The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1895-10-02
TWO MARRIAGE EYES

Il have often told you" said
James Mayfeld tor the evening be-
fore my marriagewith his daughter
Kate. that I owed.my prosperity, or
more accurately my escape from de-
struction, to an accident, a chance,
a miracle. Stand up and look at
that piece of paper let into the over
mantel. Have you ever observed it
before:"
Eyes, said I, rising and examin-
ing faded document under a glass
panel in the oak. I have now and
then noticed it, but have never been
able to make out what it is.
What do you take it for2"
We'll. it looks like half a sheet of
business note paper covered with in
distinct figures that do not seem or
dinary"
Yes, he said, gazing with half
closed eyes at the paper through the
smoke of his cigar ''They are not
ordinary, nor is their history"
E'It is not possible to make them
out, they are so blurred and faint.
Are they very old?"
Twenty years They are much
faded since I first saw them" said
he, crossing his legs. Now you
may as well know the history of that
half sheet of business paper and
what it has to do with me and your
Kate's mother. Sit down, and I will
tell it all to you"
I dropped back into my chair.
Our Kate is nearly ls, as, no
doubt, you are aware 1t is the
night before your marriage. You,
thank heaven! run no such risk as I
ran the night before my marriage.
There is no date on that blurred copy
of figures, but if there were you
would find that it originated on the
night before was to be married, 90
years ago. You are short of so now !;
I was short of 80 then. You are
now in what should then have con-
sidered afiuent circumstances.
I am going to give you tomorrow
our only child and fourth share in
the business of Strangway, Mayheld
&C.,, of which I am sole surviving
partner and that fourth share ought
to bring you $1,000 to 200 year.
The night that document over the
chimney came into existence I was
accountant to Strangway & Co., at a
salary of ESQ per annum."
Ny father-in-law paused and
knocked the ash off his cigar.
ssAt that time he went on, re-
suming his story, 1.-The business of
Strangway & Go. was in Bread street.
TIE Offices closed at s, but as I
was anxious to put everything in the
finest order before starting on my
honeymoon I was not able to leave
at that hour. In addition to the
bookkeeping did most of the rou-
tine correspondence, and I had some
letters to write.
.'As I was working away, writing
letters at the top of my speed and
quito alone in the ofce-in the
whole house se-Stephen Grainly, one
of cur travellers, rang the bell, and
much to my surprise and annoyance,
when I opened the front door,
walked up stairs, following my lead
through the unlighted passages.
Grainly was an excellent man at his
work, but to my taste too smooth
and good-too sweet to be sound.
What, Mayfeld, he cried, work
ing away still? Why, when I saw
the light, made sure it must be
Broadwood'-our assistant account
ant, who was to take my place while
Twas away-'and as I had a goodish
Jit Of money I thought I'd better
bank here than in my own home in
Hoxton. lam not satisfied tits safe
to stow $500 in my humble home.
"'An right, said I, but I wish you
had come earlier. The safest place
to bank money is in the bank He
did not know that was going to be
married next day, and I was glad OF
it, for the man always made me feel
uncomfortable, and did not wish
him to touch my little romance even
with q word.
'''Be here at 4 o'clock, he cried.
NV dear fellow, I couldn't do it.
He produced his pocketbook. You
reedp't give me more than two min
utes. Checks, s574 1ss. 3d.; notes,
ss45; gold s4s.'
GAS you may fancy, Twas ina hur-
ry to get rid of him: He seemed IN
no hurry to go.
You will initial my book, said
he, and he handed me his order
book, part of which was ruled in
money columns, where he had q list
Of the money he had collected. The
whole was 1857 1Ss. 3d., and for this
I signed
Have you taken the numbers of
the rotes?' asked.
No, said he.
Il made a list myself Of the num-
bers on sheet Of paper and pushed
checks, notes and gold up to the fiat,
mid le part Of my desk. The mem
orandum of the numbers I should
leave, with the keys, at Claphana,
and the whole transaction would be
dealt with by my assistant, Broad
wood, in the morning.
Making OCT the list had taken a
little time, as the notes were all
small and no two in a sequence.
I put my LIST of notes on the desk
beside me and went on with my let
ters, several Of which We're now
ready for the cODvinc press.