Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-07-25

WIN llaJ anJlg guaV6U cQpSDoOk .u!aSlHi,
which commences with honesty and eGds
with policy. 1t reverses the true order Of
ideas, and, like most proverbs, involves
the fallacy of an insufficient induction. As
universal proposition, it is u gross de-
lusion, here, in the City of Lcndon, at the
latter end Of the Nineteenth Century. You
talk of leaving me, because forsooth, 1 have
Just told YOU that l am unable to replace
those trust moneys we were speaking of,
and if now called to meet my liabilities L
should be, it is admitted, several thousand
on the wrong side But what then? There
are hundreds in the city in the same
position; scarcely &nv one knows; l shall
reJrench, you must put up with a smaller
salary. and in time [ shall pull through.
You are under no liability-nOt a partner,
and your objection to continue with me,
merely because the force OF circumstances
has compelled NE to make use of other
peoples money, is purely morbid. -
The speaker was an elderly gentleman, with
white hair and of imposing appearance, who
twisted his gold eyeglasses throughout the
conversation, which took place in the inner
sanctum Of an eminent firm Of city notaries,
Of which he vas the last survivor Tin
about, and the very atmosphere was redolent
OF wealth and respectability.
"BUt suppose" " answered the other, that
YOU were asked for particulars Of trust-in-
vestmenJs, or a creditor died or became
bankrupt. or the money intrusted to you
were required, the rottennesS of the whole
position must inevitably become exposed.
And, TO say nothing of the risk, L feel it
wrong to be mixed up in practice tainted
with such doings"
"Preciselyr' retorted the other. 'Let
Us consider your very respectable scruples.
In the first place, 1t is exceeding
ly unlikely that these things should
happen. NV position is so unimpeach-
able that none dream of asking questions.
If they do, wave of the hand, and they
apologize. True, circumstances may expose
the situation but we are all liable to acci-
dents which form the saltO business andadd
a pIeasurable excitement to city life. Be
sides, look 1T it from your point of view,
what are Won TO do should you leave me?
You can't start Tor yourself. for l have all
the connection; your prospects of earning
livelihood as a clerk in 4 new situation at
YOUR time Of life are very remote. What
viii your wife and child do? 1 have only
TO hold up my finger 10 find a score in your
place"
Il think, ." replied the other, ''you should
nave given me an insight into your posi-
1ion when told you l was about to marry"
That would have been prema-
%ure from my point OF view, and
J. not the question now. Well, L assure
YOU / entertain nothing but the kindliest
OF feelings toward you, and 1 am advising
vuU solely in your own interest; but, re-
mem ber that if we do part it will come TO
a Tslt between us, and it will not be L who
20 TO the wall 1t will be commonly
thought YOU have been dismissed, and /
don't see how you are to remove the I'M
PRECISION. On the other hand, L shan t live
3 great many years, then there will be
fairly assured position for you, however
rough it may be on some, who Will be much
as,onished AT the amount my personally
viii be sworn under. Well, ycu had better
consider matters, and let me know what you
zsiIl DO.
The young man assented, and left the
room.
Middle-aged Londoners will remember a
CITY chess resort eNtant some 20 years ago.
4 series of long harrow rooms, on different
levels, led from one to another, where, upon
sanded floors, cid wooden armchairs,
tianled tables OF age blackened oak,
2.pou which yard-long clay pipes were dis
tributed Tor the use of customers, stained
windows cast a half light upon the carved
was very old and, for ought I know, Ben
JoEson and Shakespeare may have dallied
there in wit combat, and certainly Puritan
and Georgian shippers and merchants must
have smoked their pipes in its rooms
Though successive generations. A gorge
Gus palace now occupies The spot, replete
with marble, upholstery and encaustic tiles,
where chess still fourishes, but l never go.
The garish splendor overwhelms me, and
miss the dim light Of my olG-fashioned re-
sort. About the time when this old place
vanished, another antiquity also took its
departure. 1 mean the old Guildhall
library; it, too, consisted of a range OF
rambling narrow rooms, darkly -wainscoted,
old, dusty and dirty, but infinitely
preferable TO It's palatial substitute.
l suppose want Of space made the
removal of the library a necessity,
but I could never understand why the cor
poraJion must needs destroy the building.
Those who knew it can imagine the chess
room.
At the latter our young friend used to
riav after office hours, and thither he now
y2sOrted. He took his seat, sick at heart
in a corner alone, and pondered upon the
bewildering dilemma, upon one horn of
which lie must impale himself. Should he
stay with principal guilty of embezzle-
meat and fraudulent breach of trust, or turn
out with a very shadowy prospect of find
ing employment for himself, and livelihood
tcr wife and child? Presently an old gem
lienlan, with whem he often played chess,
appeared at the docr, peered in, and seeing
him, shu1iicd up the roo with slow and
l.mping steps, as if his feet were tender. 4
1ay0-!te attitude was standing with both
hands stretched forward, resting upon his
stick. After the usual greeting they put
The cEeSSnen in their places fer game.
The cAessnlcn Of this establishment were the
largest 1 have ever seen, and the boards
corrcspGndGd in size. PLAYING there with
men which would have supplied formidable
weapons to an adversary, comprised no
LITTLE bodily as well as mental exertion, and
perhaps ADDED an attraction to the place
They have long been superseded by Staun-
tons aayty ami now moAotonous pattern,
and I sho7ld be glad to see again my old
friends. There are chessmeD still at Purs-
sells room resembling them. but not SO
large.
LHe old man sat down, blinking at his
companion out Of brown eyes, whose pupils
seemed on the point Of disappearing under
the upper lids, leaving a crescent OF white
underneath. His Iong oily hair hung down
~ their tnir black WI5pS. lie smiled over
his thick uDdeI-lip, ard ives in short rather
shabby. Aindly-Iooking, elderly Hebrew
The vcUEg man Hattcred himself that he
was M mean player bat was greatly tan
salIsed IN playing with this adversary, over
whom be t8rely gained an advantage The
oIG JsIacli'e did not play what is called the
Loo6GaL2e, but chose an apparently eccentric
and lniTp0seless style, seemingly without
object, til the other found his position
rendered hopeless by some out-of-the-way
move h!s favoTlte piece was The king
bIsaOpis pawn, which, curiously enough