Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-09-23
EARNING AN EPITAPH.

lhem. There were twenty-seven OF them
m all. and in the making of each Of
Them he bad had part There were
,ctually tears In his eyes "a the door Of
The safe changed toi and turning away
so walked into the outer Office with q
'eeling OF desolation In his heart al
though no had Just consigned his dear.
vt friend TO sepulchor.
Half mechanically no mounted hii
well worn stool again aud gazcd through
the little glass window out into the
great warerOoms for tho last time. The
looms were empty and deserted. for the
Ihcriii's sale, held three days ago, had
feared them ciIoctunlly Of their stock.
And now there was nothing for 1t but 20
nck tho Office up, hand the key TO tho
lanitor and DO gone
II want you TO scu tho last Of Twichell,
rlancc & Co.. Ham," the senior partner
bad said that morning when ho dropped
b. TO say goodby You've been with
~ since the beginning, aud dare say
Toull Ike 10 800 the old linn out. rs
hard lines, Ham-vury hard lines on all
u us, you know We're all In tho samo
boat, howoycr-you. who'yc lost your
lew little hundreds that yon saved from
four salary, aud |, who have lost my
thousands Tho whole concern has gone
10 the bottom. Ham. aud the shoe
pinohos equally all round. It's very
hard on you. know. for you're not NO
Toung rs tho rest Of Us, aud you have
been hero such n long time. Twenty.
tyen years. "a ~ Good heavens, what
IN otornityl can remember you sitting
3yer ut the juniors desk there when
was little chap In short trousers
You've been an excellent worker" ~.
peated the senior partner, gradually re-
nmiug the superior manner no was
wont 20 exhibit 10 his employees III
my name will be OF any use TO YOU
though II is not held In the greatest cs-
teen Just nj the present moment" he
iddcd with a bitter smile, "uso IL. uf
;ouse. But then, with tho wide ac-
,uaintanoo you've gained since You've
been here people will DO only too glad
10 snap yon up"
'Ah, yes, sir" Ham had answered,
but amt what used 20 be, you know.
u amt that I'm 80 old amt fifty ~,
yet. but the doctor says " don't havo
lots Of fresh air It's only a question Of
ltinoT---
tut, tut, Haml Confound tho doc
lorsl They're a lot OF croakcrs You'ro
I'll right for another half century. Now
foodby, Ham, aud good look 10 you"
lie held his hand out. aud Us old Jared
Ham grasped II the senior partner, whose
mad extrayaganco and foolhardy tactics
tad brought the old firm TO shipwreck,
Icvined 10 fade away, aud In his place
there stood curly haired little fellow.
who used TO come down TO the office
with his father now and then aud waa
brewer getting Into bcFapea
God bless you. Master Charlicr' Ham
had said, and then waving his hand
iirily 10 him the senior partner had
aiken hi. leave.
Ham sat there for some little while,
and then getting up suddenly no told
himself that tho sooner things were
,udcd now the better. So going 10 tho
cupboard hc brought forth his old Office
;uat, and then taking the little Turkey
ted ponwiper OIL his desk, his fayorito
pcnhollor, the little almanac that hung
shove the desk aud u few other trifics,
DO wrapped them mp In newspaper
"l'll put EN- round my room" he said TO
himself, land they'll look like old times
lbit"
Then taking mp his parcel he passed
5ut aud locked tho door. He handed the
10y TO tho janitor and walked slowly to-
ward His lodgings. lie WIS free now
IN for an indefinite holiday, nt nobody's
beck or call lilo had chuclded TO him
,clf at the thought Of 1t, for years aud
Fears ago. when he had first come To tho
;ity from his New Hampshire home, he
bad dreamed OF time OF this sort when
he should DO absolutely his own master.
only he was TO have becn rich man,
according to the dream, and not u book.
Keeper out Of employment, with little
less than 800 TO his name. Still, even
though the circumstances were altered,
the fact remained that he was free. Why
not get away from the great bnstling
rity for little whilel The doctor had
told him he needed fresh air. And II
the old people had been alive no would
have gone back TO them, confident, oven
thus late In tue day, Of loving welcome
home But they were dead, and there
was only Rosie who would caro- about
seeing him now-and Rosie was married.
He remembered, as though IL were but
yesterday, the night he took up u copy
Of the village paper aud. saw the notice
81 her marriage. And he knew that 1t
was all his own fault-that was tho
worst cut OF all. II 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.
Ho had taken In exchange for Rosie q
lot OF lodgori, whose columns, with their
mystical figures aud decimal points, had
lllurod him aud held him "a though
with chains. IIe could not undo tho
past. but he could live differently In tho
future.
Just thinkf' he said 20 himself,
'suppoSin was to die now, there amt
Twin soul but Rosie as would caro- q
cent Likely us not she'd never hear o
II, ana as | amt got money enough for
guyestone after my funeral expenses mr.
paid, wouldn't be u bit better of thai
them poor creatures Us lies up In tn
potteI'l field. But marble amt tn
stulI 10 make tombstones Of, anyway
its hearts rs | wants, Mine made on
OF hearts! I'm a pretty cranky old cui
toner, not over good looin, neye
WIS one Of them IA can make friend
tFa streal. OF lightning. But there