The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-10-13
WHEELING DAILY INTELLTGENoER SATURDAY. OCTOBER 49, 1884


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bank, Harry.
"oh, hope so, SIR.
"WeIl, you are, Harry; and it docs
my heart good to know 1t. Keep tighi
on as you have begun, and some day
you'll be in my chair here. Harry"
81 wouldn't want that, slF," he re-
turned. with blushing face.
"why not, Harry?"
"well, 'twouldn't be the same place,
then, sir. l often tell mother wen
never have another friend like Mr.. Bill
lInesby."
Harry?"
"Well' it's kind Of strange about that.
sir. She always looks sad, instead OF
happy. sir; and says Barrett-thSt's
your Christian name. isn't 1t Mr.. Bill
ingsby?-was never less than noble
man, sir!"
Nj. Billingsby used quill nib for his
signatures. At this innocent remark
by the messenger it ratified turiously
over the papers before him, and tie sud-
denly made an exclamation Of impa-
thence.
Here, Harry, take this to the corrc-
spondence clerk" he said. contusedIy,
'and have another written. l have
spoiled that copy"
The lad ran nimbly away on his brief
GRAND Mr.. BiIlingsby stepped quick
ly TO the window aud looked searching.
ly down into the little court. When the
boy returned the banker was compos.
eddy at his task again; but meantime
another face had dimly but pititully
forced itself beside that OF old John
Everett aud his noble boy.
Scratch, scratch, scratch, went tho
bankers pen for u time, as il tho lad
beside him had been entirely forgotten.
The signatures were at last done and the
| pile OF papers were in Harry's hands
again. Mr.. Billingsby arose and, with
his arms around tho lads shoulder,
walked 10 his office door with him.
"And you are all happy from your
changed condition, Harry?" he asked,
patting his shoulder encouragingty.
''Sisters-they're the joIlicst romps
anywhere, Mr., Billingsby!-aud |. aud
mother. sometimes, are tho gIaddest
folks that live!"
Observation-Disclosures asked
the banker muSingly.
"Well. you soc, Il it wasn't for two
things, she'd DO so, tOo."'
"Only two things?"
He seemed to be thinking aloud rather
than asking question; and the lad
prattled on innocently.
"1t's this way. Father isn't just what
he used to be, some ways. We can't
jolly him up like, Then he won't read
anything any more but those miserable
books of Peilamy's aud Gorge's, and
those tracts he gets from Europe, in
German aud French. Mothertriesdhe
best she can. to stop it; but he says We
don't understand the awful state OF
things, and that he must"
"The awful state OF things, HarryY
"Yes, tho millions that are kept down
by tho rich, as he says, and tho bloody
revolution that's coming; something
like that, Mr.. Billingsby."
The bankers arm frightened about the
lads shoulder with such force that he
looked up quickly and alphabetically
with,
"But we'll have him out OF all that,
Mr.. Billingsby. SEQ II we don't! When
he gets healthier, he'll be jollier, mothor
says. And sho says, too, that by aud
by, when ne don't have to work-quite
so such-nlghts, at tho bank"
"Work nights at tho bank"
"On the books, you know, sir?"
1.-THE books!"
The banker almost gasped this; and
the lad looked up at him so puzzled,
regretful aud confused, lest he had let
an ungrateful Implication escape his
lips, that Mr.. Billingsby altered his
tone and manner instantly.
|"oh, yes, yes, yes. OF course. Tho
books-at night, here at the bank.
Well, we'll, Harry. Say nothing to your
mother or father about having mon
toned these things to mo. ought to
have been more thoughtful. Your
father isn't strong man, Harry. Yes,
yesl I'll see about it-directly, direct-
ly. But, mind now, not word OF this;
not a word to them that you have
spoken to meW
He even bent down aud pressed his
face against the boys fair head as
though the young worker had been his
own child, saying tenderly:
"Be brave, true lad yourself, Harry
Whatever happens; and all will be
we'll"
The door opened. closed with soft
click and the proud, happy lad was
gone.
We'll for him that he saw not the face
OF the banker; for when it turned to tho
window above the court it was rs white
as the stone walls that shut the strong
place in.
Here was n now and an oyershadow-
ing complication.
The president OF the Trust and Secur-
ity Bank was now plunged into an en-.
tirely different aud far more distressing
series OF doubts and misgivings.
Old John Everett's uuaccouutable
pretense to his family regarding night
work ut the bank, aud his plainly hope.
less,fatuityIn relation to certain social
questfons' as innocently' revealed. by
Harry, seemed far more nlarming TO
Barrett Billingsby than all tho petty
deprcdations that tho bank had so far
suffered.
Nor had these wholly ceased. despite
the constant presence, for moro than q
week now, Of Dingleton's most skilIful
operative in the guise of bank oxam-
liner. Added to this. Dingleton's "shad-
owing" reports, which for several days
had been pouring in upon him, had
neither changed the satisfactory status
OF any employe, or developed other
facts than those perfectly credible to
the two persons who filled the bankers
mind aud heart with the keenest anx-
iety and concern.
II caunot bear this suspense any
longer | attn going to know the truth p