The Morning herald., 1876-11-10

eoH''huou' 10 llOt KNOW what 10 tnluk.
H'w can manage these vast affairs with
out your assistance? For you are the one
whe did our business. Iknow that we'll. !
had no head for it."
You can reduce il to smaller proper
tions,' said Brandon, "that can easily be
DONE" --- .-.sa>. =
The old man sighed.
after all" he continued, "it is not the
business. Its Losing you that think Of,
dear boy. Pm not thinking Of the busi-
neas al all. Ny grief is altogether about
your departure. | grieve, too, at the blow
which must have fallen on you to make this
necessary"
"rhe blow is a heavy one" said Brandon;
so heavy that everything else in life must
be forgotten except the one thought-how
to recover from it; and perhaps, Also" he
added, in lower voice, show 10 retura
it,"
Mr. Compton was silent for long time,
and witn every minute the deep detection
OF his face and manner increased. He
folded his arms and shut his eyes in deep
thought.
"My boy" said he at last, in that same
paternal tone which he had used before,
and in mild, calm voice, II suppose this
thing cannot be helped, and all that is left
for me to do is to bear it as best may. |
will not indulge in any selfish sorrow in the
pre~ence of your greater trouble. will
rather DO all in my power to coincide with
your wishes. l see now that you must have
IA good reason for your decision, although
l do not wish to seek to look into that
reason" sh
Believe me-" said Brandon, "I would
show you the letter at once, but it is so
terrible that would rather that you should
not know. 1t is worse than death, and
/ do not even yet begin to know the
worst
The old man sighed and looked at him
with deep commlserati0n.
"!t our separation must indeed be final, y
said he, at last, g. will take care that yiu
shal! suffer no loss. You shall have yonI
full share Of the capital"
Il leave that entirely to you" said Mr.
Brandon.
fortunately our business is not much
sCdIiCIeus N scltlcnIoue Sou ooh'y W
made, and | will arrange it so that you
shall not have any, loss. Our balance.
sheet was made out only last month, and
it showed our firm to be worth thirty
thousand pounds. Half of this is yours,
and"
"Halfp interrupted the other. "You
mean quarter"
The <,IJ MON uoivoI hia hand
II said hall, and l mean half"
II will never consent"
"You must"
"Never."
"You shall. Why, think Of the petty
business that was doing when you came,
here | was worth about four thousand.
You have built up the busins TO its pre-
sent dimensions. Do you suppose that l
don't knowW
T cannot allow you to make such sac
ritice," said Brandon.
stop" said Mr.. Compton. II have not
said all. I attach condition to this
which implore you not to refuse
Listen to me, and you will then be able t.
see."
Mr.. Compton rose and looked carefully
out into the Office. There was no one near.
He then returned, locked the door, and
drawing his chair close to Brandon, began,
in low voice:
"You have your secrets and l have mine.
! don't wish to know yours, but my own
/ am going to tell you, not merely tor the
sake of sympathy, but rather for the sake
of your assistance. | am going to tel!
YOU who | am, and why | came out
here.
"My name is not Compton. 1t is Henry
Lawton. All my early life was passed at
York. There l married, had son and lived
happily for years-in fact, during the
childhood Of my boy.
at was that boy Of mine, Edgar, that lea
to all my troubles. suppose we lndulged
him too much 1t was natural. lie was
cur Only child, and so we ruined him. He
got beyond our control at last and used 10
run wild about the streets of York. l did
what | could to save him but it was too
late.
"He went on from bad to worse, until at
last he got in with set Of miscreants who
we're among the worst in the country. My
God! TO think how my boy, once sweet
child, could have fallen so low. But ne waS
weak and easily led, and so he went on from
baG to worse. -.
II cannot bear to go into particulars"
said the old man, after long pause. l
will come u, once to the point. My poor,
| wre,ched boy got in with these mlsc' eants,
| AZ was telling you, and I did not see him
| from one months end to another. Az last
great burglary took place. Three were
arrested. Among these two were Old
| offenders, hardened in vice, the one named
Briggs, the other Crocker; the third w;l'
my unhappy boy.
The old man was silent for some time.
81 do not think, after all that he was
guilty; but Briggs turned Kings Ev'-