San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-04-14
TWO MARRIAGE EYES

i owed my prOSpeTlIN-Or ulOTe dCCu-
rately. my escape from destruction-to
an accident, chance, miracle. Stand
up and look at that piece of paper let
into the overmantel. 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 noticed
it, but have never been able to make out
what it is"
What do you take it for?'
"Well, it looks like half a sheet of
business note paper covered with indis
tinct 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 faded
since l 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
ana your hdleS uOlueI' 'CII uONH anu
will tell it to YOU
l 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
heaven! run no such risk as l ran the
night before my marriage. There is no
date ON that blurred copy of figures, but
&c Thara TT-n111H find OIL
mated on the night before l was to be
married, twenty years ago. You are
short of thirty now, l was short of thirty
then. You are now in what | should
then have considered affluent Circum-
stances. am going to give you to-
morrow our only child and a fourth
share in the business of Strangway,
Mayfeld e. Co., of which l am the sole
surviving partner, and that fourth share
ought to bring you athOusand to twelve
hundred year. The night that dOcu-
ment over the chimney came into exist
ence was accountant to Strangway q
Co., at a salary of e15O per annum."
My father-in-law paused and knocked
the ash off his cigar.
AT that time" he went on, resuming
his story, 1.-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 filled from over the first
floor to the states.
The offices closed at 6; but, as | was
anxious to put everything in the finest
order before starting on my honeymoon,
l was not able to leave at that hour. In
addition to the bookkeeping | did most
of the routine correspondence, and | had
some letters to write. When they We're
finished l should lock up the place, put
the keys in my pocket, leave them at
Mr.. Strangway's house on Chaplain
common and 90 on to my lodgings in
WandswOrth, and from my lodgings to
my sweetheart Mary's home, in Wands-
worth too.
AS | 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 unlighted passages. |
never cared for Stephen Grainly; no one
in the office liked him except Mr..
Strangway himself. Grainly was an
excellent man at his work; but, to nv
taste, too smooth and good-too sweet
to be sound.
What, Mayfeld,' he cried, work
ing away still! Why, when l saw the
light made sure it must be BrOadwOOd
Jour assistant accountant, who was to
take my place while | was away, and,
as l had a goodish bit of money, l
thought I'd better bank here than in my
own home in HoxtOn; am not satisfied
it is safe to stow $500 in cash in my
humble home
"'All right said l; but l wish you
had come earlier. The safest place to
bank money in is the bank He did not
know | was going to be married next
day, and l was glad of it, for the man
always made me feel uncomfortable
and did not wish him to touch my lit
tie romance even with word.
BE here at 4 o'clock" he cried. MY
dear fellow, couldn't do it. How could
l. Why, didn't get to Kings Cross un
til quarter to 6! Here you are He
produced his pocketbook. You needn't
give me more than two minutes. Checks
five hundred and seventy-four, eighteen
six. Notes, two hundred and forty-five
Gold, forty-eight.'
LAS You may fancy, was in hurry
to get rid of him. He seemed in IL
hurry to go. He sat down, pulled Oh
his handkerchief, and began wiping hi
forehead, although it was October, anC