The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1904-01-15


greater advantage than before. The
telling Of the story seemed to have TAX
en- weight off his mind. Both Hack
ett and myself were pleased with him,
and we resolved to carry out our orig
inal intention of taking him into our
employ. We did not speak of the mat
ter until after Whiting had left US.
He had said In the beginning that he
could be with us not more than half an
hour. When he had gone, explained
to Donaldson that we In been con-
sidering him with rsrf$ to q posi-
ton Of Importance suusiness, and
Inamed the dutiet slde salary and the
Prospects.
He waste be Mr.. Hackett's assistant
incur DEPARTMENT. of sales. Wewere then
introducing a system of disposing OF
our goods which was entirely unique in
this country, and we required a young
man Of good appearance, Of cultivated
mind and manner and especially Of
that quick, intuitive perception which
is 80 valuable In dealing with the high
est grade of merchants. The right
man, coming to us with the proper en-.
ergy and abiRty, might hope for any
thing, up to an interest in our business,
that would make him more than well
to do. 1t all depended upon himself.
Donaldson received this proposal
with a solemnity which justified his
college nickname Of deacon" by
which we had heard DR.. Whiting ad-
dress him.
"It is useless for me to deny" said
he, "that what you suggest is great
advance for me. In my present place
am like diver walking with leaden
soIed shoes in a medium of high resist
ance and. having everything pumped
down to me from above. l can't get to
the top. and nobody is going to pull
me up. l make few signals by pull
ing on q string, but nobody answers
them. I'm sunk; that's the truth about
me.
Therefore" he continued, looking first
to Hackett and then to me, 81 am more
than ready to accept your offer, but
there is one dhficulty-l perceive that
you have another motive in making it.".
another motive?" said l., looking
across at my partner.
Young Mr.. Donaldson laid his clinch-
ed right hand upon the table.
"From this day FORTH" said ne, "if
have any power or means Of knowl-
edge that is different from the aver
age will make no display Of it and
no use Of it. That is my irrevocable
decision. You will never learn more
Of that subject from me than you will
know tonight when the sun goes down.
But, since l have cast away restraint
today, let mescontinue in that folly.
II know perfectly well that you have
another object In making this propos-
al to me; that 1t is part Of fantas-
tic dream. You hope to mate me with
a young woman whom you believe to
possess the same powers that are in
me. You think that you are acting in
the interests of the advance Of human
knowledge and that posterity, with
the probable exception Of my posterity,
will rise up and call you blessed"
was motionless, dumfounded.
could not have cried "Firew If the
blaze had broken out in my own pock-
ct. Ten thousand messages from ia
pan were not to be thought of in COM
parison with this phenomenon.
For the secret that he had touched
upon was absolutely ours. My own
private speculations upon the subject
and my brief and inconsequentia
talks with Hackett summed up the
whole OF It. Neither of us had ever
suggested that Donaldson and Miss
Vaughn might make q match Of 1t, yet
thei idea had ~ I'd through my mind
now and theY found out after
ward that 1T Deem In Hackett's.
s"tdon't ~ to say" continued DON.
aldson, ~ /ou would use any inHu-
ence or q. out any inducements to
bring such a marriage about, hut you
viii look for It, and you will be disap-
pointed. Why. Mr. Harrington. IL l