New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-02-06
A DREADFUL CASE.

thought it was very good of Messrs. luckram
e. Blake to tell on my sixtieth birthday that
they did not believe in working a willing horse to
death, and that therefore they had decided to allow
me 10 retire from their service Oh O-lhirls of MY
salary. I had been with them altogether hvc-and-
forty and it seemed ned but bsyin %o '
ates but full twenty years had passed since tH",l;
Now had staff of fifteen clerks under me- and
give yon some little idea of the responsibility az
tached to nv position. cannot think fora uonenl
that that unfortunate error OF mne WeTh or
rather stern application for payment TO tie wrong
parties-had anything at all to do with II s event
True, when the blunder was discovered, Nj. Bake
said with severity which was really quite uncallrd
for, Your memory IS not what 1t used 20 De-
of their chief clerk would scarcely on his retire
ment have made him present icr his wife OF neat
little silver tea-serylce as trhng tribute ts2
ran the inscription the teapot to his IonG ana
faithful labors would they, now = No i Halter
myself that could have done justice to BucAra'n
g. Blake for another ten years and more.
However, / was by no means loath to be com,
pletely master of my own time at an ase when
was STILL as Mr. Harry Blake Buckram SAD, ia his
funny way, a dashing old youngstcr.' G3rCenlng
window gardening that is to say,) had long been
with me passion. Yet ClaremOnt- square. Penton
Vile, afforded far too little scope for my horiicu-
turai genius do not refer 10 the square itself, but
to the window-ss of the four rooms at No. 40 thai
my wife and bad occupied for many. many year
Here at length was an opportunity. II tue lar!
garden of some picturesque suburban villa Tor the
full development of those powers which had
hitherto
ing on window flowers, and that in a Very htful
Way. Geraniums IN perennial pots might now yleId
to geraniums beds. Perhaps. too stranger things
have happened in histOry the name even OF MUM
BILE city clerk might he handed down TO posterltV,
and the Froggei variety of geraninms hourai1 IN a
thousand gardens generations after poor Old Frog
himself was dead and gone!
l confess that with these dreams OF the future
v Tefa fees Of Shame at the thought Of The
alton had shown that very morning on learning
that tenant of mine intended next quartcriay 70
he which
Why as it had happened. nothing couid suit me
better. OF the house itself had certainly never
Thought very highly. Ii was simply "a rather poor
sneclInen of modern Building Society Gothic semi
detached. as they call it. The party-wall which
marvel of tenuity. That wall had evidently been
built for the sole purpose OF promoting fGellng OF
heIghborness; since frendy conversion
ticable through it; and scandal was checked, thank
heaven! by the fact that it could easily he over
heard. But there was one advantage when my
oroperty possessed which to me was unmlXed;
namely, that large plot OF garden-gr0nnd was AZ
tached thereto; in none the worse condtioh; 10 my
Villa named after my wife Polly, by the way hld
10 soul for gardening aud had allowed 1t to become
AZ practical hOrtculturst under such clrcum-
stances the triumph over Nature which l fondiy
cnme / conld proudly say, i found a wilderness; l
leave the Fr00ge variety OF eeranium Ill glorious
We'll TO avoid verbosity-which is the bane of age
Il will lust state at that the autumn following
INV retirement from the service of Buckram and
Blake found me fully establisned as da
The man whom employed to Dug up the grounu;;
and do the rougher work generally Had !uSI i is
as it was when was Buckrams chief clerk never
I've seen idle by a subOrdlnate; so 1t was not uhtli
the gardeners back was turned that put my prun,
ing-knfe in my pocket, yawned lazy. filled my old
briar-root pipe, and prepared TO look arouno renee
lively What strange contrast was @v ryes y.aI
after wear from the top of the lslmgton bus
Thank God the harsh CHATTER OF the mill OF COM
merce had not become such music to my ears that l
could not enjoy the sOInbre calm OF SUCH day as
this Above was waste of pale gray sky mist nun
upon the skirts of the meadows-in tnat ghI; dueep
college and the Crystal Palace; and III nelghoor-
inc field chestnut trees. whose leaves were reddenng
with the decay of autumn. relieved the dulness OF
the slaty clouds 0 to live amid such scenes until
uropped from the tree OF life as gently as those de.
saving leaves! 0 to find perhaps, my views apou'
hs FFrosgei seranium appreciated W S'D''' '''"
If you please, sir, the mistress says as they've
The ownsr Of the voice which thus interrupted my
meditations at a most interesting stage was that
very worthy woman Ann Lghtbody our mlddie-age
servant-mald ..,r .bo an
auence of the thoughts which had Just been passing
through my mind consDirng win AIMS vague
statement to prevent more expressive ri, anT sh,
The mistress can't make 'em out oit' anu S"'
lave her doubts, SIR - H.. o.
This satisfactory addition to my information wa,
made Whlle Ann Helu open thc -, (, e.
the drawing-room, III order 10 allow ihe u pass INV
the house. -, ;1
You mean that you have your doubts, Ann say
L. and that your mistress did not coniradict 9ou'
Well. sir. the Pantegon mans at inc 1Ooii arJ
sou can see for yourself such cap VI Iunl"0i
newer see. in all my experience
The drift Of Anns critical remarks began " ., y,
piam 70 me. We had beel expecting 1fesu lChd".' VI
Tue adjoining house for some days, anu no" tuo1
were moving In. .
cannot think he is gentleman said my wife
rs approached the front window to inspect Inc
lunuer," as Ann called IL. do hope there arc
90 children she added, evidently feeling that Tue
offspring u man who was not a gentleman must
necessarily be il-nanDered and unruly.
the person to whom she referred CLEARLY, judging
3y LIS actions tue owner OF the vau's cOncnts-Wl1
Gaming against the raillngs of the next house. ana
from tine 10 time cauti0nng the men-very much u
lneir annoyance, tlought-as To their way OF carry
ing IN the goods. lie was tall, saliOw man. with
thick bat closely cropped beard and long ferOcous
@ustache' Hls hands were in the pockets Oh
fater seedy blue serge Jacket, and his head was
wideawake that had evidently suffered very much
rom the ram, short clay pipe BLACK with long
appearance which he presented. Ny wife's opinion.
tnat ne was not gentleman, seemed not altogetner
90 gronndless as should have imagued Discern
ment OF character Is not one Of her strong points
her comment on our neghbor. for knew from long
experience that she would feel 80 fattered by my
agreeing with her judgment that her imagination
would soon get quite beyond control; and TINS tai
esllow man, In addition to being not genteei
would rapidly reach, In my wifes estimation, yet
more distinguished petitions in crime. In week ne
would be possible forger; In ten days q probable
murderer
An LITTLE did think when these thoughts were
eassng through my mind that very shortly l. Joram
nan. should deem my wife's most extravagaut specu
Wt10n etropa probability