The morning call., 1891-10-23
A CLERKS CONSCIENC CE.

was once Junior" in the employment
of that weil-known and extensive firm, APPS
ley, Wellesley & Co., OF CornhiIl. he
senior mariner was n friend Of my father,
which gave me better position tnah l
should otherwise have occupied; but l may
say. without vanity. that l was well worm
NV "salt." or. at all events, my salary,
which was by no means large one. did
NOT shfrk ms duties, as it was the fashion
n some of my felUw-celks to do, and
showed myself anxious to get on vi
course. there are different ways OF doing
this. but when il is done without prigglsm,
and especially not at the expense OF others,
l have conviction that it generally sue
ceeds. In long commercial life l have
noticed That the man who wastes his time
and that Of his master, who is the last to
reach his office and the first TO 60 away,
and who fiattens his nose against the win
dow while he is there, instead OF sticking
to his work. is apt to stick to the stool
where he first finds himself, and to rise no
higher. while the man who does his duty
without grudging and takes some interest
il the firms affairs moves up, and IL ne
doesn't marry his masters daughter ana
become Lord Mayor of London IN the oia
stOry-bOOk fashion, still reaps MS reward.
The prumbler of mature years IS almost al
ways, in youth, tie idler, and the gentie-
man who is always "unlucky' has some
thing besides misfortune to account t9r IL,
though he lays all the blame upon that lauy,
Nevertheless, even at one ana twenty l
was neither so vain nor SO foolish aS TO SET
down old Apsley's favor to me TO my own
merits. He had taken me into his employ
ment to oblige his old friend, very likely
by no means Willingly, and he was no
doubt agreeably surprised 10 nnu me use
fuI TO him. Business is business ana as
a general Iule (as l have since found my
seID il Is better not TO let sentimental con-
alterations interfere with 1t II you can
help il, which, however, Is pretty large
''if" At all events, our senior partner was
as civil to his young clerk as was com atl-
bic with the great gulf between Us ana MS
earcfulne-s to give no cause OF jealousy 10
Others He even knew WheIe 1 lodged
Itself an immense stretch Of interest III any
member of the firm as regarded thelr SUD
ordinates-and had been so good as TO IN
uuire on ore occasion whether L was COM
+ rtably located. Such atfaOilty won my
heart, and unless had been offered a con-
siderable rise III salary l WuI.d not nave
left his employment to serve anybody.
still, il did astOnlsh me when 12Otnan
called at my lodging one evening Win
note frcm MI Apsley requesting me, II
convenient" u come to see him at once AT
bis triyate residence. This was situated in
a fashionable square, and, though l saw
little OF it that night except the old genQe-
mans study. OF snuggery, %hither ne ue-
scended for the interview, was CONSIDER
ably impressed with its grandeur. nat ne
wanted me for was TO take note upon
some important busne matter to our Mt.
Jones, tue manager, that night
" don't know where he lives, be SAID,
'sor would not have troubled you, Ackers.
replied, very truthfully, that the trouble
fC al q
thing 10 be able to obfge ones chief, and
that, though l only knew that Mr.. Jones
lived somewhere near HartOn, suburban
station, l would find him if he was above
ground.
railway. and caught the first train to the
place in question. Though the station was
a con paTatiyely small che l foresaw some
difficulty in finding the manager, who prob
ably lived in modest way, though ne had
what seem,d d to me gigantic salary OF 4oU0
a year for he was a modest, retiring sort OIL
man, and Jones is not an uncommon name.
How ever, ! made my application TO the STA
tIoD-master directly ! got out.
"Do you happen to know where Mr..
Jones lives in this neiEhborhood p
"Mr. Jones', he replied; do you mean
w. I said, that is not the gentleman.
1 want Mr.. Jones of COrnhii."
The station-master shook his head, as
Though in deprecatiun of all commercial
persons. He said he was not acquainted
with any person Of that name except the
SQUIRE" There was nothing for 1t hut TO
take a fly to Harton Hall, where, it seemed,
this great man lived. If it WAS not exactly
"a hall" after the country, or rather
''ecuuty," pattern. it was very superior to
any villa residence" We were admitted
by iodge-keeper through gilded IRON
gates which opened upon paTk-uke ana
quito extensive grounds. The longer took
in driving through them, the more certain
l felt that l was on a FOOLS errand, and the
sight Of the mansion itself convinced me
Of it.
1t was OF great size, and on that summer
night the unshutteTed windows Of the lower
rooms emitted a blaze of light; there was
evidently dinner party, or perhaps even
bali, going on. l was quite ashamed Of my
self and my errand when my humble vehicle
drew up at the stately pOrtico. and foot
man attired like a field marshal answered
the summons Of the front door bell.
docs Mr.. Jones live heTc?" | inquired,
hes tatingly; "Mr. Jones Of ApsleY, Welles-
ley & COP
"Yes, SIR"
You might have knocked me down with a
feather. l should have been only little
more surprised to hear that this was the
country residence OF my fellow clerk, Jack
Sprlggins, who shared the parlOT al my
lodgings. Though myself almost penniless
! came of good family aud knew the pro-
portion OF scales oil living among landet pro-
prietors, but the splendor of that entrance
hall, with its statues and pictures, threw
all had seen elsewhere of the kind in the
shade; in particular it struck me how very
much grander it was than my employers
entrance-hall in which l had stood but an
hour ago.
gave my card to the footman and was
usheTed into side room, the fittings and
furniture of which threw Mr.. Apsley's
''snuggery" completely into the shade. 1t
was more like boudOir than room used
for business purposes, though recognized
Mr.. Jones little black bag lying in one cor
ner Of il, and also his letter-case upon
marble table. In the few seconds that it
took me TO observe these things, there was
a constant clatter of knives and forks and
hum OF conversation from the dining-rOom
en- the other side of the hall; 1t was evil
IDENTIFY very large dinner party, yet the
host did not hesitate to leave 1t on the in-
stant that the servant brought in my card.
1t seemed to me almost impossible that he
could have bcen with me so soon, yet there
he was, looking in his evening dress
as l had never seen him before, but with
much greater change in him than that;
the managers face was ghastly pale; there
was dew upon 1t for which the warmth OF
the evening could hardly account while the
expression of his little gray eyes was
anxious and perturbed to the last degree.
This is an unexpected pleasure, Mr..
Ackers," he said, in a voice of unmistak-
able expectation and alarm. What is it?
Nothing wrong, hope, with Mr.. Apsley?"
/ suppose il was my slight connection
with the senior partner that suggested this
apprehension, for it would have been more
natural, as it struck me, for him to say,
Nothing wrong at the office?"
II cannot say, sir" | replied, but Mr..
Apsley sent me over with this letter to you,
which he said was Of extreme Importance.
The manager took the letter and tore it
open with haste had never seen him use :;
be was a very slow, methodcal man. and
took everything in general very quietly.
Directly he had read the letter his ordinary
manner returned to him.
''There is nothing he;e requiring such i'm
mediate haste, think; but, of course, tell
Mr.. Apsley it shall be attended to at once.
Mr.-that is, the gentleman he alludes to
shall hear from me by to-nightS post l
have a few friends TO dinner, Mr. Ackers,
though, as you are not in evening dress, YOU
may not care to join them; but you must.
at all events, have glass of wine"
This l declined, and he did not press IT.;
though perfectly civil-indeed, much more
conciliatory in his manner than | had ever