The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1877-09-12
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CHAPTER I.
"Dart, Maitland Dart & Co."

as many years as the majority Of the
inhabitants Of Highborough could re-
call.
Trade panics had laid waste many
another long-established firm bank.
ruptcy had swooped unexpectedly on
many house where wealth seemed as
limitless as here but the bank of
Messrs. Dart, Maitland, Dart, & Co.,
held its head high above all treacher-
Gus waters. and stood unmoved and
utterly secure after the heaviest gales
had passed.
The name of the firm was passport
of trust and reliance, as we'll as
prompt introduction to the first socie-
ty of the country and the present rep
resentatives were these Maurice Dart,
the senior partner, handsome man of
fifty years, who imagined the wishes,
the weakness, and the hopes peculiar
to other men, could not move him
now and Walter Maitland, both in
appearances and manner, strong con.
trast to his senior partner. Though
but ten years younger, he looked near.
er thirty than forty, and the frankness
of his blue eyes, and the gay words so
prompt upon his lips, seemed doubly
frank and doubly gay, contrasted with
his seniors reticence and gravity. The
third partner was one in name alone.
His fathers death had left him rich
share in the bank, but his only inter
course with it was the polite periodi-
cal acknowledgment Of its having
swept away the debts, which were the
worst enemies he had had to fight
since he entered the army. About the
Go" there was of course that vague
ness insepnrable from the cognomen.
In the outer world it was supposed
that an unlimited number of people
had invested their savings or their pat.
rimOny on purpose to be considered
"of the firm" But among the clerks
only one case was known with certain
ly. He was neither the oldest nor the
most experienced, though the most
cheerful, perhaps, the most industrious.
He had deposited with the fra the
sum which his father, through forty
years course Of valued and profitable
managership, had accumulated to be.
queath to him and so, being enabled
to draw what dou bled his salary as
clerk, Tom Leslie looked upon him
self as a partner of no mean order,
and built lofty castles for a time when
his name should stand upon the brass
plate otherwise than az "Cu." Cheer.
fully and constantly he erected these
ediices but to attempt to lay their
foundations on terra firma, either by
saving or speculating, never entered
Toms head. With his mother-a lit
tie old lady as hopeful and cheerful
aud trustful as he was himsell-Tom
lived in n pretty white cottage beyond
the town; and here he had flowers all
the year round, and birds that sang
in the gloomiest weather, and a piano
on which he was no mean performer.
And as regularly as Saturday morn
ing came around, Tom taking his hat,
would say, in the most natural man
hoy; 81 think we should like II couple
of the younger fellows out to dinner
to-morrow-shouldn't we, mother ?
Their salaries are not like mine; and
things are dear. you say"
True their salaries were not like his,
but then he would not have the small,
bright house, nor the small, bright
mother denied any comfort he could
think of, and so there was never one
penny of Toms salary left when the
year was up.
Once or twice Mrs Leslie would in
quire ruefully where her son picked
up the dinnerless clerks whom he de-
lighted to bring home to superior
as he called it, "to a liGtle music"
But her genial hospitality was, after
all, as prompt as his, and so, though
she kept the accounts, there was, as |
said, never penny of Toms salary
left when the year was up. "He thinks
that that 9400 of his is a kings reve-
nue." thought Mrs. Leslie, one Satur.
day morning, watching her son cross
the road, dIOp his gift into the expec-
tant hand of the crossing sweeper, and
turn at the corner to nod to her. "He
will soon expect me to adopt a few
young men whose salaries are less than
his own. If be had but inherited his
fathers saving nature !" She tried to
regret this d0lefully ly but, after all,
she could not help the warmth of per
feet satisfaction filing her eyes.
Even his practical father had re-
joiced that his nature was his moth
er's from the time that nature began
to assert itself in little Tom-7"Liltle
Tom" then to his parents; Little Tom
Leslie" afterWa among his schoolfcl
lows "Little Leslie" now among his
fellow clerks.
On this particular Saturday murn-
ing, as he walked to the hank, Tom