San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-09-24
A DYNAMITE STORY.


at home,n said Daisy Clyburne, winding one
plump, white arm around her fathers neck,
as she perched herself on the arm of his
| chair.
Those who knew Silas Clyburne only as a
business man, president of several railroads,
director in a score Of other corporations and
shareholder in every paying concern in tho
state, would have been amazed to see how
easily this fragile girl bent to her will the
stony hearted, iron handed man.
His name is Osborne Palmer" replied the
elder Clyburne, gazing affectionately at his
idol
~ didn't ask you what his name is; ask,
who is he's And is that the way you dare to
answer my questions, sir" and as she spoke
Daisy playfully pinched one Of his ears.
"Ouch You little inquisitive torment!
Well, to be explicit, Mr. Palmer is to be one
Of my under secretaries. He is to-to assist
Mr. Winchell."
Come, come, sirl that hesitation shows
that you are trying to hide something; l
want the truth, the whole truth, and nothing
but the truth"
"Perhaps you remember that few weeks
ago you and your mother exacted from me
promise that 1 would never again, under any
circumstances, open the packages which
might come to me by mail or express"
"Of course we did! If those wretches
would send you dynamite bomb once, they
might do it more successfully again; it was
by mere chance that the thing was out OF
order and did not blow us all up replied
Daisy, with a shudder.
mot one of the servants has courage
enough to do it for me; Mr. Winchell has
family, and since our recent experience he
has no taste for the task; so have employed
this young Palmer, whose special business it
will be to open my parcels"
"Oh, papa, why should he take the risk Of
his life? He is $3.50 young, maybe he has
motherT
''No. nor sister, nor any near relative be
is highly educated and well born, but being
unfortunate in business, and therefore Tilted
by heartless girl, he resolved to put an end
to an unhappy life. He procured quantity
OF laudanum. but decided that that was I'M
certain, and so shot himself in the head.
Either his hand swervsd or his aim was I'M
certain, for the wand proved to be only
serious, not fatal. He was taken to a hospi-
tai, and as the letter he had written for post
mortem purposes proved that the shooting
was intentional, he was in danger Of arrest
and trial for attempted self murder.
Learning of the affair, was struck with
an idea and so used my influence in his be-
half, and there was no arrest. He placed no
value on his life, and SO readily accepted the
position I offered him. He came the very
day after you and your mother went to your
grardmother1s to spend Thanksgiving, and
Mr.. Winchell tells me that he is of great as
sistance to him. especially in my large
foreign correspondence He is a gentleman
born, so he will live with us as a member of
our family. and l want you to give your
cousin Bertha a hint that while she is with
US we hope she will be courteous to him. /
am very fond of Bertha, my dear, but l can
see that she is Just the least bit snobbiSh-
like her father Obed Jenness is an inbred
snob!"
The famous Kilkenny cats might well have
been named Silas Clyburne and Obed Jen-
ness, for these two men were continually
fighting, tooth and nail. If one could thwart
a scheme Of the ether it was rare sport to
him, but retaliation was sure to come in some
heart searching way. As they had married
sisters and there was constant intercourse be-
tween their wives and daughters, they out
wardly maintained an armed neutrality.
Goodness gracious, Daisy, do you know
who Uncle Silas has in his employ nowY'
cried Bertha Jenness to her cousin when she,
too had seen the young package opener.
YES be told me all about him just few
moments ago Poor fellow! He has a 70
mantle and sad history" replied Daisy, and
then went on to relate what we already know
about Osborne Palmer.
xr;t 1sar
smile lowering around her thin, soulless lips,
and when the story was concluded she said
with shrug of her shoulders, VERY 20
mantle, admit, but what fool he was!'
"Oh, no, Berthal Doubtless his troubles
had temporarily turned his brain, yet surely
be is to be pitied"
81 am not so sure that be is not now-but
tell me, Daisy, did you ever bear me speak
of a young cavalier had who used to deluge
me with rare roses and choice boDbors until
his fortune vanished and then showered on
me tender verses of his own ccmpositSonr
"Oh, yes, and how envied you for having
a real poet at your feet! But where is be
now! Does he Still send you poemsT
'tDoggerel. you mean! No, hope not. In
Osborne Palmer, your fathers clerk, you be-
hold the man"
mo! Not really3 Isn't that odd9 And
now that be has come to life again, so to
speak, the lovely romance will begin all over
again" said Daisy, with faint shade OF re-
greet IN her vosce.
Each of these cousins had something the
other lacked; Bertha was one of a large
family, and how Daisy wished that she too
might have one or two brothers, or one or
two dear little midgets of sisters. But
Bertha regarded these younger ones as chan
nolS where large share of her fathers mol.ey
rlust so, while Daisy was the sole and idol
iZel heir in her home.
r@Lo-, +oo pa,.rLo had ca D1o-,-- lovers and