The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-02-05
THEGH0ST In THEBANK
OF ENGLAND.
III.

The wholesome hustle Of the streets
soon drove this rather CHASTITY reminis-
cence of old Mr.. Deacon's youth, which
had entered at one ear and out at the
other. Though l had spent the greater
part of my grown-up life in London, /
was not familiar with the city; and l
took certain sort of fanciful pleasure
that /, too, was for the day small cog
wheel in the perpetual machine for max
ing money change hands. Strength of
heart and strength Of limb seemed stirred
up In me by the noise and the two meet
ing crowds. T. felt myself rich man;
aad if I built airy castles rather Alnas-
chafwise, / really possessed solid foun-
dation for at any rate very comforta-
BILE cottage on firm ground.
And so there stood the Bank of Eng
land, waiting, without a question, to
pay over thousand of its pounds.into
my hands. l entered the outer court
and was duly directed by gorgeous
beadle in black and scarlet to the first
door in the leftrhand corner. ! founn
myself in large Office, which l have no
doubt is well known to the greater num-
Der of my readers, with twelve desks ar
ranged alphabetically and facing a quiet
court yard filled with trees and shrubs,
in the center of which fountain FLASHED
lazily. had expected that in this true
heart of the city the hustle of the streets
would have been doubled. But an almost
monastic stiffness, through which the
ticking of the clock could be heard
plainly, made the presentation Of my
check at one of the central desks feel like
part of animpressive ceremonial. I went
Ito one of the windows in front Of the
desks and looked out at the as yet flow
erless rhododendrons which very slight
py exaggerated sentiment might liken to
asoul of flowers within a heart of gold.
took up pen and wrote on the back
pf the check, "Andrew Wilson," Then
stood for moment or two, hesitating
. hs to which Of the desks marked 60"
should honor the check of julius Men
hez.
Presently, by some slight chance or
other, my eyes met those O9 a clerk stand
ing behind the counter, who, seeming to
notice my hesitation, beckoned to me
with his eyes or with, his. hand-with
which can hardly say. There were two
clerks at his desk: one in the middle was
engaged in making entries and did not
seem to notice me; the clerk whose at
tention ! had caught was standing lit
tie behind the others left shoulder, but
still close to the counter. The first time
that a poor man goes to cash fortune,
he notices every little thing as a part Of
the history of an adventure. But there
were other reasons why I, or anybody Of
an observant turn, should notice the
clerk who had beckoned me towards him.
He certainly did not look likely to 20
out Of his way to be polite to anybody.
q He was shriveled, withered old man,
! who in appearance, though probably not
7 in years, might have been the father of
Mr.. Deacon. It is necessary for me to
describe him, though he was nothing to
me save in his capacity of an automaton
fer paying me q thousand pounds on de-
mand. But, as l have said, under such
circumstances rs mine, one takes note Of
everything. And yet I don't know that
should have observed him at all had It
not been for the very obtrusive singu-
larity of his costume. It was very odd
that bank clerk, however old, should
still persist in dressing himself after the
fashion Of his grandfather when his
grandfather was young man. He wore
a snuf.colored coat of quaker cut, with
huge tapped pockets in tho skirts; q
fower-patterned silk waistcoat over which
a gold watchguard ran upwards from
fob; and his neck was swathed In at least
a dozen folds of snow-white cambric,
starched and frilled. Unless he mufled
himself up in the largest and loosest Of
Igreatcoats when he left the bank, I
would not give much for his chance Of
not being followed by long train of
small boys. The lower part Of his per-
;son was hidden by the counter; but in
,uch wise, as to their superior parts
must those have been clothed to whom
anne, in 1869, the news to which Mr..
Deacon had alluded Of the riots in Bos-
On. But the eye soon shifted from the
lothes to the face and figure Of the man
4 no wore them. ,as1 ~ q. sm'-,f,~ l.r
It was simply the most hideous, CHASTITY
ice had ever seen in human being
some ways it is indescribable; but
,r that very reassn Unjust try to de-
/ Iribe it as best can. HideOus and
hastily as it was, the features were not
l.forped--it is not impossible that they
light have been regularly handsome
ace upon d time, only it must have been
long time ago. The contour Of cheeks
nd chin was oval, the nose straight, and
ne eyes of rich hazel; the brow was
auare and full But the lips had shriv-
led up int a parchment-like substance
nat stretched back 50 as to display two
.'pws Of broken black fangs. The skin
{ the face had aged into the semblance
fbadly stretched leather, through which
he bones seemed bursting their way.
Ehe complexion was Of a thin, corpse
ike gray, which ought TO signify some
Btrange disease, but of death Itself, had
bassed over 1t and left a shadow. The
Cheeks had grown 50 hollow as to have
become lost in the jaws. A thin circle
Eof hair jsut prevented the wrinkle scalp
from being wholly bald. the dark ewes