The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-08-14
THE COMPANY'S MONEY

THE C0MPANY'S MONEY
:, sGood-by, old fellow, good-by. I
trust you will have good voyage, if you
must start in such beastly weather."
said, as I shook hands with Hugh Grey
ham, the truest friend I have in the
world, and saw him 60 out into storm
and night. He was to take the steamer
early, the next morning for Liverpool,
and I felt a little uneasy at his going in
the worst days of severe February.
My wife drew up her chair close by mine,
lighted my pipe, and said: CHOW,
George, that he has gone, suppose you
tell me that little yarn you promised,
about the time you and Hugh had such a
quarrel" ..~. ..
All right, I said, it was this way.
You know what sort of man my father
was, Ellen-hard, cold, money loving,
'bigoted. One naturally wants to speak
of ones parents with reverence when
they are lying in their graves, but-well,
let that pass. I did not love my father,
simply because T did not-so we'll just
leave the matter there. My mother died
the day I was born, so of her I knew abb
solutely nothing. A few years after her
death my father married again. Do you
know that people have habit of speak
Ing disparagingly of stepmothcrsa I can
not understand it. Mine was an angel.
She was fair, stout woman, and some
times, even now, I. covet the rest and
peace used to feel with my poor little
head laid on her bosom, with her soft
arms about me. God bless her forever!
Many q cold night when my relentless
father for some trife has sent me up to
my bleak room supperless to bed has this
sweet woman stolen after me, and fold
ing me in her warm arms has sung me to
sleep. She loved me sincerely, poor
hapless boy that was! i think adored
her. ~ " - 2! -.
Well, she made my father educate me
and give me my training in pharmacy;
so when he died I was twenty-five years
old and drug clerk on a very small sal
ary. My father was supposed to be not
rich, but very comfortable. And so he
was, but on reading his will we found
the bulk of his property given to charity
myself entirely ignored and my sweet
mother left paltry $1,000 to rccompense
her for more than score of faithful
years with him! Well, she didn't COM
plain-not she; she only said:
"Georgie, dear, we'll take our seven
thousand and fight our way through Life
together" ~. .a,.- ... j..
We moved to city further south. I
bought outa business in q poor part of
the town and went to work. The city
grew gradually toward us and you know
the rest. I prospered always and we
were very happy. We lived just for each
other and she managed our modest home.
1t was home with an angel in it, and
again say, God bless her.
After had been in business about five
years met Hugh Greyham. He is an
Englishman, you know, and had come to
this country to look after some invest
ment made in real estate by syndicate
in London. liked him from the first
and mother and he became the best of
friends. He often left his elegant hotel
to spend week with us and declared he
was happier there than anywhere else.
In the fall of 'S6 he was making us just
such visit, and one night we all three
sat up very late talking. was in es-
pecially good spirits because I had in my
cash box a clean $4,000 to take to the
bank the next day. Hugh had also in his
pocketbook $500, but as he said, he was
ssnot feeling" so awfully good, as it be.
longed to his company and not to him
self. I remember about one o'clock
mother drove us off to bed.
The next morning was aroused Out
of a deep sleep by Hugh. He looked
anxious and excited. J.
"WhF, what is the matter, old boyp'
1 asked, hardly awake.
"George I have been robbed in the
night-my hunting watch is gone, and,
God help me, the company's money too?
L" Gracious heavensl' was all I coul6
say as sprangup and got into my clothes
with all possible dispatch.
Well, as you may imagine, we went
into an exhaustive search-upstairs and
.down-everywhere. Then we called il
the police. Not trace-not track
could we find. Window locks, dool
locks, all unframed. What could il
.mean2 Four days we devoted our best
energies to this affair, and at the end o.
that time was as far off as ever.
On the fourth night I Ind splitting
headache and had to go to bed, but Hugh
and mother sat up later, as usual. Tht
next morning went down to breakfast
feeling much better and eager to begir
search again. Mother and Hugh were al
the table. kissed her as usual and saio
q hearty 'good morning" to him. HI
nodded slightly and Immediately got W
and went out. I looked at mother for al
explanation. Her eyes were full of tear
and her whole expression was unutter