News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-02-25

painful conclusion that must dispense
with your services at the expiration of a
month from this date"
The poor clerk gasped and clutched
the table for support, and would have
spoken but for a magister1al wave of Mr..
Greysark's hand.
at is very evident to me, continued
his employer, "that some fresh blood is
needed in this business. In fact, pro-
pose to take partner, and by so acting
do away with the necessity OF paying a
handsome salary to a head clerk"
"Mr. Greysark !' almost shrieked poor
Penn. 'Do hear me. have helped YOU
to make this business. have been in
this office for more than twenty years.
You have never once had cause to find
fault with me, and may conscientiously
say that have never given you occasion
to. For more than one reason I am pre-
cluded from the possibility of getting
another situation. NJ name, as you
know, is against me, ands~neople would
object to me on the gE 90 mat had u
brother who had beeT1n the police dock !;
moreover, | am not fitted to occupy a
clerks desk in any other business
Think, sir, l implore you to think
With one word you are turning an hon
est man into the streets to beg, for no
fault of his own. do not wish to push
myself forward unduly, Mr.. Greysark,
but at such crisis as is this l am forced
to remind you that but for me you
might possibly not have found business
matters work so smoothly as they have.
If you discharge me with the notion of
i = IL.
you will have To-"
'Mr. Penn, interrupted the merchant,
with wave of the hand, 1--WE must in
this world be men of business first and
humanitarians afterward. have given
your case my fullest consideration, and
in acknowledgment of your services, as
we'll as by way of compensation, l pro-
pose to make you a weekly allowance
until you get employment. But that
you must go have made up my mind.
lou Will please make no further obser-
Vatlons on the decision at which | have
arrived or l shall be obliged to request
you to leave my presence. think it but
falr to tell you, however, that the pIin-
clpal 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 father has been obtained"
"Well, SIR" said the clerk, "of all
periods in life, surely the eve of mar
rage should most naturally inspire kind
actions. You are about to make yourself
as happy as human being can possibly
be, yet you wish to inaugurate that pc
riod by reducing to want and ruin an old
and tired servant. know you too we'll,
sir-or, rather, think too well of YOU
not to be sure that if you carry out this
latter intention your conscience must
prick you in after life.'
''Mr. Penn" said Greysark severely.
81 told you not to handy words with me,
so let me hear no more. am now going
to Brighton. Do not omit to forward all
letters to my address there. You will
please be particular in this. I must say,
Mr.. Penn, that am not little aston
ished that, remembering, as you must,
what have done for you, and how with
your tarnished name you might long ere
this have been begging your bread but
for me, you should presume to offer me
advice on my own affair. But will say
no more. y
The clerk fingered 81 in the room, as
if in hopes that some straw might be left
to clutch at. Then he t1jd: MIR. Grey
sark, you observed jus now that the
fact of your marriage depends upon the
consent of the young l,dy's father"
"Those were my w9ds, Mr.. Penn"
replied the merchant
eff he should refue his consent2"
said Penn.
"Refuse, Mr.. Penn Defuse!" exclaim-
ed Greysark. "Such athing is simply
impossible, simply too ridiculous to be
entertained for moment. The head of
the house of Jonathan Greysark & Co.,
should imagine, was a fit match for any
one.n
$50 you may think, sir" said Penn
quietly; "but fathers sometimes hold
strange opinions"
"Mr. Penn, you are insolent, sirr' al
most roared the merchant, rising in his
chair, and glaring at his clerk with furi-
Gus 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
sanction to his daughters marriage"
Jonathan Greysark started from his
chair, his face perfectly lvid, his eyes and
mouth wide opened. Penn drew forth
letter from his POCKET, unfolded it,
and as if utterly unconscious of the
storm he had raised, resumed:
"Tou have addressed this letter to
Mr.. Robert Fleming, the father of Phyl-
lis, the young lady to whom you have
been paying your addresses. I, for
family reasons, with which you are quite
familiar, prefer to be known in my circle
of acquaintance as Robert Fleming. Phyl
lis is my daughter, and re-"
'No! no! don't go onI" shouted Grey
sark in a voice of supplication.
=
In the course of few weeks Phyllis
Penn became Mrs. Jonathan Greysark,
and the style of the firm in Rood Lane
was altered to Greysark, Penn s. Co..
London Truth.