The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-09-14

head Of the firm as he shook hands, she must '
as I've peaSes, Taper
" or course. of course, quite so. | was merely
advising him IN MS own Interests"
BALDWIN leit the plaee and buried 10 S!owboy
''Well, DR.. BaldWin," said Brisk, what can
we do for yGH.s5''
BALDWIN told his tale, and the faeeOf smiling
MIR E-i>k heightened Ysibly as he went on, and
| when lie had finished The smIl- had vanished
and you come to me TO know what to dc9
Ali They all rotten, of course they are.
Look at Dandy's; there was case. Wen, you
can walt until the day after Tomorrow al 2.
l viii 60 win you, or If you prefer II, | VIII
meet yon there. l am afraid. il they talked Of
calling their creditors together on the 1st OF
January that there is little 10 be done; still, w
will see what they say The day after tomorrow.
If there j. Offer no offer consisting OF cash
payment, there IS only one eourse-only one
"And that is?"
Tie professional smile returned
"Good-day.. GOodday. merry Christmas,
They shook hands and John walked off, full OF
| SAD Thoughts through The smiling crowd. The
| bells pealed their merry carol In honor OF the
| day What was the carol they rang TO John
Baldwin? Ruin! ruin! Certain ruin!
John waited impatientiy In his rooms-his tenn
| pOTarv rooms IN the Temple those ugly rooms,
| that lie had fully expected TO change for tue
| bijou house. He had not tile heart TO keep
| Christmas, the feast OF gladness. with Lucy and
her father and there eat lis Christmas dinner.
No He pleaded indisp0slion, headache. He
sat In his dismal chambers, in the TWO pair back
of Kings Bench Walk, tnat Christmas day; and
there, in lieu OF a Christmas dinner, he sat and
ate his heart. Next day he went TO Brisk.
Il have heard from them" said the lawyer
- u Useless to give DR.. Baldwin the trouble Of a
| needless interview, We have no proposition to
make There is nothing for ii; we Can issue
| the VIII as piecaut0n, that Is ALL"
''But viii That help me ?"
a fear not Or. Baldwin; but it will tend to
bring matters TO a crisls-y0u Will Know I'D
| fortnight. You wish US to DO this, snppose?"
Baldwin nodded, but his conscience smOte him.
| Was not this being hostile to Day? or Taper
| lie did not think but Of Day. who had given him
| many slap on the back In his youth, and, what
was more, many half sovereign-of brisk, kind
| Day. But the thought OF Lucy banished all hest
| talon. The writ should be issued.
Back. back TO the lonely chambers-he could
| not face Lucy with lie news he mad 10 tell.
| What right had he TO have wrecked her life with
| his castles in the air. His fathers 100000 the
| rich Inheritance OF an only son. were passing
away in smoke. Perhaps something might reach
him eventually. But his marriage could never
take place-Lucy's father would never consent.
New Years eve passed much Christmas day
had done with John. He felt himself under
cloud, tbickeniDg cloud.
New Years day came; again the joy-bels from
the Strand churches rang IN mis- ears he left tile
| dark bedroom for The dingy sitting-roOm, the
| shadows of eib6enBg faces seemed TO mock him.
| He took M his paper and turned TO the city IN
| Ielligence with mechanical haste; there II was
sure enough:
this morning. heir liabilities said to amount
| to E24O.0U0. The firm has occupied for many years
fer their losses to the competition Of late
years A receiving order has been granted and Mr.
| Sidney SfudgemuuSe, OF the firm OF SudgemOuSc,
| Queckett, Gotobed 81 Siudgemouse, chartered ac-
| countants. has been appointed trustee"
That was ALL
Tie blow was too much for John Baldwin
! His mind had dwelt on IL for the last week to the
| exclusion Of every other thought II had un-
/ manned him. AS he stood before his smoky FIRE,
whose face did lie see In The dingy mirror? Not
his own. His fathers face (; pale pale as IL had
/ 1 tnta np cd II n ed
4 him as il he had seen a ghost. He stared al II
helple,siy, hardly recognizing himself. Yes the
/ shadow OF death was on nun physically brave
/ he was Il moral coward
q cannot face Lucy.' lie said with sigh 81
cannot face her iatber aud The world; and with
! out Lucy cannot begin the world again. am
| tired, dreadiully tiIed," he mutered. He pushed
! away the uncomfortable breakfast with It's sor-
| did service the bachelors unOyely meal. He
| sal down al his huge writing-table, that vener-
able piece of furuiiuIe which almost nlled the
middle Of the room, and wrote few words OF
| farewell to Lucy
forgive me, Lucy. l cannot face it," He
| signed IT. carefully placed the paper In its en-
velope, directed 1t, stamped it, and put the let
| ter on The mantlepiece. AS he did So again he
| saw his own White despalriDg face aud shIank
| from It's awful look. Then he closed his outer
! door tile black door, SO Iunereal in its nky
/ color: lis name in white letters on it seemed To
| stare at him, and reminded him, lie knew not
! WHY. OF the name Of some one already dead.
| Then he took from drawer OF the old writing
| table his revolver the well-kept weapon, The
companion OF his colonial life. He looked
al II almost win aHeetinn; ms old
/ companion, all the corners OF which had
| been worn bright with use. Mechanically he
spun the chambers round. II was loaded
as he had brought 1t home year ago. And it
/ was clean, as weapon should be. But with
puneliliOus care John Withdrew the copper cart
ridges one By one, and as carefully replaced
| them. Then lie set his teeth, placed the weapon
| 10 his head, and sharply pulled The trigger
several times-a succession of clicks was the
| only result. The Cartridges had hung fire from
damp.
Ii had required an effort great effort. of mis-
placed pluck TO pull that trigger. second effort
4 to repeat The pulls. But now John Baldwin
| broke down, the revolver dropped from his
| nerveless grasp, and lie tainted.
he was aroused by knocking. He snatched
! up the weapon. replaced II in the drawer and
| FASTENED to open the door.
Lueys father--and Lucy-pretiy, happy Lucy
al smiles and bushes, were there.
Lucy rushed into his arms
| what is the matter %
When the mountain wouldn't come to Mano.