The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1876-11-18

"Well. Mr.. Siskin, shant we say lo
o'clok-1O punctually? You can pay the
deposit. and the house will virtually be
yours. -, eas
that as nearly knocked me OIL my pms as
if n skittle- had struck me. NO,
not punctually. Punctuality and pedl-
crees have had enough of. Insist on
its being 10 punctually, and am oil my
bargain"
In those early auctioneering days, |
did not easily let customer go.
sbould MS soon have thought of knock
ing Mr.. Siskin down rs of opposing
him; so, smiling in spite OF myself, !
said =,
"About 10, then, shall we say
CAV. now you speak. About 10 1t
shall be. But mark me, sir
l could have marked him more liter
ollv than would have suited Mr.. Slskln
for was most terribly hungry, and the
man was so like the ancient mariner
when he held the wedding guest-hls
eve glittering like diamond with a
fierce excitement, kindled 10y my lnno-
cent remark about pnnctuallty.
He was n man with grievance-no
doubt of that and l, poor hungry
wretch. with dear wife - my julia,
punctual little puss-who would have
dinner ready to tick the spirit OF
pnnctualitv, driven out of Siskin. may
have sought and found congenial refuge
in Julial. must devour his long, dry
story instead of q savOry and more sub
stantial meal.
You have heard" he began-and as
he spoke. his long, claw-like niger IN
simulated itself in my buttonhole-"you
have heard" he said, it is i'll waiting
for dead mems shoes? Mark me again
when | say. that is true. Other men
might say it, but know it.
Susan-that's my wife happy to
introduce you, but deaf rs post-Susan
and l waited for old Lionels cash Tor
years-there is no denying that--and
reckoned his income to penny.
"'The hope of having that money was
our star. our anchor. Tough old party,
too-fearfully tough. He should have
been missionary !; might have detied
the cannibals never have got their teeth
in him!
but the punctuality of the man.
Talk of the Charles-the what is it?--of
Germany, and the watches. Lionel
would have beaten him into fits. His
house was oil clocks, except where it
broke out into watches.
Fearful house to vislt--awful place
to stay at Up by the clock breakfast
bv the clock; dinner by the clock. Time
divided between looking out for pune
tual servants. and dismissing unpunc-
tual ones. What a signalman old Lilo
mel would have made, or postman
But rs a private gentleman he was a
bore. Did l tell you what relation Lilo
mel Sands was to me? Not likely. l
have been half-maddened too often, try
ing to trace the Siskincum-Sands gen
ealogical tree to be i'll much danger OF
attempting it again.
.sIf. to shun the Scylla of punctuali
~ Won fell into the Charybdis of pedi-
gree. YOUR dearest foe might pity you.
IF he had been as poor as Job,
NO would have soon cut Mr.. Sands; but
he was rich and old, We poorand young
SO we thought it wise to Keep IN WIN
our dear relation, especially as he had
only nephew, and he abroad some
where.
"What had happened we could not
even guess, but for some reason our last
letter remained unanswered for months,
and we dared not write out OF turn
when n telegram came, asking me to
meet the old man in Brighton the day
after next, at half-vast precisely. on
particular business.