The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1892-08-31
TWO MARRIAGE EYES,

"I have often told you," said James
Mayfield to me the evening before my
marriage with his daughter Kate,
"that l owed my property-or, more
accurately, my escape from destrue-
tion-to an accident, chance, a mira
Gle. Stand up and look at that piece
of paper let into the over-mantel.
Have you ever observed it before?"
"Yes, )" said, rising and examining
faded document under a glass panel
in the oak. Il have now and then no
ticed it, but have never been able to
make out what it is"
"What do you take it for?"
f'Well, it looks like half sheet of
business note paper covered with in
distinct figures that do not seem ordi-
nary" ae-f --H ftssa
"Yes," he said, gazing with half
closed eyes at the paper through the
smoke of his cigar. "They are not orr
dinary, nor is their history"
"It is not possible to make them out,
they are so blurred and faint, Are
they very oldP". aie @
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 to do with me and your Kates
mother, Sit down and will tell it to
you" .'.--...-..'......
/ dropped back into my chair.
"Our Kate is nearly 10, as no doubt
you are aware. 1t is the night before
your marriage. You, thank heaven!
run no such Fisk as I ran the night be-
fore my marriage. There is no date
on that blurred copy of figures, but if
there were you would find it origin
ated on the night before l was to be
married, twenty years ago. You are
short of 80 now; was short of 80
then. You are now in what should
then have considered afffuent circum-
stances. l am going to give you to-
morrow our only child and a fourth
share in the business of Strangway,
Mayfield & Co., of which / am the sole
surviving partner, and that fourth
share ought to bring you thousand
to twelve hundred year. The night
that document over the manteI came
into existence / was accountant to
Strangway & Co. at salary of 9150
per annum."
My father-in-law paused and knocked
the ash off his cigar. ss @ H#A
cat that time, " he went on, resum-
ing his story, "the business of =Strang-
way & Co. was in Broad street. We
had warehouses 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.
"I'he offices closed at 6, but as | was
anxious to put up everything in the
| finest order before starting on my
honeymoon, l was not able to leave at
| that hour. In addition to the book
| keeping 1 did most of the routine cor
respondence, and l had some letters
to write. When they were finished l
should lock up the place, put the keys
in my pocket, leave them at Mr..
Strangway's house on Clapham Com
mon, and go on to my lodgings in
Wandsworth, and from my lodgings
to my sweetheart Mary's home in
Wandsworth, too.
"As I was working away, writing
letters at the top of my speed, and
quite alone in the office-in the whole
house-Stephen Grainly, one of our
travellers, rang the bell, and, much to
my surprise and annoyance, when l
opened the front door walked up
stairs, following my lead through the
unliehted passages. never cared for
Stephen Grainly; no one in the office
| liked him except Mr.. Strangway him
self. Grainly was an excellent man at
his work, but, to my taste, too smooth
and good-too sweet to be sound.
/ "sWhat, Mayfield,' he cried, work
inc away still! Why, when I saw the
T ,ooo1a cnIo T1ouct ba RrOaH-
wood (our assistant accountant, who
was to take my place while | was
away), and as had a goodish bit OF
i money / thought I'd better bank here
than in my own home in Hoxton;
am not satisfied it Is safe to stow 930C
in cash in my humble home
"sAl right said 1; but I wish you
had come earlier. The safest place tc
bank money is in the bank He did
not know l was going to be married
the next day, and | was glad of it, fol
the man always made me feel uncom
Portable, and did not wish him tc
touch my little romance even with
word.
"'Be here at o'clock' he cried
NV dear fellow, l couldn't do it. How
could 1? Why, didn't get to King
Cross until quarterto six! Here yot
I are He produced his pocketbook
= you needn't give me more than tw'
minutes. Checks, five hundred AM
i seventv-four, eighteen six. Notes, twt
hundred and forty-tive. Gold, forty
eight to,o, tho -, :, hers O
the notes?' asked. asea-- sfas
"No,' said he.
N made a list myself of the number
: on a sheet of paper, and pushed checks
notes and gold up to the flat, middl
part of my desk. 1 did not want t
take any of the account books tha
night, and when had finished the lei
ters he was gone. / should put tn
I I money in the safe in the back room
: The memorandum of the numbers
should leave with the keys at Clal
ham, and the whole transaction woul
be dealt with by my assistant, Broat
wood, in the morning.
"Making out the list had taken Ii
tie time, as the notes were all sma
? and no two in sequence; they ha
I been collected for minor accounts
the country.
81 put nv list of notes on the des
before me, and went on with my lie
ters, several of which were now reao
for the copying-press.
"When my batch of letters weI
ready, seeing half an hours work ST
before me, held them out to him al
said: when you are going shou
be obliged if you would post these,
4 am not nearly finished here yet
4 Certainly said he, taking the hi
and rising.
asAny one in the place who cou
show me out? All the gas is turn'
off below. and 1 have never gone dov