Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1884-07-05
SELECT STORY.
AN OLD MANS YARN.
BY II. S. KELLER.

detectlVe once asked the lat, Jolly
old fellow of the youngsters that
crowded around him.
"Never, Uncle Jack; tell us all
about it" SAID one of the boys.
swell, it all happened on account
of a little love affair of mine, and"
'Were you ever in love ?" suddenly
asked one of the boys. 1t seemed
very odd to him, and his comrades as
we'll, that this old bachelor, a confirm
ed woman-hater, should have sue
cumbed to the tender passion at any
time during his life.
eff you'll wait till l relate my ex-
perience as a detective you'll learn
about the love affair."" exclaimed the
old man a little testify. He was an
inveterate story teller, and like all
adopts of that class he disliked in
terruptions.
The youngsters remained quiet un-
til he had filled and lighted his pipe.
Then, after fitting his chair back,
one of them intimated that he and
his comrades would be very much
pleased to hear about the detective
feature.
Gall right, boys; I'm glad to
amuse you with my yarns; but 10 in
terruptions, remember" The boys
promised to abide by his desire.
After blowing a volume of smoke
wind-ward, he comm enced.
"When | was youngster of Is or
19 | took a sudden aversion to farm
life. An existence among horses
and cattle seemed lily adapted-ac
cording to my reasoning-to promote
my future prosperity.
"Perhaps the vacation visit of my
cousin Tom from New York had
something to do with my unrest.
He used to growl about the quiet
life in the rural parts. He said he
wouldn't live in the country and
work on farm for sack of gold.
The result was, after | had listened
to some Of his glowing accounts of
life in the great city, l became heart
lily sick of the farm and it's prosy
routine. Shortly after TOMS return
to the city he wrote me, telling me
that he had secured position for me
in the counting room of Parks & Co.,
Of which firm his father, my uncle,
was partner.
"Boys it was the first time that l
had ever bid farewell to the familiar
old home. felt strange, painful
tug at my heart when the stage
rounded a turn in the road and shut
off the view of the little red farm
house, with mother, father, and the
three girls standing under the big
maple tree in front of it. Going to
New York in those days was con-
sidered a great thing. However, |
lost all pride in the matter when the
shadows fell and 1 found myself
alone in the musty-smelling stage,
rolling toward Albany.
"Taking the boat from Albany, l
finally reached New York, the great
metropolis of America. 1t has
changed greatly since my first advent
upon its noisy stream of traffic and
life. Then Bond street was the great
center of fashion and wealth. You
will find now, in many of the build
ings situated upon that cross-cut
between Broadway and the Bowery,
traces of the old style gorgeous fresco
upon the walls of the rooms, now
given over mostly to publishers, law
yers, and third rate brokers.
'"Upon my second evening in the
city my cousin Tom took me with
him to call upon the Burton ladies,
who lived in one Of the finest resi-
dences ON Bond street. Gorgeous
was no name for the magnificent
surroundings among which l found
myself. The rooms were papered
with heavy flux paper, into which the
gilt figuring sunk over quarter of an
inch deep. And the carpets-I can
only liken them to beds Of moss,
strewn with the prettiest flowers.
/ have been in the same front parlor
since, and it is now used as den by
one of our famous story-writers. The,
Burton sisters moved uptown years
ago, and the old place fell into strange.
hands. '=..--- ff- H.. --
"Florence Burton was the most
beautiful woman / ever met. She
was the youngest Of three daughters,
I o ,,o,,o of ,oa on1 o o,,oan on,ono,