New-York tribune., 1886-01-31
THE EIGHT FOrTY~F..VE.
A brighton TnYL.

III ,o.do bachelor of fve-and-forty-fresh faced,
SeIi-drcssed genial, and atable as u man tolerabiy
woii fItod out with the good things of this life,
snd nnhampered by ties and encambraDces should
be. But Mr. Philip Penn, whose Gays were passed
U;thin tho office regarded his wealthy and popular
smnloyer from a somewhat different point of view.
Nr Penn had by his steadiness and business
knowledge IN no 5d oSgioU in tfe cosyciai
world lie had served the house faithfully for up
ward Of twenty years, yet he was still simply
clerk. IN which position. despite frequent rrayers
and petitions. Mr. Greysark was apparently deter
,nined TO keep him until the time came for dlsrens-
ing entirely with his services. Aitogether' poor
Pena's life was by no means happy one. Tor, In ad-
ditop to his commercial troubles he had an eterna-
~ rrinnng domestic skeleton in the shape OF
bMckguard brother, who had stood IN the ielohs
dock on a cnargc of extensive forgery, had passed
MANY wears in prison, and who now could only he
kent Quietly In the background by the allowance
which the unfortunate Penn made him out OF the
.'vracdinply moderate salary he drew from the
EOod-aae office. Greysark know thiS ana was also
aware that tarnishcd name was an almost lhs"p'r,
able bar TO his clerks advance in any other line Of
life; so he meanly took advantage OF the 1Act DV
Getting most unfair amount OF work out OF lenn,
and payr rg him mlseTaby made Iuate salary Tor II.
Ionathan Greysark lived at brighton, and came
ND TO town every morning Ivy the $40 express. IN
this famous train he had acquired from iohS usage
a prcscrptve light to particular seat III partic-
mar compartment of particular carriage. ana the
guard suffered considerable reduction IN MS
weekly largossc if he allowed stranger To uSurp
9nt the old guard having been shunted elsewh here,
ond n strange official who knew not Jonathan haV.
ing GreyssIk his rug on his arm aud ms paper III ms
hand staggered gravely and maglsterla!ly up To
the carriage only to hnd his parucular conpart-
ment-and III fact his very seat-occuped. Cnder
ordinary circumstances he would have resented this
uuwarrantabie Intrusion IN an nnnilstahaDle man
ner but upon this occasion as tue occupant was
prettv mOdestly dressed girl of eighteen or there
abouts, he could only vent his lcelings IN grants
and scOws and betake himself to another seat. but
when the next morning lac found his place similarly
occupied his position became somewhat enbarasS-
ing and only the girls pleasant lace checBed aud.
ible expression OF his discomfort. The same thlng
occurred the morning after and the morning alter
that and the Young Si5 bucHS, VINO, OF course. le-
garded the affair .as capital Joke. remarked that
The great man instead of Tamplng and raging away
10 anOtker carriage not only contcntedly Went mo
the same one, but passed much greater part oi inc
hour and quarters Journey III LOOKING at tne giIi
over the top of his newspaper thah IN sludLlhg th9
city article. In fOrtnightS time 1t was observed
that he handed her out, carried her lttIe parc"iS
and saw her safely into an omnibus Tor Tie MANSION
House and in three weeks tmc 1t was noted thau
he chattcd as easily aud famarly with her as II he
had known her or years. go ,
In short. il became very evident that the wealthy
bachelor of ROUd-iane cnamored OF the young
lady. When his attentions first became marked she
assumed the proper attitude of unprotected virtue
and confined her answers TO rather tuIt luohoSy Il
tables but when her feminine perSplcu!lJ assured
her tnat her admirers behavior was inspired 10y The
most honorable of intentions, she unbent anu tod
him that her name was Phyllis, that enc was q stu;
dent at the South Kensington School OF Art, and
that SHE resided at Brighton with her aunt.
