San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-08-14

paper, she cried out:
'Ah, here's an explanation of the tricks he
has been playing us; he had Conscience in
his pocket" and she began to think What
puzzled her was how to get rid of Conscience,
and to whom she could pass it on. She did
not wish to crush with one blow whoever she
should choose as the victim, but only to cause
him little temporary Inconvenience. After
some consideration she made up her mind
that she had better bestow Conscience upon
the Jew banker, Brjotski, the promoter of
great commercial enterprise, and director Of
innumerable railway companies.
His back is broad enough, at any rate,"I
she said to herself, sit won't hurt him"
Having decided this, she slipped Conscience
carefully into stamped envelope, upon
which she wrote Brjotski's name and address,
and then threw it into the letter box.
SNOW" she said going back to her hus-
band, ''you can go to the market boldly"
Brjotski was seated at dinner surrounded
by his family One of his sons, boy 10
years old, was next him; this child was pom
dering over banking transactions.
"What would happen father" he said, ''if
/ invested the money you have given me at
20 per cent month"; How much should
have at the end of the yearf'
.'At simple or compound interestp asked
Brjotski.
ooh, compound interest, of course"
''At compound interest that would come to
forty-five roubles and seventy-nine copecks,
not counting the fractions.
s'Then, father, | shall invest it like that"
''Invest it by all means, my boy, but be
careful that you get very good security"
On the other side of the table sat another
of Brjotski's sons, who was years old. He
also was occupied with an elementary prob
lem in mental arithmetic. Further off sat
two more who We're both engaged in calcu-
lating the amount of interest one owed to the
other ON a loan of sugar candy
Opposite Brjotski his beautiful wife sat in
state, holding in her arms her baby girl, who
already clutched instinctively at her moth
er's gold bracelets. In short, Brjotski was
happy man.
He was just tasting a new sauce, so deli
cous that he would willingly have had the
sauce tureen decked with old lace and ostrich
feathers, when a servant handed him the let
ter He had hardly taken it when he became
extremely agitated. ,-gE.
"Why should any one send me this thing|
he cried, trembling all over. No one under
stood what he meant but they all felt that to
finish the meal was impossible. / will not
describe the torments that Brjotski suffered
on this memorable day. will only mention
one thing, that this man, weak and feeble as
he seemed to be, bore like hero the most
terrible tortures. but as to giving up the
smallest sum of money, nothing could make
him do it.
What suffer does not matter" he said
to his wife in the moments of the most acute
agony. "Only hold me fast, and if the
,1-ar fnV. INV
cash box, don't bring it, my love. Let me
die first" However embarrassing a situa-
ton may be there is almost always some
way out of it, and one was found in this in
stance. Brjotski luckily remembered an old
promise he had made to give something to a
charitable institution of which a certain gen.
eral who was a friend of his had the manage
ment. Time had slipped by without his
doing so, but now circumstances pointed out
to him the most convenient way of fulfilling
his obligation. Without delay he cautiously
opened the envelope which he had received
by post, drew out the inclosed with a pair of
pincers, put it into another envelope with
banknotes for hundred roubles, and sealing
it up carefully, went to see ithe said general. :
81 wish to help on this good work with
contribution, your excellency," said he, plac-
ing his sealed packet upon the table before
the general, whose face expressed his salts
faction
1T is a worthy act, sir" he replied. elm
deed, you"-
Here his excellency stopped in confusion.
''Oh, quite so, your excellency-quite So"
said Brjotski hastily, happy to feel himself
relieved of the heavy burden which had
troubled him so much; "be assured that we
fnanciers are animated by the purest patri-
otism, and are Russians above all things"
"Thanks thanksl" said the general, land
hem! hem However,
Eyes your excellency, Russians first.
Russians first"
"Well! Welt GoodI goodI God be with
you"
After this Brjotski flew rather than walked
home, and by evening had quite forgotten
his past sufferingS and was himself again
He went back to business at once, and
spent the night in planning new banking
transactions on a colossal scale.
The poor Conscience lived like this for a
long time and passed through many hands;
she was not wanted anywhere Peoples only
idea was to get rid of her, to pass her on at
any price, and at last, weary of this wander
ing Jew existence, she said sadly to her last
poSseSsor, certain small tradesman whose
business never prospered:
why do you continually torment me and
tread me undertook
"What do you want me to do with you,
my dear Consciencer he answered; "you are
no good at all"
''This is what I suggest" replied Con-
science "Find me little Russian baby and
LODGE me in his pure heart PerhaDs the in