St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1894-02-17

w EsxS5wCE=s. detective had
@7M NEI@ been overdue
.-A Asafssy several days
When things
were normal he dropped in once .
week, but in the course of our long In
fimacy l heard his light knock and
saw his gentle, melancholy face In the
doorway many aud many an odd and
unexpected time. Ten days had now
gone by without visit, and l was be-
ginning to wonder what could have
happened. when he appeared one even
ing and dropped into . chair with .
sigh; H.. ,., !,
asked. as soon as he was seated.
I'm the great DESERT" said lac, look
Ing gravely into the fire.
..Noneense." said 1. "Wake up!
There hasn't been time for you to get
20 far as to Gibraltar since saw you
last.
II meant the great desert of London.
The Sahara is the great desert of sand;
London the great desert Of man"
Ny dear Bracken." said /, briskly,
s'dO drop that philosophic tone and
come down to earth and facts What
have you been doing? Running a muir
derer to earth in Westminster, or stop
ping an eloping couple 1t Queens
town."
Neither" said he, shaking himself
up. 81 have for the past week or more
been on a private jcb-a city case"
"A private city case is nearly always
~
whet your whistle with?"
''1'll have q brandy and soda" sand
Braclren, with another sigh.
got the brandy and soda, pushed
The cigar-box toward him and settled
Uyself back in my chair. Once Bracken
has been wound il Is best to let him
alone. He does not mind question to
olucidate what he is. say ing. but he
aQes resent anything like . goad.
Last Friday week." said he. after .
loag pause, II was sent for by Mr.. Ed
vtsrd Merrick, junior partner of Mer-
xlek 4 Co. and son of Alexander Mer-
ejek. the senior and only other partner.
The business house o: Merrick 4
c. Is IN Mincing lane. But was in
Md to call At the private house Of
yu1ng Mr.. Merrick in Thompson's road,
3Slekenham. Young Mr.. Msrrick is
okNkt thirty-five. and married. His IA
Pr Is between sixty and seventy, .
Nower. and has a mansion on Clap
common, where his unmarried
slr, . few years his Junior. keeps
80 for him.
FOR some time back said young
- Ncrrick when I saw him, we have
hn very uneasy about my father.
kna say we l mean the family.
Saoh consists of my aunt my wife
- nyself
Gp to about three years ago
~ Al INV fathers business He and
on the most intimate terms pos
Slnf He reposed unlimited confidence
3S5, and / had no secrets from him.
HSassna the souudest and most steady.
= business man in London, and the
s.SSiI11 1ast YOU would suspect of going
- hazardous sspeculationA The busi-
was then In dourishing condi-
~ Never had It been better; never
p = good.
Sz ~ father and are now and have
Reen the only partners. Until
4 - always kept plenty of money
II together with . large reserve.
3 sther owned rs his private for
nAout hundred thousand pounds,
RS1sd In frst-class securities He
- cautious OF where he put his
nnucy n the most careful trustee
- money of another.
q laf the date speak Of, about three
aro, . serious financial panic
7za fhe city. A period of overtrad-
49, - Wild speculation had ended IN
.,Ssseer Men had been rushing blind
s.S:SSec ventures which could not rec
ss..a 4hemselves to any sane hu-
sS.einr. and now at last the inevit-
-r..h was 1t hand. Houses OF
-. Instability and standing came
Z3ss. M bubble companies. and even
Il. s-cane trades were filled with sp'
- and CONSERVATION. Merrick
/ S6e was absolutely unharmed-un1
szSssa We had not risked penny II
s4z HONS venture. and we had not
.s.nv Indirectly through othere
~ 70 that dreadful crisis
= vervthing about my fathers
s1.;r. where every shil-
;rveeted. In the mid
.,..4 crisis. great change
-. -. old man. He grew tect-
- os .c,r.e He withdrew his
= - ;1,crn me Ill at once. ana
!ss'.s 49, = this has told mo no
IL: .nont his private money ms'.es
-. ~ told me soout yoof
"a 80. / have Indirectly isesaeo