Miss Phyllis" said GIeysark one one mornlng,
as some sort of assurance that only entertain the
most genuine feelings of respect and-and aGmlra
3Ion f0r YOU think that should mention that my
name Is Grey sark that ain the head OF one o. the
mast respected hOuses in the City OF London. and
that as am quite aware that an acquaintance OF
this casual nature apt to give rise 10 erroneous
impressjOns in the minds OF people no only judge
by appearances, with your permission nothing
would give mo greater pleasure than to call upon
At the mention of the name Greysark the girls
color despened somewhat, and she raised her ever
10 his face for "A few seconds Then she sand
al am sure that my aunt would De dehghted 70
make your acquaintance MC jfeysIrk.' .
Accordingly on the following Sunday Mt trey
sark instead of performing bis nsup weekly dQty
10 society by an afternoon lounge on the Green, be-
took himself to Regency Square ana was uSheIed
into the pTesepce OF a smiling gray-halred lady.
who might have stepped from an ancestral picture
frame and who received him with the stately
uIbanity of courtier of the Old school Being q
man of business, Jonathan CTeysark lost no tune IN
bratinQ about the bush but plnngod at once IN
neiQs res described the origin Of his acquaintance
with Phyllis, expressed himself IN such h9ppy
language, blew his own trumpet ID snch pleas
ant unassufning manner. declared MS devotion IN
such feIvd phrases in TACT. pat matters before
tue old lady in such an attractive light that she
was completely won over. -
SOf course. Mr. (;reysark" she said, in reply, as
am only the girls aunt, have no direct authorIty
In the matter But if Phyllis regards your SUIT as
lavOrably as | do. can only recommend tiat you
should address letter to her father ID LonIon.
state the as you have stated II 10 me- ana a'de
But it is an extraordinary phase Of our aegqant-
.nce,0 said the merchant that do not know
Perhnns the old lady was struck by the strange,
ness of this avowal. but at any rate sue heStated
amoment seemed tte oGndSvG r rers anT sGg rG,
Letter addressed to Mr.. Robert Fleming and given
TO me Will insure its safe Dispatch
But would it not be better for me to call upon
Ar Tieminr nyself7" said Greysark "My busi-
ness experience has Taught that one personal In
teryiew is worth dozen letteTs.'
So it is as a general rule. Mr.. Greysark' re-
piled the old lady. " But Mr. Flemings movements
are 40 uncertain his business taking him so fro
Quently away from home, that the course nave
suggested would, | think, be the better" .
And. after a little general conversation MI
Greysark took bis leave, resolved that he Would
without delay formally propose 10 fhylis, anu u
her answer should be favorable as he had not Lht
sliqhI est reason to doubt it would be, mdlte hh
letter TO Mr. Fleming
London Bridge instead of handing Phyllis into
Mansion House omnibus, as usual, he insisted una
T;pg Wi,,an,;s statue was reached he had poured
ont lis soul to her. and received her ready assent
his proposal, conditional upon the approval oi nel
father. IA,
one or two little circumstances connected VIII
Lis visit to Regency Square, on the previous day
struck Jonathan Greysark as bong curious, ~ nt
sat i'm his room ut the Office playing listessiy With
the heap Of unopened letters before him. or course
he had observed the old ladys hesitation In Rlvini
tue name OF FIeming; ana her suggestion that tn
letter should bO forwarded through her instead OF
q direct address was rather unusual. IcIHal
Fleming was q strange sort OF man-under clouc
OF eccentric habits. Rt any ratc, nHliio
lady as was her aunt: the surroundings OF til
rooms in Regency Square showed refinement II no
opulence; and, although money with wlfe was II
object with him. he preferred that tine iauy honOtI
by his choice should not be an utter stranger % t
style Of life to which as Mrs. Greysark sue "ouIu
lntroduced But his ardont affection fGr the snipiy
minded bright faced girl Oyercame Whatever Ilttl
shades Of dOnbt OF scruples the above strange cii
cunstances might have awakened wlthln hm IN; ana
after having hurredly pcrused his business letectt
he called Mr. Penn in, gave him INSTRUCTIONS I
show nobody into the private room for an hour an an
settled himself down to indite the epistie 10 M
Fleming After much destruction OF best cream ia'
note, he produced the following
DEAR SIR: 1t is with no little diHdence tnat
address who is "a complete stranger 10 me upo @
subject Of such importance as that NbiCH no, htI
occupies my peu but am sure Judge you fghtt
whom think TINT You will pardon tho hDerty au