Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1894-10-25

ueErauaLlOn 1Or MS beloved wife ana
children.
Already the hum and stir of business
| were audible in the Office adjoining
the strong room. Preparations were
being made to receive the directors as
| became their dignity. The occasion,
like Christmas, presented itself but
once year. =
John Carver, rousing himself from
bitter meditation, glanced at his
| watch. Ten minutes to ten! Mr.. Stan
hope was always the frst-he was too
! prompt-he always bothered every
body by arriving on the scene of action
before the appointed hour. Stimuli
taneous with the turn of John Carver's
thoughts to the too-prompt director
was the click of the iron door that ad-
mitted him to the sanctuary.
'Mr. Carver! good mornlngr'
"Good morning, Mr.. Stanhope."
''Never break my rule, do I? Always
on time or rather before it. Good rule
that. Never missed a train or boat
in my life. Missed stage-coach once.
My wife's fault that time. Wedding
tour, you know. Irregularities excus-
able" and the loquacious Mr. Stan
hope subsidized into the luxurious arm
chair which an assiduous ofice-boy had
rolled for his reception.
Another click of the iron door.
Enter Mr.. Hampden, of portly dimen-
sions and dignified mien: Intellectu-
ally he conveyed the impression of a
man who has received a frightful blow
on the head from a club, and is slowly
recovering from the effects of it. Mr..
Hampden waddled and grunted to-
wards his seat, vouchsafng a brief
"Good morning" to those present.
Next came Mr.. Harrington, a dap
per, lively, good-natured little man of
| seventy, whose sparkling eyes beamed
a hearty Endorsement to every pleas
ant word that left his clean-shaven
| lips. Even poor John Carver felt a
certain alienation of his pain, though
faint as the effect of food tide upon
the strong current of a great river, as
old Peter Harrington clasped his hand
in vigorous pressure.
Two more arrivals. The committee
| was now complete. and ready for
action.
To the aid of each director in his
arduous duty was detailed clerk, who
| sat opposite across the table. John
Carver stood at the entrance to the safe
| and superintendent the work of carry
ing out in regular order the packages
| of stock and bonds which the huge
drawers and tin boxes were in turn
| disgorging. Great armfuls of the
precious packages went down the mar
BILE stairway in the embrace of trusted
employees and were distributed upon
the massive tables between the direc-
tors and their assistants. AS the par
ticular bundle which the custodian
had known not wisely but too we'll
passed on it's way to the counting
tables, John Carver's heart throbbed
with such violence that involuntarily
his hand sought the support of the
brass railing. The sweat broke in
great drops from his forehead, but
there was none to note his excitement.
His eyes, riveted upon the object, fol-
lowed it's descent and progress to the
table, where it was placed with sew
eral other packages before Mr.. Stan
hope.
The directors differed greatly in their
methods of counting. Some of them
performed the duty as carefully and
conscientiously as the most accurate
and loyal of employees. Others con-
tented themselves with merely watch
ing the clerks who sat opposite them
as they went through the labor for the
execution of which the directors
pocketed at the close of the ses-
sion each bright ten-dollar gold
piece. Mr.. Hampden was notably in
different to all that transpired. Mr..
Stanhope, on the contrary, seemed to
feel conscientious scruples as to shift
ing the whole burden upon other
shoulders, and counted zealeusly.
Mr.. French, the clerk who had been
detailed to assist Mr.. Stanhope, was
a novice at the business. Bright, am
billions, conscientious, and extremely
sensitive, this young man desired to
excel in everything he undertook and
felt keenly every shortcoming, real or
imaginary. His first experience in
security counting was painful to him
self and perhaps somewhat annoying
J to others, for Mr.. Stanhope, although
himself no expert, invariably out
stripped him in declaring the tally.
Each package of bonds was ticketed
| with u statement Of number, kind
and denomination. In many cases Mr..
Stanhope divided the packages, retain
ing one part for his own counting and
handing the other to the clerk.
| John Carver's eyes, still fastened
upon the package from which his fate
depended, saw it pass intact from the
directors hands to those of Mr..
i French.
The latter rose from his chair, and
bending over the package, dipped his
/ fingers in the wet sponge beside him
and slowly began to count.
Though no sound escaped the clerks
lips, John Carver's overweight nerves
kept him in fancy pace to pace with
the young mans arithmetical prog
ress through that bundle of crisp se-
curitics.
Zone hundred!" said Mr.. Stanhope
quietly az he finished his package, and
glanced with q comical expression Of
expectancy at Mr. French, who was
still struggling with his count.
The young man colored to the roots
of his hair and plunged madly for
ward.
Zone hundred!" he cried, q moment
later. He had counted only ninety
nine bonds, but firmly believing that
the contents Of the package Tailed ex-
actly with the ticket, and ashamed to
| delay the work by his sef-acknowl-
edged slowness or stupidity, he caught
at straw, unconscious that in SO do
ling he had saved = drowning man.