The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-01-21
THE MYSTERY In PAL
ACE GARDENS.
BY MRS. J. b. RIDDEI1.
CHAPTER I-{CoNTINuED.)

CHAPTER I-tCoNTINuED.)
The crowd was every moment growing
in number and fury; those people from
the West end and the suburbs the police
man had mentioned were coming, coming
residents of the country, up in town
for pleasure or on business, had aban-
doned every plan and desire except
mad tDd6avor to reach the doors of the
doomed Corner House; the noise was
deafening, the excitement indescribable;
if half the population had been struck
dead there could not have been produced
wilder despair, greater CONSERVATION.
Standing ON the doorstep, the gentle
man who had his Offices in Throgmorton
street locked upon the scene with a
curious sense of viewing it from an i'm
mense distance. He felt, as he appeared,
a mere spectator gazing upon spectacle.
Ifhe had never been in business he
could not have seemed further removed
from sympathy with this tremendous
commercial downfall. There was a
curious expression about his mouth
which induced one or two persons who
were jostled up against him to think he
was smiling at the great human exhibi-
ton then on view, and they resented his
merriment, but they were mistaken. He
did not feel sorry and he did not feel
glad; it was nothing to him, nothing one
way or another; there was no reason
why he should fight his way madly
through the crowd, and, indeed, there
was no good reason why he stood there
at all.
sThose that win may laugh, Mr.. Sea;
ton" said harsh voice at his elbow,
and turning saw a man who, like others
fancied he was amused by the play then
in full progress.
"You, Allold" he remarked, the SEN
sation that he was acting some part in a
dream growing stronger upon him; 81
am not laughing, and do not win-or-
lose" he added, after an almost imper-
ceptible pause. ..
"What a lucky fellow you are! wish
! could say the same"
Heavily hit?'
For answer Mr.. Allold drew his fore
finger lightly but suggestively across his
windpipe.
$50 bad as that" commented the great
promoter, with faint smile.
The other nodded and walled off.
The gentleman on the steps looked af-
ter his retreating figure and smiled in
earnest.
II do not think it is 80 bad as that. l
dare say he is not in at ALL"
Really it was like looking down from
another world upon the shifts and lying
and subterfuges and cares of this; but
after time Mr.. Seaton grew weary of it
oil, and returned to his Office.
There he found his partner man,
his junior in the firm, though his senior
in age, who, having brought money into
the business, asked anxiously:
J "Will it affect us much?"
'There is no telling. One can never
know the houses that may be dragged
down in smash like this; but we need
not walk out to meet trouble halfway.
If it is coming it will be here soon
enough" ".1."
"You take matters very coolly.n
'It is of no use to take them other
wise; yet"
Afterwards the partner who had
Drought in money thought with sort of
frenzy over this conversation.
''He sat opposite to me, sir, where you
are sitting now,"a he explained snbse-
quently to solicitor, land never
blanched. IIgive you my word l should,
from his manner, as soon have ventured
to suspect the Governor of the Bank of
England"
Though there was not much actual
business to transact at his Office Mr.. Sea-
ton did not leave till long after the time
he usually returned to Palace Gardeus
"There has been tremendous failure
In the City," he remarked to his wife, in
explanation of his detention; "but per-
haps you have heardrof it?" :.
No, Mrs. ,Seaton had not heard Of It,
She had not been out; and no visitor had
called likely to be interested in such mat
ters. 1t was understood in Palace Gar
dens as well as elsewhere that Mrs. Sea-
ton did not profess any fondness for bus
mess affairs. Except in the most general
manner, her husband at home never
spoke Of commerce; when she drove into
the city-to fetch him, as she sometimes
did, though rarely-she did not alight
from the carriage and enter his office,
but sat outside awaiting his leisure.
She had not brought Mr.. Seaton much
Of dot; but such as it was he had set
tied carefully the amount on her. Other
settlement abe had none. ~. ns ,-
"A man can not afford TO take money
out of his business" Mr.. Seaton said,
when speaking on the subject. When
he made this observation, these to whom
he addressed it laughed, and thought
if any man could afford to do so, it was
be. l..' b g. trJt.
eyes, Oyerends have come to grief"
Mr.. Seaton went on. 1t was at 'diuner
he uttered these cOnfdences. for RETURN