Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1892-08-27
TWO MARRIAGE EYES

rately, my escape from uestrucuOn-t0 /
an accident, a chance, a miracle. Stand /
up and look at that piece Of paper let
into the overmantel. Have you ever
observed it before"
''Yesg 1 said, rising and examining
faded document under a glass panel in
the oak. Il have now and then noticed
it, but have never been able to make out
what it is"
"What do you take it for?"
"WeI, it looks like half a sheet Of
business note paper covered with indis-
tinct figures that do not seem ordinary"
eyes" he said, gazing with half closed
eyes at the paper through the smoke Of
his cigar. "They are not ordinary, nor
is their history"
lit is not possible to make them out,
they are so blurred and faint. Are they
very oldg"
Twenty years. They are much faded
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 it has 10 do with me
and your Kate's mother. Sit down and
Twill 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 marriage. You, thank
heavenl run no such risk as l ran the
night before my marriage. There is no
date on that blurred copy Of figures but
il there were you would find it o1igi-
mated ON the night before / was to be
married, twenty years ago. Nou are
short Of thirty now, was short Of thirty
then. You are now in what 1 should
then have considered afiluent circum-
stances am going to give you to-
morrow. our only child and n fourth
share in the business Of Strangway,
Mayheld 81 Co., of which am the sole
surviving partner, and that fourth share
ought to bring you thousand to twelve
hundred a year. The night that docu-
ment over the chimney came into exist
ence l was accountant to Strangway d
Co., at a salary of $3.50 per annum."
My father-in-law paused and knocked
the ash off his cigar.
cat that time" he went on, resuming
his story, "the business Of Strangway q
Co., was in Bread street We had ware
houses on the ground floor and in the
cellars, the Offices were on the first floor,
and warehouses filed from over the first
floor to the states.
"rhe Offices closed at 6; but, rs was
anxious TO put everything in the finest
order before starting on my honeymoon,
was not able to leave at that hour In
addition to the bookkeeping did most
of the routine correspondence, and l had
some letters to write. When they were
finished 1 should lock up the place, put
the keys in my pocket. leave them al
Mr.. Strangway's house on Chaplain
common and 90 on to my lodgings in
Wandsworth, and from my lodgings tx
my sweetheart Mary's home, ia Wands
worth too.
"As l was working away, writing
letters at the top of my speed, and quit
alone in the ofiice-in the whole house
Stephen Grainly, one of our travellers
rang the bell, and, much to my surpris'
and annoyance, when 1 opened the from
door, walked up stairs, following IN,
lead through the unlighted passages.
never cared for Stephen CRANKY; no on
in the Office liked him except Mr.
Strangway himself Grainly was an
excellent man at his work; but, to m.
taste, too smooth and good-too swee
to be sound.
"'What, Mayfeld,' he cried, 'worl,
ing away still! Why, when l saw tn
light, made sure it must be Broadwoo'
Jour assistant accountant, who was T.
take my place while / was awayl, and
as l had a goodish bit of money,
thought I'd better bank here than in m
own home in Hoxton; am not satisfe
it is safe to stow $500 in cash in m
humble home
"'All right, said I; but I wish 20
had come earlier. The safest place (
bank money in is the bank. He did DC
know was going to be married mex
day, and l was glad Of it, for the ma
always made me feel uncomfortable,
and did not wish him to touch my iii
tie romance even with a word.
"'Be here at o'clockr he cried. M
dear fellow, l couldn't do it. How coul
T. Why, didn't get to Kings Cross III
til quarter to 6! Here You are n
produced his pockctbook you neodn
give memore than two minutes. Check
five hundred and seventy-four, eighteel
six. Notes, two hundred and forty-fivr
God, forty-eight.'
GAS you may fancy, was in a hurr
to get rid of him. He seemed in i
hurry to go. He sat down, pulled OF
his handkerchief, and began wiping h
forehead, although it was October, an
by no means warm.
"'You viii initial my bookF said h
md he handed me his order book, pa
of which was ruled in money column
where he had list of the money he ha
collected The whole was eSG7 1Ss. Cd
and for this l signed.
Have you taken the numbers
the notesy' i asked.
No, said he.
81 made list myself Of the nun
bers on a sheet of paper and pushC
,heclzs, notes and gold up TO the fla
middle part of my desk. did n
want to take ont any of the accom
books that night and when ] had Fl
ished the letters and he was gone
should put the money in the safe in Il