, leaf by leaf. Thorough p
| think so. 1t was a slow, laborious pro-
cess. Her patience was astonishing Her
glance seemed as though would burn the
papers it fell on But they could not re-
veal a secret not in their keeping.
Where was the waste paper put ? In a
basket. And emptied where9 Roy couldn't
say. The old woman who swept the
rooms was called. She emptled it, when
full, into u dark closet. Sometimes when
out OF shavings she used n little to start Il
fire. Amy turned pale, The search among
the contents Of the closet was assigned
ior the next day. Was it narrowed to
this, the chance of finding a valuable
paper in the rubbish? She would have
had more heart, but for the knowledge of
these occasional handsful taken for kind
ling. Piece by piece we went through
thi7 accumulated heap of dusty, goneby
papers. and without success.
Roy and had foreseen the end-failure
We didn't anticipate having to see that
noble girl sit down disconsolate with the
tears falling upon her fallen hands. ByJove
| wouldn't have begun She work It was
ov for me to labor with her all the way.
but when that labor was brought to the
bitter end-to see hope 90 out Of her heart
by her blessed blue eyes! Roy attended
her home.
The next day he and were seated in the
bank, talking over the affair. Roy said
|, 'the Borneo, Charlie Lane. is due; can't
we see, from the skylight in the garret, if
she is in the bay9'
He proposed going up to see. Roy
Went ahead and opened the skylight. The
place was as dusty as grave, and Just as
Jolly There was no Borneo in sight.
Account books and bundles of paper lay
here and there, with dust upon them nearly
an inch deep. And over these things,
that had one day meaning and n value,
and neither now. the spiders had woven
| their homes, and were having in turn their
v
". Roy remarking a book on top of n
pile less dusty than the others, proposed
10 me to take it down stairs as a curiosity.
I did. The skylight was lowered, and
two sunbeams, that had vanished as we
opened the light, came back again. and
lay athwart one another like bars of dusty
gold Down stars we sat and examined
our prize. 1t was not blank book, but
a ledger, evidently belonging to the gen
eral and filled with records Of dealings
long years before. when in the wood and
coal business. The writing was neatness
itself. Rarely a blot or an erasure did
we see as Roy sat rather inditferently
turning the leaves. Occasionally there
remained an unbalanced account. The
fuel had become smoke and ashes long
ago, and the debtor dust, may be- Here
was one job Jones, charged with a cord
of wood a generation ago. Out of this
scanty material we imagined a history for
this latter job We invented tor him little
pleas for his delinquency; that he had
married wife; that he had left the town !;
that be never had it; that it was only
halt u cord that he paid for it ut the
time, etc. Nevertheless, it is shame,
Job Jones, for you to owe forever for the
fuel that boiled your kettle, and blessed
your hearthstone, and, perchance, warmed
to life one Of the innumerable little
Joneses, we concluded Didn't his ears
burn
While we We're laughing over this, the
door softly opened, and Amy Woodson
appeared. | had almost expected it was
the ghost of the said Jones.
She wished again to see the book con-
tanning those entries OF the tenth of May
Roy brought it. Amy sat at one side ot
the table Elwell and | at the other, She
pored over the page, as her father had,
doubtless, done before her, with dreamy
misty eyes. We mentioned the reason of
our mirth. | took the book, carelessly,
and opened it, Roy and Amy looking on
as turned now one leaf, and then three
or four together; when, My heavens! !!
exclaimed They started. Amy leaned
over the table. Her breath went aud came
quickly. By Jove, | can feel it now on
my check Never . wind can blow that
away There. staring us all in the face,
We're two one thousand dollar bank bills
| swear | saw 10y 90 into her eyes
1t was pretty clear to her. There was
fresh writing on the credit side of an
L
book from the garret and upon his table
that tenth Of May. Exchanging the bills
for some customer, ne had laid them on
the open book and absently closed it. 1t
was then returned to its old place in the
garret. His mind being distracted by his
pecuniary troubles, the transaction of the
bills had made no mark upon his memory
This was our theory.
Amy had dreamed singularly, that she
was greatly comtorted by a book, and
this was the reason of her coming and
calling for the one we first examined"
''And you say Amy married Royp"
'sAy, ay; and their boy they've named
Frank Manly Elwell. Turn in, Hal, |
must look after my girl the Sunset"
| obeyed; and in a moment more I
thought | landed on q wharf in Bramble-
head, and the first sign that met my eye
was dob Jones, Dealer in Coal, Wood
and Bark, for Cash Only"
"Job JONES'" said l, Crank Manly and
Roy Elwell have Judged you unjustly
That cord OF wood they thought you owed
for" ! continued, as his CLASSY eyes
seemed to demand an explanation. The
little man was silent. but he gave me q
look which said plainly enough, "What is
human justice to me, or injustice ?"
And Job Jones, for | could not think of
him as any other being, became instantly
statue of ice; a tear trickled from each
eye, and another trembled splendidly from
his nose, and in the sunshine they be-
came
| awoke and instead of Job Jones, my
eyes fell upon jim the steward, who was
setting the breakfast in the cabin of the
Sunset, on the table over which this tale
was told to me as | tell it to you-only
that drowsy CLEAN of the cabin-light falls
notupon the paper, and never will From
the February Aldine.
Carefulness in Old Age.
An old man is like an old wagon; with