The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1888-01-21

er's story TO me, as he told IL on the train
wish the reader to observe however, that
this FIRST half is accompanied by second
half, w lch transpired several years after.
| Mr. Needles did his work 30 well In the
new office that every one liked him. Had
It not been indoor work, and he a sailor,
needing outdoor life, this story would end
here. But the close confinement Of the
| office was bad for him, and the doctor told
him that he could not stand IL. He did not
repeat this to General Glover till he had
found where he must go. Then IL proved
that In q bureau which Is under the treas
ury, which Twill call the Bureau Of Red
Tape, they needed an outdoor invoice man.
II was work that he could do, and he ap-
piled to bo transferred there. He wrote to
General Glover to tell him why he wanted
to remove, and asked for his nelp at W ash.
ington.
Help at Washington, indeed! The head
OF the Treasury had been at the Generals
side in those old days Of '6l and '62. and as
soon rs the mail could send IL, the now ap-
pointment was made secure.
And from that time, know not for how
many years, thore was no correspondence
between General Glover and his friend.
!; Years passed away; do not know how
many. General Glover, who Is q man OF q
thousand duties, all Of which he does well,
went hither, went thither, and may not
have thought OF the letter or the answer
once in q month. Needles never wrote to
| him. He never wrote to Needles. As
said, borrowing his phrase as we flew along
| In the express train, one such man, till the
letter came, did not differ from another,
more than one post in rail fence from
that which is noxt to 1t.
But the letter, and what csme from IL,
made difference. Yes, and the memory
Of that letter, and the picture Of the stove
and the children, and their mother sleeping
late, and all the rest which have told you,
did sometimes come back to General
Glover.
And so, when, as say, years had gone
by, as he was one day making q visit in the
great roaring city which I have called
Abydos, he told the story, as he told it to
me, and as have told it to you. He was
making a call at the Hotel Esterhazy on
Mrs. Fonblanque, whom perhaps you know,
and he told this story.
"You say he lives in this city" said she,
very much interested in the story. "Do
you never 20 to see them"
"No," he said; ~ have never been to
see them."
''Might see them, Where do they live,
What is his namel" she asked, somewhat
eagerly.
And tho General confessed, that since he
began to tell the story, he had been feeling
for the name, but it had escaped him.
'If you had not asked me, however, /
think should have caught it. Queer that
can not recall it."
ga md you have not seen hin,' said She
" ,t- -
Adam IL he came in at that door, And,
at that instant, as if the man were coming.
knock was heard at the door. A servant
entered with card "For General Glover"
The General read it, and bade the man
say he would see the gentleman in the
reading-room. He turned to Mrs. Fon.
blanque: what were you asking mel"
II was asking the name OF the man whose
story You told me-"
'Yes, you were. And ID not know itn
'You said," continued she, 'that you
should not know him il he came in at that
door,"
81 did so. And here is his name.n
''Do not tell me that this is that mans
card"
SIT is his card, and 1 am going down to
see him." So he left Mrs. Fonblanque to
her reflections.
Sure enough, the re was his friend. He
was twenty years older than when, as
young man, he flung himself into his coun-
try's cause. There were the marks Of his
accident, and there were the marks of his
twenty years. work. And both these men
went back. in memory, to those eager days
when the war began. But it was not Of
them that the younger had come to talk.
He was in trouble again. "You will think
l am always in trouble, and yon will think
always fall back on you."
General Glover is not one of those peo-
pie who turn over their own benefactions
like savory bonbons; he does not often
think of them indeed. He said, cheerily,
that, quite on the other hand, it was long
since he had heard from his friend.
Nor would you hear from me now,"
said the other, "if could help it, But / |
can not help it. / come to you, Of course.
My life is all to change, and do not know
how. come to you to ask. 1 should do |
he said, very seriously. soon
nected as you and have been, If did any |
thing without your advice. nay, without |
your permission"
The General looked at him with surprise.
But the man was not weak-he was not |
chattering compliments. He was speaking
with the deepest seriousness. ''My life, |
since ! entered the navy, has been all |
in with your instructions. 1 |
should be wrong if did not come for them |
now" ty
Then he unfolded his budget of miseries !!
and explained that he was worse of than |
he had been that day Of the postman and |
the letter. Worse off, because a second |
fall is worse than the first.
This was the story: ""e
At the time when he was transferred |
from the post-ofice TO the Bureau of Red
Tape, at the Generals intercession, it had
been necessary, under such Civil Service
rules as then existed. that he should file a
proper certificate OF character, and he had
done So
Now this certificate, alas, was headed by
tho most distinguished OF General Glover's
friends in that city, Governor Oglethorpe.
But in the course Of 1ve or six years,
there had grown up great feud In the
party, and Governor Oglethorpe headed
,ne side and Mr. Clodius headed the other.
And q week before the time we have
come to, Mr.. Clodius has becn appointed
rom Washington to be the head OF our
Bureau of Red Tape.
And every man in the office knew that
Ill their certificates had been examined
IN Wednesday, and that all Governor Ogle
,horpe's men ould be dismissed ON Friday,
1t was now Thursday evening
II only heard Of this today said the
,fficer we are Interested in. II would not
ell my wife. But she knew something
vas the matter. But when the evening
,aper came, saw you were here at the
1sterhazy, and then knew it was all
light"
VAlI sIe,ht daor Fr;andaO .ota 49, ~ |