The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1895-10-29
I4URI.INE.

had been appointed to the position OF
manager of tho .Jutlin's Trust Mining com
pnny. Before going to the mines l was
| called to san Francisco to confer with the
dircctoratc. l was comparatively young
! at tho time and inclined to the pleasures
of the world. For the purposes of my mar
rativc think l may say, without being
accused Of vanity, that l was possessed of
| ra;hcr prcscntablc person, and, moreover,
| of the power of making myself agreeable
| The result was that ut once became Il
| prime favoritc with my employers, who
showed me many social attentions.
This was particularly the case with the
| president Of the company, IL stout, jovial
| high living person whose hospitality to me
| extended even beyond his own establish
| ment-in fact, so far on one OCCASION as an
invitation to n supper party at the house of
pretty grass widow, whose name was a
German one, common cn0ugh-so common
indeed that at the time it made no impress
sion upon me, and I soon quito overlooked
| it, as my genial employers continually nd
dressing her rs Lurlino led, in the freedom
of her bohcmianiSnI, to my also calling
her by that name, with the more ccrcinoni-
Gus prefix Of madame added, however
do not wish to be misconstrucd con
corning Mime. Lirlinc. Notwithstanding
what | have chosen To call her" bohcmiln-
ism, - she was Oh visiting terms with the
wife and family of the president, and. so
far rs have ever known, she WAS IL won-
al of unqucStiOnablc morality. Too much
80 perhaps. she WAS bright and CXtrcmclv
handsome, and we We're soon on terms of
friendly intimacy. We sang German songs
| together and were even quite sentimental
| in !, Very innocent way.
noted from her establishment that she
| was very we'll to do-thcrc was no vulgar
ostcntation, but the horse WAS elegantly
| appointed, there were well trained servants
and a tasteful rquipagc. to say nothing of
her toilets and jewels. Madame seemed &c
enjoy life to pcrfcction-So perfectly, in
| fact, that she never by any chance referred
| tn tho past, and of course l never dreamed
| al doing so. But, as pleasure WAS not nv
| only pursuit, l WAS Obliged, after u few
days, to go To other occupations and So
| made my adious and took my depart ure
for the mountains and tho mines.
The scene OF my duties WAS Il disagrcc;l-
| bic one. Ii WAS in fact, about rs abomina-
| bic y spot rs could be hit upon--a dis
NAL, uncomfortable camp, dependent upon
4
| winter without flowers or grass or trees; II
| background Of rock ribbed mountains, Il
+! foreground of sandy dcscrt-thc only beau
| ~ being in the wild blaze of culors in the
| sunset sky. The great bare hills, however,
| contained wonderful treasure and largo
monthly dividends attcstcd to the prosper
ity of the place.
1t WAS in the old "high pressure days,
nna our salaries were commensurate with
the profits of he company. We worked
like horses and were paid like princes
| Come easy, go caSy'--thc old adagc was
! here verified. Every one was lavish. Ev-
| crYthing that money could procure was
| thcr'-evcrythinl, for the man. but moth
ing for the soul. We were all proigatc in
our spending. All: Well, no The old
ass;iycr, Herman Smitt, was the sole OK
| ccption; he was !; perfect mi>or. There
| WAS no cXCtSu for the mrannrSS OF tho
| man, for he received Il large salary, even
! Tor those dayS:-nO less than $500 monthly
The only luxury he seemed topcrmit him
| self was tobacco, of which hi smoked the
| cheapest grades in his huge porcelain pipe
| Ills only diversion was music. He had an
| OLE wooden flute, wrapped here and there
| with linen thread where il had cracked
through age and hard usage 1t must no
| admitted that he was Il master of this i'll
| for repairs, he could bo heard playing, at
| night in tho darkness of his room. impro-
| visins the most exquisite music. Tho soft
| clear notes flowing out into silence like tho
| voices of angels. enough to quite carry one
| away, and-hnh to think of it's being only
Did Smitt, after all
Every pay day check for $500 WAS
made ont to tho order Of Mrs. Herman
Smitt; the remaining $40 hebrew in coin
| say every pay dny''-that is inaccurate
Sometimes large checks were drawn in
the favor of we'll known life insurance
companies. From this il was evident that
he regarded their policies rs u good form
of Investment. l could draw the mental
picture OF his fat economical old spouse
quietly dcpositing the rcmittanccs in some
solid German savings bank, and eventual
~ of the twain returning by sono cheap
line, tn their fathcrland there to live in
great CONTEXT upon half the interest of
their hoard 20 he courtcd and cnvcd-
perhaps hatcd--by CichhorSand relatives
also wondered IL some day some fat head
cd son orEcrhcw would no: spend il all in
title OF the getting Upon laycn haired
madchcas and long ncckcd bottles
II was Aonc of my business, and l did
MOI care, except that know did not re-
gard smut a. Il credit To observation-disclosures
| ! did think "f di-iuiSsing him, but he WAS
80 thoroughly coiAnctcii in his art that it
would have iiicn irrational rs it would
have tccn unjust; He worked hard and
well, and, rs ilavc said. it WAS mono Of
nay business What he did with his earn
!mgS.
As time passed grew used to him.
even rather partial, for one day in mo-
mcnt of weakness, seeing tht he looked
L very tirrl and worn 7 pn,i.Inynl :, kn.- u,