Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1891-05-08
BROWN, SMITH & JONES.

BROWN, SMITH & JONES'.
was young lawyer, and had the repu-
tation of being shrewd, and I do honestly
believe that had I remained at the bar l
might have been fairly successful. [ had
no idea of leaving it until Brown, of Brown,
Smith & Jones, came to me and said
GAS you know, old Foss, our confidential
man, is dead. We think it better to fill his
place with young man, and have come
to offer it to you"
The firm had a private bank, and dealt
in stocks. 1t also did considerable cargo
insurance, placed loans, bought mortgages,
shaved notes, and made money in other
digniied and respectable ways. 1t had
been doing business for twenty years, and
was rated conservative and sound.
The only curious thing about the firm
was the trio composing it. Brown was an
old bachelor of So He was tall, angular
and homely, and the only woman whom
he could endure was his landlady. Smith
was five years older and married, but had
no children He was Short fat and tact
turn, never speaking to anybody when he
could help it. His wife never went into
society, and Smith never entered a church
Jones was little man, almost small
enough to be called dwarf, but with an
awful dignity about him. He was over 40
a single man, but was popularity supposed
to be Cooking around" There were rumors
that some one had once called him 1.-THE
Napoleon of the West, and if he had any
particular weakness it was that of attend
ing Thursday evening prayer meeting. Nc
business matter, no matter how important
could prevent his regular attendance, al
though he took no active part in the exer
cises, and was never known to contribute 6
dollar to the church.
Having accepted the post I found my
duties to be almost numberless. / opened
the mail, sorted the letters and attended tt
the correspondence. l checked" on the
cashier, verified all balances, investigated
all risks, hunted up the standing of al
would be borrowers, and to great extent
had charge of the entire business. In less
than week found that each one of the
firm had his official popularity, as follows
Brown would never open the mail.
Smith would never answer letter.
Jones would never sign check.
The street called them conservatives,
but the street never met them in the pri
vate office, and consequently did not know
of their oddities. The morning programme
was very funny one. reached the Office
at $50 sharp. At exactly $40 Jones came
in. At S:44 Smith entered. At $50 Brown
appeared The last man of the firm name
| was the first to appear. AS each entered
| he hung up his hat on his own particular
| hook, sat down in his own particular chair
picked up his own daily paper, and none O.
| them ever recognized each other by al
much as bow. At $50 I had the mai
opened, they laid aside their papers, and the
business of the day came up to be discussed
1t took me a couple of years to fall into
the ways of these strange men, but in spite
of their eccentricities they were very kint
| to me and trusted me almost without lin
| it. Everything had run along very smooth
| ly and nothing whatever had happened tt
| break the routine, when something dropped
from clear sky. Our private offices wert
arranged so that occupied the first, which
was also a consulting room. Then each o.
the firm had private office back of that
and each retired to it when not otherwise
engaged.
One forenoon, at II o'clock, while wa!
| alone in the front office, a lady entered. L
was rarely that woman had any business
with us beyond the teller's window, and
was considerably surprised at the presence
| of this one She was about Is years old
| handsome as a picture, and soon had rea
son to declare to myself that her manner
were fascinating She took my breatl
away by inquiring if Brown was in. 81
far as the legends of the office went he hat
never yet been interviewed by woman
and hesitated to reply to her direct ques
ton.
II have business Of Importance witt
him." she continued, and desire to see hin
In his private office, 1t is the first one o.
the LETT, I believe. Pray don't trouble your
self to announce me-"
| She went to the door and raped Brow
| opened it, and when he saw her standing
there he turned pale and staggered bach
She entered, and closed the door benin
her, and was closeted with him full hour
If was dumfounded at this action, wa
| almost paralyzed at his conduct as the
came out. He was actually bowling an
! smirking, and trying to be gallant-he tn
man who insisted that his landlady shout
never employ female servant unless eh
! was hunchback or cross eyedl He TO-
| lowed her through the room, and out
the door of the bank, and when he returne
he was smiling blandly, and his lips wer
moving as if talking to himself. He didn'
saw a word to me- If he had I could no
i have replied to him, as was completel
| knocked out.
After that day noticed marked chang
in Brown, He seemed to thaW OUT
take more interest in lifes and | caqghG q
to the fact that he was writing private lei
ters to some one. One day he added to M
establishment by calling me into his prlyat
room and inquiring If 1t wouldn't he a goo
thing for us to pick up q silver mine mine cut
Nevada, providing we got a low figure an
{. sure thing.
The next astonishing circumstance hal
-ened q week later. l was out on tn
street at 80, an hour when every man {
| tic firm vas invariably closeted with him
IF, and suddenly caught sight of Jone
into :. to- = ,'n'''4Arsaes ,.Ai6aif to !
the victim of an optical delusion, ! 500
follow ed, and as 1 looked about the ofiic
the clerk beckoned to me and said, "Roon
44-Mcs Temple-silver mine!"
She had been to the office to call o.
Brown, a1d now she had probably sen
| word to Jones to call on her: IWould hav
bet q hundred to one that Jones Wouldn'
have gone. even TO close q deal in who
there was a sure profit Of $4,000, but ther
he was, sure enough, and I began to fee
annoyed and uneasy. was at the Ollie
! when Jones rsturned, two hours later. I'll
not only had a grin ga his face, but he tel
so good that he actually whistled bar Q
two of popular air.
! # anything farther was needed to coz
vince me that things were at SKIES an
sevens in the house Of Brown, Smith
Jones the conduct of Smith furnished il
On certain Wednesday morning he wa
twenty eight minutes late. AS if this we1
not enough, he came in looking Illustrate
5 and excited An hour later a boy brought