The Arkansaw traveler., 1886-02-13

ate 1AenGT SAo0ko 00 SO anu GvefY uma& Penn brought in visitors name the mer- eAant expected to hear Mr. Robert Fleming" announced. On the Friday afternoon he called ia Mir, Penn.
 Kindly shut the door," he said "I have something of importance to speak to you about"
 Mir. Penn obeyed and anxiously tn. spectcd his employers face.
 MT. Penn," began the merchant, with a preliminary clearing of the throat, "you have been in my service now for some years, and you have given me very gen. eral satisfaction in the performance ot your duties"
 Penn's face frightened. Certainly a rise tn salary was coming, perhaps some thing more substantial. But all was dashed to the ground with the first word of the great mans next sentence.
 But" continued Greysark. "s have been thinking the matter over very seri- ously lately, and have arrived at the painful conclusion that must dispense with your services at the expiration of . mon,h from this date"
 The poofclerk gasped and clutched the table for support, and would have spoken but for magisterial wave of MT. Grey. sark's hand.
 alt is very evident to me-" continued his employer, "that some fresh blood is needed in this business. h fact, l pro- pose to take partner, and by so acting to do away with the necessity of paying a handsome salary to head clerk"
 MT. Greysark 1" almost shrieked poor Penn. Do hear me. have helped you to make this business. have been in this off e for more than twenty years. You have never once had cause to 6nd fault with me, and may conscientiously say that l have never given you occasion to. For moro than one reason 1 am precluded from the pos sibility of eetting another situation. My name. as you know, is against me, and people would otj ject to me on the ground that l had brother who had been in the police dock moreover, am not fitted to hold a clerks desk In any other business Think, sir, implore you to think. With one word you are turning an honest man into the streets ts beg, for no fault of his own. do not wish to push myself for ward unduly, Mir. Greysark, but at such a crisis as this am forced to remind you that but for me you might possibly not have found business matters work so smoothly as they have. lfyou discharge me with the notion of introducing new blood into the house, yeu will have to-'
 "Mr. Penp," interrupted the merchant with 8 wave of the hand, we must in this world be men of business first and hum anitarians after ward. have given your case my fullest consideration, and in acknowledgment of your services, as well as by way oi compensation, 1 pro. pose to make you a weekly allowance un- til you get employment. But that you must go have m.de up my mind. You will please make no further observation upon the decision of which 1 have ar rived, or l shall be obliged to request you to leave my presence. think it but .sir to tell you, however, that the principal reason for my deciding to take partner is that l am going to be married that is, when the consent of the young lady's ia- ther has been obtained"
 "Wel, ST." said the clerk, "of ali peri. ods in the lite, surely the eve of marriage should most naturally inspire kind actions. You are about to make yourself as happy as human being can possibly be, yet you wish 10 iuaugurate that period by re- ducing 10 want and ruin an old and tried servant know you too well, sir or, rather, think too we'll of you not to be sure that if you carry out this latter inten- ton your conscience must prick ycu in after life"
 "Mr. Penn," said Creysark severely, "I told you not to bandy words with me, so let me hear no more. l am now gong to BIightoo. Do not omit to forward all letters to my address there. You will please be particular in this. must say, Mir. Penn, that am no ot little astonished that, remembering, as you must, what [ have done for you. and how with your tarnished name you might long ere this have ben begging your bread but for me, you should presume to offer me ad vice on my own affair. But will say no more"
 The clerk fingered on in the room, as if in hopes that some straw might stll oe left to clutch at Then he sad: Mir. C. eysark, you observed just now that the fact of your marriage depends upon the consent of the young lady's father"
 Those were my words, Mir. Penn, !" replied the merchant.
 "lf he should refuse his consent ?" said Penn
 Refuse. Mir. Pennl Refuse tx- claimed Greysark. "Such a thing is impossible, simply too ridiculous to be entertained for moment. The head of the house oi Jonathan Greysark & Co l should imagine, was fit match for any one"
 "So you may think, sir" said Penn quietly; but fathers sometimes hold strange opinions"
 "Mr. Penn, you arc insoleut, sir |" al- most rosred the men chant, rising in his chair, and Elaring at his clerk with furi- ous eyes
 Penn fumbled in his pockets, and con- tinued, still quietly, " Well, sir, in this case the fathers opinion does happen to differ from yours and he refuses his sanc- ton to his dsughtes' : marriage" Ionathau Cx~wa1~k afauAA kxnsn Ma