New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-10-07

The next day opened my Universal Agency.
There | SAT in my Goldsmith chair, pen IN manu-, "
profusion OF papers scattered over the anic aftls
ically Nobody came, though i could see through
the blind that many persons stopped TO rcau thc
announcement, and look up and down tile nous. ,S
but no one entered The following day was 'he
same and the next. j began TO fear that the ap-
pearance was not soaattractive rs had imagined,
but on the fourth morning tall man stopped ana
looked in at the window, then entered and tapped
at my office door Enter" cried !, and he did
so. | bowed; he bowed / indicated the oper,
atng chair, upon which he seated himself and
looked at me steadily | returned the compliment.
and must confess did not like the look of him at
all II not his dress nor his carrlaee whcn
was stiff and rather military, but his physog-
head suggestive of Rush at Madame Tussauds;
nose pointed, with nostrils that appeared to be
shifting something unpleasant. His mouth was
hidden by a thick black mustache, much manip,
uated, with spikes at the ends his complexion
sallow; age between forty and fifty,
L have called to ask question: he com
menced; does your agency insert and receive
That is more the business of a news agent"
said !:
Would you permit an IN interview between
/ Lave never done so yet but see no objection
q did not wish to lose client) "Of course, II
would depend upon the nature of the advertise
Certainly, certainly: it is nothing objection
able or unbecoming gentleman. am military
man. and have served in the Turkish army"
If it is anything in the military line
. 1t Is not for myself" interrupted my client
it concerns a lady,"
(Matrim0nial thought /, but he looks 100 ola
and ugly for it,
Il have the charge of a young lady, the
daughter of a dear and valued friend, now no
me. a bachelor: If she were better provided for
/ would marry her, but that is out of the question
wish tho to for w Or RpPy Tor
Il should have thought that governess
agency ,.,u ,.,, ,,onas
deprecatngly, nothing of that kind. l do not
wish TO be worried or talked over by women. |
must see my way. 1t is duty owe TO deceased
friend What would this world be without friend
ship-and gratitude ?" moralzed this good man.
1t manages to revolve without much of either,
answered l. He opened his pocket-book and took
!" have drawn up an advertisement; will you
read it, adding the address of your, paper? You
will easily understand do not wish to give that
1t ran as follows: Wanted. strict home for
young girl. where she can be usetully employed,
on reciprocal terms. Address, Philanthropist,
Strict people? Why SOP"
She takes the bit between her teeth some,
times" replied the Colonel. shaking his head ana
is averse TO work. requiring to be kept up like
whipping top. She is not sufficiently educated
Seeing no objection to the proposal consented,
and he laid down half guinea on the table
Shall l forward the answers to your club 7"
l asked.
No, thanks, L Will look III as i pass byt ne
replied, taking his leave. SO 1 dispatched his
advert semcnt to The Times
In business there is too much occupying the
mind TO allow it's dwelling on individuals ana,
fortunately. several other clients appeared after
the ice was broken. On the fourth morning was
scarcely seated in my Office when handsome
young man entered There was no mistal1ng his
profession the open, cheerful, sunDurned race;
bright eyes and careless gait denoted the naval
profession. He seemed TO bring III walt OF
sea-brceze with him.
NJ 7 " Lo he
what your meaning is by confidential agency =
A business medium or arbitrator III private
affairs"
Il conclude you do odd Jobs for parties who
do not wish to appear personalities that il"
You may put it that way If you Ike
lie smiled showing perfect ef set OF 'eg1h object
to employing lawyer, for a reason you VIII see
by-and-by; nor yet detectiye, for 1t is not IN
a confidential friend | may say, though | know
such cannot be conJured up at a moment Us n0ncc,
but, you see ] am peculiarly situated, having
been away three years from old England, and
have no intimate acquaintance. If | had; per-
haps they wouldn't do what want 1t Is doubt
less strange to you that fellow should nave no
friends. but so 1t Is.
Strange to mel No indeed, | had never
Quilted England, yet had none. He threw himself
into the operating chair, took off his hat saying
in his br ghr CHEEKY voice, GU must look upon
me as one of your confidential customcrs-and
am going to tell you my story. l am navigating
lieutenant on board the AgOnlstes, Just come In
from the Iaclilc, ana lying III uOck lOr repairs
where | am in charge of her to, see after the
machinery ! have up by the early tram
from Sheerness this morning, and have TO rush
back again speedily, for l saw your window IN
passing a few days ago and thought the matter
over before coming-thls is quite Ill confidence
remember"
TO think 1 could be of use to him: he won me
directly for he was only apparently two or three
years my senior, and was without TRENDS, uh-
affected and genial.
rio 1aX
Lincolnshire. He had two children, a son and
daughter They neither gave HIM satisfaction n
much ilI-feelng existed between them ana sn '
step-mothcr he chose for second wife MY
mother was the daughter and she
bolted with my father when she was quite
girl; so of course she was out OF has good DOCKS
His son, a few years after, married beneath nlI1
so they say: q kind of poor relation; anyno"
the old gentleman wouldn't see nor speak to MN am
again; the poor fellow and his young VIE
gave up altogether, and died-thls heard from
nv mothcr She and my father who was, like
me, in the navy, lived at Plymouth, happy as
the day was long My mother wrote many times
to my grandfather, saying she was well on ana
wanted nothing of HIM but his forgiveness, and
telling him what remarkably nice boy her only
child was"-hcre he laughed" but my grand
father kept silence, so she gave it up, and
never thought twice on the matter lost my
father six years ago. but my mother sui nves
at Plymouth; so l got chance of seeing her
dear face again recently, and heard some news.
Ny grand .ather was dead she READ IL IN Uhe
pa per and has never received any intmatlon from
Lincolnshire of the event; hut very remarkable
thing happened Late one night. just the
house was being fastened up single rap was
heard at the front door Martha, one of the
servants, answered it; man, quite stranger TO
her, stood on the step, "A rough-looklng middle
aged man. she said he asked If Mrs. Dwarrls
lived there. Martha SAID yes. Could he see
her? No, she had gone up stairs for the night.
Then would Martha give a letter into her own
hand at once? lie handed in packet and dis
appeared Martha did she was bid but my
mother seeing tumbled, soiled-lookng envel-
opc, put it by, thinking it begging letter.
In the course of the next day she opened 1t
here il is will you read it ~ As he spoke he
produced the letter, which appeared TO be written
on paper torn from the back of another, In q
trem bling hand, the lines very uneven. 1t ran
as follows:
Methwold, Bertoft, Lincolnshire
"My Dear Daughter: For such you are in spite
of all In the course of twenty eight long years
| have never had letter from you but once
Mark that, and my mother wrote repeatedly, put
in Dwarrs. | resumed readingJ You spoke
of your little boy Philip-named after me-per-
baps | did not deserve that at your hands. My
child. forgive your father, who is dying-when
Won receive this he will be no more. Surrounded