The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-02-04
THEGH0ST In THEBANK
OF ENGLAND.
CHAPTER II (Continued.l

thanks to my late patient, taking care to
let him know how welcome his generosity
had become. After consultation with
Annie we decided not to take Tom into
our confidence Immediately; we wanted
to do for him all we could out of oul
: fortune, which seemed to us inexhausti'
BILE, and We knew. that if he knew its
limits just then, be would refuse to take
as much as we wanted to give him. So,
just for the time, I let him know that ]
had an unexpected stroke Of good for
tune, which gave me q professional open
ing and required my immediate presence
in town. And be, who made point Of
being never glad or sorry or surprised or
interested or curious about anything,
simply said, ryery we'll" !.
It is not good to think that money
should have any effect upon such sacred
things as the joys and SORROWS of wife
and mother--but, though it is not good
to think, it must be COED to be; for it Is
true. ! saw in Annie's face, and heard
in her voice, how much things had sud-
denly changed with me-hope was born
again. We had not dared for weeks to
mention our future; tonight we talked
lof it almost till the sun rose. Our united
knowledge of business was small, and
possibly our plans ran little wild, but
still they were feasible. So much, added
Ito what might earn, would enable us
Ito live for year while / was recovering
land looking out for the best means Of
Ist@ting fairly-supposing we had to
Iwait so long; If not, there would be 50
much saved. A second so much should
Ibe made fund for the purchase Of a
partnership or practice. A third SO
Imuch should enable me to insure my
life for another thousand. The rest
Ishould 60 as far as it would in pushing
forward Annie's brothers and sisters
more particularly Tom.
1 Next morning / started for London,
feeling, like almost everybody who has
never had any dealings Of the smallest
consequence with banks and bankers,
sthat I had to cash my check and receive
smy own money with my own hands, be-
fore opening an account with it else
where. spent almost my last shilling
on an inside place in the London coach,
with cheek for a thousand pounds safe
in my pocket-book.
l. Happened to have but one fellow
traveler-an old gentleman named Dea-
con, with whom l had become slightly
acquainted. He was fine old fellow,
who in his eighty-seventh year was more
hale, sound and active than most men
are at sixty--one of the best examples of
a sound mind in sound body that
ever knew. He had been In business in
London generation or two ago, but had
retired upon competence among his
grandchildren and great-grand children
tsnd was as we'll known in his native town
as the steeple, where he was respected
and consulted upon all subjects by the
people. His one senile symptom was
formidable propensity to tell anecdotes
of his younger days, without telling
them very well;- but, strange to say, he
seldom told the same twice over.
rather sadly contrasted my feeble self,
scarcely more than a third Of his age,
but wrapped up thickly from every least
draught that could blow, with this hale
old man, who thought it was one of the
bleakest days of biting spring, scorned
even single great coat or wrapper, and
only, out Of consideration for me, insist
ed'on closing the windows ~s.. rs
"Going all the way to town~ asked
Mr.. Deacon in his strong hearty voice,
that seemed able to knock man down
and pick him up again.
"Yes-on business" said I, a little
proud of 80 new word.
$50 am /, worse luck. Pm going to
give onr Member bit of the towns
mind about the town pump--you'ye got
no energy about you, all you boys. I
mean to be at 1t, though, till the new
ones built, if it. takes me twenty years,
and daresay it will; it took me ten to
get the free library, but / got i'll
Oughtn't to grudge twice the time to get
what's of twice the consequence to ten
times the number. Which way shall
Iyou be going7 If you're anywhere near
Westminster about dinner-time, shall
be glad Of your company"
II have to 90 to the Bank of Eng
land" 'r '4E'a
"What-to my old shop? haven't
been in Threadneedle street these forty
FEARS. But I believe / should 70 as
Etraight to my old desk as if it had been
yesterday. Yes; I was a paying clerk
there in the old times. a II you 90
through the door in the lefthand corner
sof the court, you'll see where / used to
stand; and if you've got anything to be
,ashed-and / hope it's good big some
sshing-my great-greatgreat-gfeatgra
son in Office viii cash it for you. BY
Jupiter, sir, / wonder when I think Of it
If q bank-desk doesn't feel itself to be
the real body and soul Of the whole
thing, and the clerk behind it only
pair Of hands that it gets new from time
to times lisa fact that some desks are
lucky and some unlucky. and that some
go rightsand some 60 wrong. There's
some that a young man gets promotion
from as sure as he stands there, and
some that keep the same man for ever,
as if he was barnacle OH a ships side. |
We used to notice it In my time--mine |