Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1897-05-13

near the upper end OF Nassau street,
| in New York, stands a tall building con-
| tanning business Offices. In the year
1879 this building was regarded as one
! of the finest in New York and was occu-
cupied chiefly by good class of law
| yers. The apartment on the northeast
corner of the top floor bore upon the
ground glass panel Of its door the legend,
"Thomas II. Bannick, Law Office" Mr..
Bannick had lived in the building since
its erection, but only latterly in his
present quarters He had begun bust
ness in one of the large suits of Offices
on the third landing, but, for one reason
or another, the larger rewards OF his
profession had not come to him, and,
not being weighted down by gold in his
pockets, he had gradually risen from one
floor to another, until at length he had
found himself, INTELLECTUALLY speaking,
above all his fellow tenants. To go
! higher was impossible. He was not yet
} light enough to live in the empty air,
! although if things went on as they had
| been going it looked as if he would have
to live on it.
bSCluSt u man 10 pun III Ave" ! YIN ~
does not always follow that he is
scoundrel, or even that he is incompe-
tent Tom Bannick, at all events, was
neither He was born of good North
of Ireland family, and had been thor
oughly educated at Dublin university.
After a supplementary career III law he
came to America with ten thousand
pounds in his pocket, and an impression
that he was going to make large fort
une. Curiosity and temper hospitable
to adventure drew him to the western
states, where for dozen years he had
very lively and interesting time OF it.
He twice lost all his money, and once
was worth couple of hundred thousand
dollars. These viciSsitudes, 1t must be
confessed, were not incident to the regu-
lar practice of his PROFESSIONALS specu-
lated in land and mining properties, and
| the inevitable ups and downs followed.
| After his second reverse he tossed up
cent by way of determining whether he
should follow the law or go to Califor-
MIA and prospect for gold. The cent
| came up heads, and he chose law ac-
| cortlingly The many friends he had
made and his knowledge of mining got
him plenty of business, and 1t turned
out that he was better manager OF
other peoples affairs than of his own.
He was making fair income when it
came into his head that he might do still
better in New York.
There is plenty of money in New York,
but, like the fairy gold of the legends,
it has way of vanishing just when you
think you have your hands on it. Tom
Bannick was a sound lawyer and man
of excellent Judgment, but he was in
corrigibly honest. He was conscientious
to degree that caused his colleagues to
shrug their shoulders. He objected to
taking up doubtful cases ION spec, and
to defending causes which seemed to
him to involve tmevery. He had no in
fuential friends to back him up and he
was not n politician. On the other hand,
he sometimes advocated a case that APP
pealed to his sympathies, even when it
did not pay him mnch. Altogether he
was not success He had lately mar
Red pretty little wife, who had made
him very happy, and whom he would
have liked to make very rich. She was
good manager, but there was no magic
dwarf to help her spin the domestic
straw into gold
One October morning Mr.. Bannick ar
rived at his office about ten o'clock, and
ascertained from the pale faced and Gym
ical urchin in charge Of the anteroom
that no one had yet called there-a piece
of news which custom had robbed OF its
startling features. He then entered the
inner room. hung up his coat, Lit cigar
cite, and sitting down in his revolving
chair began to read the newspaper. The
French indemnity, it appeared, was paid.
Louis Napoleon was not expected to live.
Count Lucien de Lisle, the Mexican mill
ionaire was stopping Mt the Brevoort
House. Stocks were dull. Mrs. Harry
Trent entertained few friends at din
ner last night.
$50 she has reentered the world, has
she?" said Tom Bannick to himself.
well, by George, she's got the money!
| wish it had been that poor Raven girl!
Hullo! What's that?'
The outer door had opened, and some
one was in the anteroom.
Must be that beggar about the piano
rent! Well, if he'd collect my bad debts,
I'd pay him. l think I'll offer him the
commission. No, 'tisn't he. Can't be a.
A client, he would have said, but it
didn't seem worth while to hazard the
superstition Nevertheless he slipped the
newspaper into the wastepaper basket
threw open hts desk and had taken up
his pen to write tho day Of the month at
the head of a sheet of blank paper, when
the Office boy opened the door
"Gentleman to see you, sir, he said,
and handed over card. It bore the
name and title Count Lucien de Lisle- :"
"Why, that's the chap at the Bre-
voortr muttered Mr.. Brannick. "Show
the gentleman in, Jacob" he added.
A tall man entered, removing his silk
hat as he did so. He was handsome
man, and of striking appearance. His
hair, of a light brown hue, inclining to
reddish, was cut rather short, and stood
upright over his head without any part
ing, in the French manner. His beard,
also cropped short and pointed at the
chin, was of the same hue; but his eye
brows and eyelashes, and his eyes them
selves were somewhat darker, giving a
peculiar character to his countenance,
scarcely modified by the gold trimmed
eyeglasses that sat astride his handsome
nose a black double breasted coat waH