New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-05-22
TWO MARRIAGE EWES.
BY RICHARD BOWLING.

! more accurately my escape from destruction
TO an accident, chance, miracle Stand up
and look at that piece of paper let into the over
| mantcl Have you ever observed IL before =
YES" / said, rising and examining faded
document under a glass panel IN the OAK.
have now and then noticed IT, but have never
! been able 10 make out what it IS.
What do you take it for ?"
| "Well il looks like half sheet Of business
note-paper covered with indstinct figures that
| do not seem ordinary.
yes he said gazing with half-closed eyes at
| the paper through the smoke Of his cigar They
are not ordinary nor is their history
1T is not possible to make them out, they are
so blurred and faint Are they very old =
Twenty years. They are much iadeu since
| first saw them,' said he, crossing his legs
Now you may as well know the history OF that
half-sheet of business paper, and what 1t has 10
do with me and your Rates mother Sit down
and will tell it to you
dropped back into my chair.
Our Kate is nearly nineteen, as. no doubt,
you are aware 1t is the night before your mar
riagc YOU thank Heaven. run no such FISK as
ran the night before my marriage. There is no
date on that blurred copy of figures, but if there
were YOU would find it originated on the night
before i was 10 DC UldIIlc,, twenty !N"'' 49,
You are short Of thirty now, l was short of thirty
then. You now in what should thch nave
considered alluent circumstances. am going
TO give you tomorrow our only child, ana
fourth share in the business of Stran9way, May
field d. Co.. of which am the sole surviving
partner. and that fourth share ought 10 bring you
a thousand TO twelve hundred year. The night
that document over the chimney came ih'o eAis,
cnce was accountant to Stransway 20, III
.,ft :. nan
Nv father-in-law paused and knocked the ash
of his cigar: ,;a o,or,.
At that time, he went on resuming his story story
1.-THE business OF Strangway N Co. was III bread
ST. We had warehouses on the ground moor
and in the cellars. the offices were on the nrst
floor and warehouses filed from over the hrst
floor 10 the states.
The offices closed at 6; but as | was
anxious TO put everything III the finest order
before starting on my honeymoon, was nor ape
10 leave at that hour. In addition TO the oook-
keeping did NEST of the routine correspondence
and had some letters 10 write. When they were
finished, | should lock up the place. put thcCGS
house on Chaplain Common, and 90 on 70 my
lodgings in Wandsworrh, and from my lodgings
TO my sweetheart Marys home i'll "andsworh
As was working away, writing letters at the
top of my speed. and quite alone in The oihct-
in the whole houSc-Stcphcn GRANNY on" oi
surprise and annoyance, when opened me ront
door walked upstairs. following my lead through
the unlighicd passages. | never Caied lor
stephen Grany no III the ofc" liked MN
except Mr.. Strangway himself GRANNY was an
excellent man at his work; but. to my taste 100
smooth and good-too sweet la be sound .,.
What Mayiicd, he cried, WORKING away
.ull! Why when | saw the light | made sure
il must he Broadwood onr assistant accountant
who was TO take my place VINE was away !,
and, ~ had a goodi'l MT OF mohey, ! u,"psm ~
Uoxton: | am not satisfied II IL safe Ia stow
$500 in cash in my humble home
All right said but | WISH you llad com
earlier Tie safest place 10 bank money III l.
The hank He did not know was going 10 b.
married next day, and was glad Of It, Tor me
nan always made me feel unc"hiorlaoe, ana !
did not wish HIM 10 tJuch III! H''ic i''"'"''
even with word.
he here at o'clock lie cried. My dear
fellow, | couldn't do II. How could why
didn't get 10 Kings Cross un'ii puaf'+r n 10 ~
lIere you are lie produced his pockct-booK
.lou needn't give more than two minutes
Checks. five hundred and scycn'y-four, eighteen
siX. Notes, TWO hundred and fortJ-hVc' "olu
As you may fancy, was in hurry 70 get
rid of him. lie seemed in NJ hurry to 60 lic -it
down. pulled ont his handkerchief. and began
You will initial my book . said he, and lac
ruled in moncy-columns where he had list of
the money he had collected. HE whole wa.
ssG7 10 shillings and pence, and Tor TINS
signed. .,.a.. -, cha oo,,.9,
." Have you taken the numbers oil the nots'
asked
No said lie.
Il made list myself Of tie numbers on
sheet of paper and pushed checks, notes ana
cold up L, the fiat middle part OF my desk
did not want to take ont any 81 the account
books that night, and when ! had iinishcl me
letter, and he was gone, | should put the money
in the safe in tn, back room. HE memorandum
of the numbers | should leave "Ith the ~ at
Clapham and the whole transaction would ne
dealt with by my assistant, Broadwood' III the
Maxim ont the list had taken little time,
az the notes were all small and no TWO III
sequence; tn'y had been cOl"ctu ior Hiilo' ~
count. in the country
Il put my list Of notes on the desk beside me-
and went on with my letters, several ot when
were now ready for ne COPYING pro- o .h,,, III.
business and the news Of the day, and all sorts
of things. | could not tell INN TO go away ioI
lie could see ] was not myself leaving YET anu
copying the letters putting them to dry enclosing
them in envelopes and addressing them was not
occupation for which man could reasonably
claim quiet .
half an hours work still before me, held them
out % him and laid, When yon are going
should be Obliged il You c would post these as
Certainly said he. taking the hint ana rising.
Amy one in the place who could show III,
out? All the gas is turned of below, ana have
never gone down in the darkness, said he,
There's no one but ourselves here. I'll show
you the way ! said with alacrity, delighted 10
get rid Of him.
Il had led him through the long, dark CORR
dor and half down the stairs, when he suddenly
cried out, My stick! | left my stick above
won't he Il minute, Mayiicld. just wait here
for me.
lie ran upstairs TO fetch his stick, and was
back with me in the rllncss, III u few seconds
Il found it ali right SAID he; IL wac just
ut the door | got il without going in at all
Il struck match % light him. and presently
he was out the asphalt Of Bread-st., walking
rapidly toward Chcapsdc.
when | got back to the counting house The
checks were Oh the fiat top Of the desk. The
gold aud notes were gone
Il had taken the numbers Of the notes on
sheet of paper and left the list the
sloping part of my desk to dry, before putting it
into my pocket.
The paper on which ! had taken the numbers
oil