El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-12-12
beyond THE GREEN
u BAIzE DOOR
A Wife Forces Her Husbands Sc
cret Chamber and Makes
Discovery.

| 6 a Discovery.
8sSSssSsSSSSSsSSSSS SSsSSsSSsSSSSsS>
There was mystery beyond the gree
baize door, tangible or intangible Ii,
body knew, since no one but Mr.. Blali
| ly ever saw the inside of the do,
which shut his private room at Mess.
| Blakely & Stephens bank from |:
narrow passage connecting it with !.
! general Offices.
Mr.. Blakely was sole proprietor
the bank, which was the only one l:
| the town and showed every sembiauc,
of the soundest financial basis.
Mr.. Blakely was a man strangely DC
void of eccentricities. The chief faults
the bank staff found with him were his
indefatigability and that whenever
there was business to be done in Lon
don-selling or buying stock, buying
cash, etc.-he Invariably attended to it
himself.
was seated at the desk of the head
cashier, who was away on a short holi-
day, one morning in September, when
one of our clients entered the counting
house.
''Mr. Boyton, look here" he said, slip
ping a crown piece upon the counter
where did you get it? ?"
whats wrong with it?" 1 inquired,
examining it closely without noticing
any defect. did 1 give it to your"
Eyes. Look at the edge. It's quite
smooth"
passed him two half crowns, and as
he went away 1 slipped the crown into
my pocket, intending to keep it as a
curiosity, but later in the day, when
Mr.. Blakely was in the Office, l showed
1T to him.
"CuriouSr' he muttered. lone of an
experimental mint, no doubt, for it's
dated 1896. Do you think we've any
others similar?"
mo; 1 have been through them"
Strange! Well, I'll keep it. 1t is
probably unique"
was disappointed with his decision.
as 1 wanted the coin myself. 1t was
against my principles, however, to pro-
test. I forgot 1t entirely until some
weeks later, when Mrs. Blakely, to the
utter establishment Of the banks staff,
turned up an hour or SO before lunch
con time.
Up to that time, although she had
been married more than ten months.
Mrs. BIakely had never been inside the
bank. Now, she drove up in her car
rage. came in proudly and asked for
Mr.. Blakely.
1 replied that if she would step into
the waiting room would summon him
in the usual way.
mo. Show me into his private room.
am Mrs. Blakely," she said hastily.
81 recognized you, madam" replied,
"But the rule is that all visitors who
ever they may be, are to be shown into
the waiting room, where Mr.. Blakely
will interview them
"Nonsenser' she calculated. Such
rules do not refer to Mr.. Blakely's wife.
The room is at the end of the passage,
is it not?''
You are putting me in an awkard
position" l replied. Il am not allowed
to let visitors approach the green baize
door
"Ahr' Her proud eyes flashed. $50
there is a green baiZe door which no
one approaches|'
When Mr.. Blakely came he did so in
his habitual Ieisurely manner, and he
walked into the waiting room, leaving
the door ajar.
MIR. Blakely," she said haughtily, 81
have been insulted by one of your
clerks. Since when has your wife been
denied the right to enter your private
roomY
Ever since she wrongly assumed
that she had such a right, Mary. My
clerks have their orders; they obey
them. You cannot blame them for up
holding rules 1 myself have framed |
What do you want? l am very busy |
this morning. The market is very un-
steady just now
Tell me, Richard, had you known | |
was coming would you have allowed |
your clerk to deny me access to your |
private room?' Mrs. Blakely inquired |
'"The rule is of many years stand !
ing. Mary" he said deliberately. "If
it were set aside for you, it would be
the thin end Of the wedge. My room
would no longer be private"
"You indorse your clerks insultT'
81 uphold my clerk who upholds the |
banks rules"
I felt her brush past me as she came
out of the room and saw her wal, |
round the desks, her lips tightly COM
pressed and her head very high.
The following morning when 1 turn
ed up at the bank the porter met me
with the inquiry. had l seen anything |
of Mr.. Blakely? No one had seen him
since the bank closed the night before.
He was not in the bank-had not been
it was Mrs. Blakely who
had driven down the first thing to in