The Panola weekly star. (Sardis, Miss.) 1882-18??, 1885-06-13
EXACT SCIENCE
novongo vlaitod Upon n Mortal
by miaappllod Principles

~ his uNlcH one morning Win q troubled
look. II was long before ha usual hour
for appearing On the street, aud Tho
people whom be- met glanced Al him in
passing wonder marycllnE that a man
Of HE position should relinquisb bis late
morning Sleep 10 iroad the damp pave
meBt, aud brave the chill night miaia
stfll lettering over the lower portion Of
the city, until they should race out 10
sea IN inTnOmini0ns retreat before tho
brisk onslaught VI the vigorous trade
breeze The p%reocoupiod expression On
Mr. Macy face dacpcned ~ he ascend
ed the stairs leading 20 his office lie
bad been guilty Of q piece Of negligence
which would have excited the surprise
aud incredibly Of bis friends, and
which WIS Ia his eyes little short Of nm
%pnrdonable. IN the press Of business
deyolYing upon him In his official ca
paGity he had neglected 30 keep a close
watch Of his private accounts, and had
only the day before been aroused Ia n
sense that a serious discrepancy existed
between the amount Of cash in the pri-
waite compartment Of his safe sud the
amount credited to his account on his
books
The loss Of the money was a small
matter The manner In which Il had
gone was OF serious moment Mr. Macy
va essentially a man Of method. lie
was, II may be allowed the expres.
sion. a man OF a mathematical turn Of
mind In his college days. when 9th.
crs 81 his comrades zcalously embraced
the study Of chemistry. the dead Ian
guages, bclles-lettrcs, probod deeply
into the annals of ancient and modern
history. or sought distinction IN base.
ball. rowing and other intellectual ex.
crcises, John Macy stuck resolutely 10
mathematics, Recognizing the claims
OF other studies merely 10 the cx-
tent required 10 pass examinations
without being pluckcd, he had royed
with cycrincrcaslng delight over Tho
broad algcbralc fields, dallied amid
tho f%asclnalions VI the diagrams ol
Euclid, riotcd among tho maryclou,
calculations Of trigonomctry, dclyet
through comic sections, climbed the dig
~ heights OF dlflcrcntial and inlegra
calculi, and even luXurinted for .
time In the triumphant demonstration
OF applied mathematics, taking up ciyi
engineering, the laws Of physics ant
higher astronomy In turn. When Com
mcncement Day arrived. and his colleg,
days were ended. while other student
slowed away copies of Horace or Home.
In their trunks, along with sundry mo
mentoes of a less poctical character
young Macy weighted down his bag
gage with half u hundred pounds o.
textbooks. and started West with a fow
dollars In money and n theory. lilo be,
lieyed that he had discovered n new
science, and was resolved 10 put Il "a
test.
lie had put his theory into practice
with pronounced success. His few pen.
mics. carefully invested. with many a
shrcwd calculation Of chances and pos.
sibilities, and augmented with the In.
valuable auxiliary Of youthful strength
and industry. had swelled into hundreds
In an incredibly short space Of time.
sagaciously estimating the virtues and
frsilties OF his fcllow.men, specializing
upon their action in given emergencies,
he had avoided the shoals upon which
many n commercial bark is wrecked.
Later on, learning Of n promising min.
eral discovery that was offered for sale
by the owners. he had visited the spot,
tested the ore. made n neat calculation
Of the amount Of pay-rock In sight,
asccrtalnel the dip u the wall rock,
and then. applying his mental rule and
compass to the men with whom he had
10 deal. bought ona out at n low figure,
frozc out another. and, retaining III,
third n "a his partner, realized I
fortune. IL was rumorod among thos'
who were c%onverrant with John Macy
mental characteristics that he had wor
his wife BY Mathematical measures
confusing his rival by means Of n serici
Of strategic transformations Of equa
tons. cniicIng him into an %ccccntri,
orbit. and then eliminating the poo
fellow altogether from tho scene Of &C
ton. while Macy pursued q system O
substitution and naturalization. which
resulted In the capture Of the lady. How
ever that may be, II Is certain tina
she became an aflcctlonate aud do
voted wife. and was even happy. aftei
n methodical aud calculated fashion
passing away 10 a better world with Al
apologize smile. n night while he
husband was counting her pulse nm,
estimating tho distance to the ncarcs
doctor aud the rate Of n messenger
boys locomotiou. lie assuaged hi
grief by n brisk computation OF the pal
try years remaining Of his own allotte,
time. and. after q careful consultation
Of his Bourbon, christcncd their infan
daughter Mantissa. at period when sh,
was VOC young 10 protest against th'
lndignity 10 her womanhood.
John Macy was not thinking abon
any Of these things, as he knit his brow
that morning over his accounts. In
deed. he was accustomed 10 coniine nj
meditaiions TO the present and the i'm
mediate future. Having discovered tn
trick that hadbeen played upon him. III
next thing In order was 10 catch IN
thief lie observed the actions Of hi
private secretary and clerk. as they On
tered the room and went about thei
respective yocalious Tho crime IN.
between the two. and whichever prove,
10 be the guilty party could be certain
Of receiving small quarter.
The two young men presented
striking contrast In appearance. Franl
host The clerk. vas n plain feature.
and somewhat stupid fellow. punctiliou
In bis manner and habits. aud tho sol
support Of = widowed mother. II Mac,
cherished respect for any law wIthou
TIE pale OF his favorite science. II va
Ne law II precedent II would be en-
ufely unprecedented In the annals o
nal lie o. roranc for the homely. un
Eaial}. stssdy-eoing cnploYe 10 tur
out he villain. Ned Markham. there
With he handsome face. pleasant blu
eyes nd carelea wars. was really ne
erinl IRON which 10 construct The typics
- A. Il 70 confm ha judgment
~ fp~rolfecstnn afoze The Id
- 1lajor narttam. : mar NJ
~ comnAadef univsrss
- Nd beea band 90
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