Los Angeles herald., 1891-10-29
EARNING AN EPITAPH.


The old man took the ledgers out Of
the safe one by one and then replaced
them. There were twenty-seven of them
in all, and in the making of each of
them he had had part. There were
actually tears in his eyes as the door of
the safe changed to; and turning away
he walked into the outer Office with a
feeling Of desolation in his heart as
though he had just consigned his dear
est friend to sepulcher.
Half mechanically he mounted his
well worn stool again and gazed through
the little glass window out into the
great warerooms for the last time. The
rooms were empty and deserted, for the
sheriff's sale, held three days ago, had
cleared them effectually of their stock
And now there was nothing for it but to
lock the Office up, hand the key to the
janitor and be gone.
Il want you to see the last of Twichell,
Glance & Co., Ham," the senior partner
had said that morning when he dropped
in to say goodby. you've been with
us since the beginning and dare say
you'll like to see the old firm out. It's
hard lines, Ham-very hard lines on all
Of us, you know. We're all in the same
boat, however-you, who've lost your
few little hundreds that you saved from
your salary, and l, who have lost my
thousands. The whole concern has gone
to the bottom, Ham, and the shoe
pinches equally all round. It's very
hard on you, | know, for you're not SO
young as the rest of us, and you have
been here such long time Twenty
seven years, is it? Good heavens, what
an eternityi can remember you sitting
over at the juniors desk there when /
was little chap in short trousers.
You've been an excellent worker" re-
peated the senior partner, gradually re-
suming the superior manner he was
wont to exhibit to his employees. "If
my name will be of any use to you
though it is not held in the greatest es-
TEEN just at the present moment" he
added with a bitter smile, ''use it, of
course. But then, with the wide ac-
quaintance you've gained since you've
been here people will be only too glad
to snap you up"
'Ah, yes, sir" Ham had answered,
''but amt what used to be, you know.
1t amt that I'm so old amt fifty as
yet; but the doctor says if don't have
lots of fresh air it's only question of
time"-
Tut, tut, Haml Confound the doc
torsl They're lot of croakers. You're
all right for another half century. Now
goodby, Ham, and good look to you"
He held his hand out, and as old Jared
Ham grasped it the senior partner, whose
mad extravaganza and foolhardy tactics
had brought the old firm to shipwreck,
seemed to fade away, and in his place
there stood curly haired little fellow,
who used to come down to the Office
with his father now and then and was
forever getting into scrapes.
"God bless you, Master Charliep Ham
had said, and then waving his hand
airily to him the senior partner had
taken his leave.
Ham sat there for some little while,
and then getting up suddenly he told
himself that the sooner things were
ended now the better. So going to the
cupboard he brought forth his old office
coat, and then taking the little Turkey
red penwiper off his desk, his favorite
penholder, the little almanac that hung
above the desk and few other triles,
he wrapped them up in a newspaper.
"I'n put 'em round my room, " he said to
himself, land they'll look like old times
bit"
Then taking up his parcel he passed
key to the janitor and walked slowly to-
ward his lodgings. He was free now
off for an indefinite holiday, at nobody's
beck or call. He had chuckled to him
self at the thought of it, for years and
years ago, when he had first come to the
city from his New Hampshire home, he
had dreamed of time of this sort when
he should be absolutely his own master.
Only he was to have been rich man,
according to the dream, and not book
keeper out of employment, with little
less than $100 to his name. Still, even
though the circumstances were altered,
the fact remained that he was free. Why
not get away from the great bustling
city for little while? The doctor had
told him he needed fresh air. And if
the old people had been alive he would
have gone back to them, confident, even
thus late in the day, of a loving welcome
home. But they were dead, and there
was only Rosie who would care about
seeing him now-and Rosie was married.
He remembered, as though it were but
yesterday, the night he took up copy
of the village paper and saw the notice
of her marriage. And he knew that 1T
was all his own fault-that was the
worst cut of all. If he had only written
now and then, or gone up to New Hamp-
shire when his vacation came, things
might have turned out differently. But
there was no use talking of that now.
He had taken in sN,hange for Rosie a
lot of ledgers, whose columns, with their
mystical figures and decimal points, had
allured him and held him as though
with chains. He could not undo the
past, but he could live differently in the
future.
'sJust Think" he said to himself.
'sSupposin was to die now, there amt
a Twin soul but Rosie as would care a