The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1900-03-02

IoI uIlNlHS. by lHe Time we return II
will be noon, and we will lunch together.
After luncheon, ah-well, we will make
further plans"
Il like this situation" l said to my
self.
We read the papers. From time to
time Leonard Hartman paused to ask
me questions of one kind or another,
generally bearing upon investments, and
my luminous replies manifestly pleased
him. 1t gave ME pleasure to note that
my employer invariably concurred in my
opinions. lie could scarcely have done
less.
We drove over pretty nearly the whole
city. When we returned for luncheon,
we had covered at least 80 miles. All
this time we had kept up lively CONVEX
sation. Mr.. uardman was always draw.
ing me out. 1 never saw u more persist
ent catechiser or a better listener. /,
who am so well informed and so rich in
experience (surely one may tell the sim
pie truth about himself), took great pains
to enlighten him, and he showed genuine
appreciation, a thing really rare in this
world.
We lunched at the Bohemian club, and
the quality of the lunch was a revelation
to me. We had terrapin and champagne
and other things that ] had not been
accustomed to, but my refined tastes fit
iii quite readily to these things as if |
had been used to them all my life. Best
of all. Leonard Hardmau Informed NE
that he would be glad to have me lunch
with him every day when had no other
engagements. ! thanked him and men
tally promised never to make any con-
tiicting engagement.
The days that followed were much
like that first day. If l ever did any
thing like work or earned n dollar for
my kind employer. candor compels me
to admit that have no recollection Of
it, nor could ever make out what Leon
ard Hardman was doing in the way Of
business. No transactions were ever
closed at his office. His afternoons,
however, were uniformly spent away
from the office, l knew not where nor
how, and if he made any money at all it
was made in secret operations. ] felt
somewhat piqued at his clandestine way
of doing things, but us my salary was
always paid promptly and l lunched reg
ularly at his expense it did not seem to
me proper TO call him to account.
For the space of three years l was
thus associated with Leonard Hardman,
during which time he claimed to be pros
pering and seemed to be happy and con-
tented. But | never found out the ma
ture Of his business or the amount of his
profits. My early Qualms of conscience
for not having been more serviceable to
him soon gave way to placid unconcern
about his secret operations, whatever
they were.
His demeanor toward me never chang
ed. 1t was always gentle, even deferen-
tial, something not usual in an employer
We were more like companions than
anything else.
Almost three years to day from the
commencement of my singular service
Leonard Hartman died. This was a
hard shock to me, for felt n warm ut.
tachmcnt for him. Moreover l was
troubled at the thought of having to
hunt another situation.
When his will was opened, it was
found to contain, much to my surprise
and delight, a handsome legacy Of $50.
600 in my favor. | gathered together
his papers so that his affairs could be put
In order and among other things found in
his private rooms ut the club where he
lived the was bachelor) book which
proved to be n diary, carefully kept to
the very day of his death.
The contents of this diary were and
have ever since been source of intense
humiliation to me. l am generous
enough, however, to overlook and excuse
the vagarics of man who had proved
so good a friend to me and who possess
ed so many noble qualities. From the
date of my engagement in his service al
most daily references were made to my
self in this strange diary. Some of these
references were kind, others most un-
kind. What gave me keenest grief and
still grieves Inc and what l now freely
forgive because palpably the product OF
n mind enfeebled by long devotion t.
business are the following entries:
Jan Is, 1SS2.-Richard Kent has
this day entered my service. have 4
theory which | wish to put thoroughly e
the test. and Kent is the subject of IN!
experiment.
.
clan. %. 1SS3.-It is now somethin
moro than year since Richard Ken
came to my office. My theory has worl;
cd out. But let me explain;
"All business success worth the name
is the result of good Judgment. Som
men have judgI:3t ut ut times good an
at times very bad. No man has goo.
Judgment iii all things and at all time:
because man is fallble. Some men eA
hibit bad Judgment all the time.
while ! had been successful in m
business affairs, nevertheless OH occ;
sions l lost heavily as the result of ba
conclusions. 1t finally occurred to N
that if | had an adviser in the shape o
a man who was wrong all the time .
should be able to accomplish great re
suits. l sought long time before i,
found him. Richard Kent proved to b.
the man, and treasure he is.
"Kent is well educated, well bre'
man of 40, smart in many things. bril-
liant in n few things, but the worst rea
soner | ever met in my life. On an.
proposition of ordinary difficulty he uni
formly goes wrong. have never know
him to fail. Whenever | am in doub:
what to do | ask his advice and then Dc
the other thing. His fallibility is per
feet"
Whatever my faults Gf I have any
fear is not one Of them. l have nothing
TO conceal. give the foregoing extracts
with profound sorrow and only because
they are necessary to explain the vision.
airy state of Hardman's mind with re.