Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1880-08-26
"PER C. F."

hh. DhONooN! OH yes, you Will
find him in his private office, up three
flights; turn to the right, No. o.
''Thanks,' and the compactly built,
thread gloves, and Panama hat, ran,
satchel and umbrella in hand, up the
three flights of black, dusty stairs, up,
up through the gloomy halls of the great
business house, turned to the right down
a narrow space lined with offices, with
open doors to get the circulation from
the stairways, and paused at "No. o.
A slight, graceful, pale-faced little wo-
man glanced up from a pile of letters.
''Mr. Bronson? Oh, yes, sir. Walk
in, please" "Mr. Bronson, a gentle
man."
just commonplace, everyday meet
ing between two large hearted men who
had maintained business relations for
years, entertaining the very highest re-
gard for each other meanwhile, without
having once met face to face.
''Mr. Sturtevant? Is it possible! I
am glad to see you, sir" And the two
sat down and fell into a chat, which
settled the Western man in his half
formed opinion, that your genuine, sub
stantial, out-and-out New Yorker, is the
representative man of America; and
made the city man say to himself, 'What
a hearty frankness your real Western
man brings into everything. Nothing
dwarfed or contracted about him His
heart and his opinions are as broad and
as breezy as his own rich prairies.''
"Where do you stop?" as the
visitor and longtime customer
arose. "Don't know? Allow me to
suggest that you go to the St. Nicholas
with me, then. I'm there for little
while, while my folks are out of town
and the house is being brushed out. 1
will go with you. was just going, in
fact. Miss Clark, will leave this last
account for you to balance Oh, want
you to see Miss Clark-This is MIR.
Sturtevant from Chicago
Your name and your handwriting
are entirely familiar, Mr.. Sturtevant, i"
said the pale-faced young woman, with
whom the visitor had first spoken, leav-
ing the desk by which she was standing
and coming forward toward the inner
office, which was formed by heavy jet
green curtains, Topped back across a
Widowed niche, making pleasing de-
fusion of seclusion and of shade.
eve learn to feel acquainted with
people by their handwriting, remarked
MIR. Bronson, pleasantly, as he drew on
his gloves. "On that principle, you two
must know each other quite well by this
time"
uAud YOU are per C.'p'' queried Mr..
Sturtevant, looking critically down into
the young woman's delicate, finely-cut
face. "Now, have habit of conjur-
ing people up from their handwriting,
and the per c. have kept in mind all
this time was a methodical, clear-head-
ed. old graybeard whom all the sharp
ers in Gotham couldn't get around, and
I find the real Per c. to be but mere
thistle down or frost flower! Well,
WE'LL"
"You were not very far astray in your
character estimate, however," smiled
Mr.. Bronson, tipping his light hat down
over his dusky black eyes.
u.Per c. is the most efficient helper
that a perplexed merchant was ever
blessed with. The firm would have been
bankrupt had it not been for her. Fact,
sir. At my fathers death things were
in bad shape. The head book-keeper,
who was also partner, had been max
ing false entries, and the accounts were
in the most inextricable tangle. They
baffled me, and l employed an expert
to straighten them, but he gave them up
in despair. Miss Clark, who was then
in the lower office, volunteered her as
sistance. She went through them all at
odd hours, and brought every thing out
straight. To prevent exposure, the
partner refunded what he had embez-
lied. I bought in all the stock, and kept
on with the business"
Mr.. Sturtevant looked at the quiet little
woman with more admiration than if
he had just heard that she had painted
picture, written a book, or awakened
q slumbering goddess from block OF
marble.
alt was not much to do" she said,
in deprecatory tones. 81 had an ex-
perience with my fathers books-only
unhappily-and the partner had not the
embezzled funds in reserve, and the
house went down."
."Good afternoon, Miss Clark" and
the two handsome, healthy gentlemen
started full of life and spirits, to run
A. ntaSp