The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-04-08
THE 9 P. N.
FROM PADDINCTON.
From MacMlllan's Magazine.

lSlBS Juilf anu 4ob inc REMAINDER as
lodgings to respectable single gentlemen
with incomes of that uncertain character
which renders payment in advance more
TO be desired than attained.
Tommy decided early to be lawyer,
and with that object in view entered a
solicitors Office at the age OF ID as general
utility boy, running messages and opening
doors all day, and spending his evenings
in reading an old copy of Stephens COM
mentaries and learning shorthand (when
he could get no overtime" work to do).
for he was ambitious and wished to make
himself very useful to the firm And the
firm thought well of him, and after three
years gave him Is shillings a week and
desk in the copying department, for he
wrote a beautiful hand all of which
pleased his mother greatly and made the
dodgers think well OF him, too though his
studious and dutiful habits, with a certain
priggish air he mad of i'm pressing upon
them his determination to win a comfort
able and embarrassed old age for his
mother (Which seemed to imply a refiec-
ton upon Themselves attracted on the
whole more admiration than affection.
He had a large head also, and his head
seemed to increase in size with his sue
the attention of one of the dodgers, an
old gentleman who paid regularly and re-
ported for parochial newspapers, which
combined to make his assertions authori-
tative, and led him to remark to Tom
mv's mother one day that the boy was
overriding it and ought to have holiday
if he was to keep that head straight
Now, Tommany had had no real holt
day for four years, and his head was
Ia q 20 hfe
ness intense. and his dutifulness more or
less obtrusive. Besides, he had several
quaint notions of his own derived from
no one knew where) about religion and so
forth, and a wild way Of hurting them
out The young ledger who occupied the
second story front and did nothing in
particular on 9l20 a year except "look
about him." had conceived an immense
dislike for IOmmany, and expressed it in
various sarcastic taunts. Mrs Griffin
was much offended thereat; but as the
young ledger was not actively dissolute,
and moreover had an assured income. she
did not give vent to her feelings.
The end of it was that when Tommy
was about 10, he did take a fortnight's
holiday in the latter part of Septemb Der
The expense had been one of the
chief considerations; but the old
gentleman had sister who
made dresses in the neighborhood of Pen
zance, and on the strength of his long
friendship with Mrs. Griffin and with a
plot in his head (fOr he thought Tommy
would come to something some day if he
were properly looked after, he offered to
obtain him an Introduction and an mex
pensive lodging in what he described in
his best journalistic style as a 'veritable
garden,
And this was Tommy's first introduce
ton to the a. m. from Paddington to
Pen2ance. 1t impressed him deeply
too when he arrived there early the next
morning, having walked at and watched
the sun rise over a country he had never
even had any idea about. He recognized
its superiority to Highgate or Epping
Forest at once, and the river a Graves
end which he had seen on a certain bank
holiday, sank into inSiguihcance in his
memory before this inspiring vision of
the blue sea.
Mrs. Treruan, his hostess, impressed
him ALSO but above ali and last of all
came Miss Treruan, whom for some rea-
son or other the old gentleman had not
mentioned, and impressed him as nothing
IN his life impressed him before or since.
In fact, he fell hOpelessly in love with her
at first sight. She was a very pretty girl
with beautiful dark eyes and hair, and
complexion, as he explained aftarwdrd,
like an advertisement Of IS soap"
IOmmy's comparisons were naturally
drawn from mis- usual surroundings, and
he always qualified this one with d re-
mark or two which showed that he
recognized that it was not altogether
satisfactory
Tommy's experience of girls was not ex-
tensive, for his days We're spent in the
office and his evenings at home, and he
did not read Iit-EiJs or Ally Sloper or
novels, or anything in fact by way of sub
stitute, however inadequate; so he fell an
easy prey. And strange 10 say Mrs
fireman did not appear to mind. Perhaps
the old gentleman had something to do
with it. She seemed to take a great fancy
to Tommy from the first; he was SO full
Of determination to succeed III life
and do his duty, so open and trust
worthy and tidy and good altogether
that she permitted Polly that was
Miss Trerudn's other namel to take
nun to ali the sights in the neighOorhood
which Miss Treruan did and derived con-
siderable entertainment theraTom; as
also did Tommy, though he could never
feel quite sure that ne was not being
laughed at by this beautiful little girl.
She certainly seemed surprised when his
ecstaUic delight al all he saw and did
came laundering out in his own peculiar
LANGUAGE, and gave him TO understand
THAT, Ii he were not out of place, still he
was the most extraordinary boy she had
ever met, and his ideas almost incompre-
hensible.
He enjoyed himself in that fortnight
more than he had ever imagined it posi-
bic for man TO en- oy himself, and came
back TO town not exactly engaged-no en-
gagement could be thought of before he
mad talked the matter over with his
mother-but with the distinct under
standing that when Tommy Griffin had
attained rise Of salary sufficient TO JUS
uty his hopes about the ultimate success
OF his career Polly Treruan would be
ready to accept such ring as he could
ahord and give binding promise in eX-
change
He drew it all out in legal phraseology
on piece of note paper, somewhat DIS
lressed at the necessity for abs nee of
witnesses to the signatures, and put
whole siXpenny stamp in the top left
hand corner, which they both kissed
linen he made her copy in his best hand
writing, and put the original IN his pocket
lie told his mother all about it when he
came back, and his mother told the old
gentleman The old gentleman asked To
see Tommy, and when Tommy came up
pushing but defiant, with the determine
ton TO do his duty by his love as he had
done by his mother written all over his
lace, the Odd gentlemen, with an almost
lmperceptiole twinkle in his eye, shook
his hand and declared him looking first
rate, and that nothing in the world could
] l.. H..