The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-16
A TALE OF EXACT SCIENCE.
The Strange Revenge Visited Upon Mortal
by Misapplied Principles.

Jonn macy, president Oh the IoLlpAar MisiiAt,
NEompany, took his way down to his office one
emorning with a troubled look. 1t was long be-
fore his usual hour for appearing on the street,
land the people whom he met glanced at him IN
spassing wonder, marveling that man In MS
position should relinquish his late morning sleep
to tread the damp pavements and brave the chill
might mists still lettering over the lower portion
of the city, until they should race out to sea III
SYNONYMOUS retreat before the brisk onslaught
of the vigorous trade breeze The preoccupied
expression on Mr. Mays face deepened as he
,ascended the stairs leading to his office. lie
had been guilty of piece of negligence which
would have excited the surprise and lncreduhty
of his friends, and which was in his eyes
little short of objectionable. In the press of
business devolving upon him in his official
capacity he had neglected to keep close watch
tof his private accounts and had only the day
before been aroused to a sense that a serious
discrepancy existed between the amount of
cash in the private compartment OF his SAFE
and the amount credited to his account on his
books.
The loss of the money a small matter
The manner in which it had gone was of serious
moment. Mr.. Macy was essentially man OF
method. He was, if 1 may be allowed the ex-
preston, man of mathematical turn of
mind. In his college days. when others of his
comrades Zealously embraced the study OF
chemistry, the dead languages, bellies lettreS,
probed deeply into the annals of ancient and
modern history, sought distinction In base
ball, rowing, and other intellectual exercises,
John Macy stuck resolutely to mathematics
Recognizing the claims of other studies merely
no ha irnG fo l.
out being plucked, he had roved with everln-
creasing delight over the broad algebralc fields,
dallied amid the destinations of the diagrams
of Euclid rioted among the marvellous calcula-
tons of trigononetry, delved through comic sec
tons, climbed the dizzy heights of differential
and integral calculi, and even iuxuriated for
time in the triumphant demonstrations of ap-
piled mathematics. taking up civil engineering
the laws of physics, and higher astronomy IN
turn. When commencement day arrived, and
his college days ended, while other
students slowed away copies OF Horace or
Homer in their trunks, along with sundry
mementos of less poetical character.
young Macy weighted down his baggage with
half Il hundred pounds of books, and started
West with few dollars i'll money and theory
He believed that he had discovered new science,
and was resolved to put it to the test. The mar
Velous results that had been obtained by the ap-
plication of the noble principles of mathematics
to material bodies and forces would be totally
ecipsed when the same grand truths were &C
cepted as immutabe laws in their application to
the analysis of human character and action.
He had put his theory into practice with pro
inounced success. His few pennies, carefully in
vested with many shrewd calculation of
chances and possibilities, and augmented with
the invaluable auxiliary of youthful strength
and industry, had swelled into hundreds
in an incredibly short space of time. Sa-
gaciously estimating the virtues and frailties
of his felow-men, specializing upon their
action in given emergencies, he had avoided the
shoals upon which many commercial bark IS
wrecked Later on, learning of promising
mineral discovery that was offered for sale by
the owners, he had visited the spot tested the
ore, made neat calculation of the amount OF pay
rock in sight, and then, applying his mental rule
and compass to the men with whom he had to
deal, bought one out at low figure, froze out
another, and retaining the third one as his part
ner realized o fortune. 1t was rumOred among
those who were conversant with John Macys
mental characteristics that he had won his wife
by mathematical measures, confusing his rival
by means of series of strategic transforms
. tions of equations, enticing him into an
peccentric orbit, and then eliminating the
Door fellow altogether from the scene of
action, while Macy pursued a system of substi-
button and naturalization which resulted in the
capture ai the lady. However that may be- 1t is
certain that she became an atfectlonate and
devoted wife, and was even happy after a
methodical and calculated fashion, passing away
TO a better world with spologetlc smile one
night while her husband was counting her pulse
and estimating the distance to the nearest
doctor and the rate of a messenger boys locomo-
ton He assuaged his grief by brisk computa-
lion of the paltry years remaining of his own
allotted time and after a careful consultation Of
his Bourbon christened their infant daughter
Mantissa at period when she was too young to
protest against the indignity to her womanhood
John Macy was not thinking of any of these
things as he knit his brow that morning over his
accounts Indeed, he was accustomed to con-
fno his meditations to the present and the
immediate future. Having discovered the trick
that had been played upon him, the next thing
in order was to catch the thief He observed
the actions of his private secretary and clerk as
they entered the room and went about their
Irrespective vacations. The crime lay between
the two and whichever proved to be the
guilty party could be certain of receiving small
quarter.
The two young men presented a striking con-
trast in appearance. Frank Hoyt the clerk,
was plain featured and somewhat stupid fellow.
punctilious in his manner and habits and the
sole support of a widowed mother. If Macy
cherished respect for any law without the
pale of his favorite science, it was the law
of precedent 1t would be entirely unprece-
dented in the annals of real life or romance for
the homely, ungainly steady going employe to
with his handsome face, pleasant blue eyes, and
careless ways, was really material from which
to construct the typical rogue AS If to confirm
his Judgment, an old recollection arose The
dads father, old MAJOR Markham, man VINO
had all his life commanded universal trust and
respect had been found one day making off
with bundle of bonds snatched from COM
partmenU in friends safe. The shock of
detection had been too much for the Major, a
stroke of paralysis had checked his rambling
explanations, and he never spoke again.
The missing quantity was found. In his mind
Macy promptly formulated a neatlittle algebraic
equation conditioned on certain primary equali-
ties of values, which ran as follows:
II H. 49, ~
Hereditary influence plus temptation equal craft.
Following rule of universal experience and
reasoning back from the premises, on the ak
iomatic principle that things that equal to the
same thing are equal to each other, his conf
dental secretary was villain and rascal He
watched the young man closely all that day
Hovt plodded through his duties as usual, and
greeted his employer with the stolid repose of
man whose mind and conscience are at rest On
the other hand, singular hesitation was