The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-05-30

signs vas remarkable. and
many an article went of under the en-
ticement of his attractive legends
" hfch had pain fiy-blown for months
under the Eyes Of Henry Burnett. The
old man made friends of all who came
into the shop. and the children MI
came to love Mr. Burnett's funny ola
His fund OF good humor was
inexhaustfbie. and his aptness in meet
ing the varied wants Of customers
showed the careful business man.
One momrning. about a month after
Feter Hay began keeping store" Tor
Henry Burnett. the latter seemed I'M
usually worried and anxious, and in
formed his clerk that he must be out
all the forenoon. Il have n note In
bank to meet" he said, but the best
/ can hope TO do Is 10 collect enough
TO make a small payment and renew
it. if possible" That's bad" said
Hay: 1.-The interest must be high"
The interest is high and II Is
a burden 10 carry it."
Well, now said Hay. I've got a
little roll of money here that | have
no use for, and my advice is to take
what you heed. and rid yourself of
this note. Ard that's not all. You had
better take, besides. SiO0 OIL 500. and
renew the assortment of so and So
certain goods for which there
was ready siie. and which had run
Gown TO nothing. What mar i'm Bur-
position would not have accept
ed the offer. made so heartily and sim
ply The note was paid, the goods
W ere ordered, and Peter Hay carried
in his old rusty pocket book his en-
ployer's acknowledgment for a consid-
cradle sum of money.
Time passed On and Burnett pir;s-
pered. His business competitors, who
bad formerly despised him. found him
formidable, and his store became the
town emporium" as Hay proudly
dubbed ii on his manifold signs in red,
the merchants reliance on some one
else was a relief. a positive boon, and
he learned with absolute trust Ola
Peter Hay-and never was there n
sturdier prop. Long since the money
advanced had been repaid, though it
was taken with reluctance, and inter-
est was absolutely refused.
Things mended not only at the store
but at the Burnett home in the sub
urbs. On dull days Peter Hay was
wont to transfer his labors from be-
hind the counter to the yard and prem
ises of the dwelling. The weeds lis
appeared, the flower beds were models
Of neatness and taste. the fence was
whole, the gate hung straight. and II
heheld the abode of thrift and COM
fort. Mrs. Burnett, who, poor woman.
under the deteriorating influence of
sordid poverty, had almost slipped
down into IL s~loven. took heart of
grace, and renewed her youth under
the inspiration of decent appearances
and Il well-stocked pantry. Henry"
she asked one evening of her husband,
have you eve thought how strange it
is that the world has gone well with
YOU from the very day you took Mr..
Hay as Il clerk?
Henry Burnett had thought of it
many a time. Peter Hay was his a
cot, a blessing in the disguise of a
rugged, wrinkled face, quaint, homely
speech, and an awkward formal
towering a heart of gold. But this was
not a blessing shook out of fortunes
wheel, but Gods Own providence, as
NGIlS were SOoIl 10 SHOW.
Peter Hay had been with Burnett
six or eight years, when one morn-
ing he announced his intention of go
ing off on Il little pleasure excursion
taking a lark" as he expressed it. A
crowd of young men with ali ot
whom he was a great favorite) were
going up a stream in the neighbOrhood
seining for fish hat night, and Hay
accompanied them. His first outing,
doubtless in manv years, cost the poor
old fellow his life. The exposure and
la thorough wetting that he received
Iproved too much for his advanced age;
Ia severe cold settled into pneumonia,
land in a few days Peter Hay had pass
ed away, his last hours sOOthed by the
lcare and love of Burnett, his wife and
children, and his body attended to the
grave by a whole Borrowing commun-
lily.
Pursuant to Hays last directions,
burnett found among the dead mans
t~effects his will and a sealed paper di-
lrected to his employer-both Of which
made surprising developments. The
trusted clerk died a comparatively rich
imam. holding northern securities, cash
III a Ioih Sd lISs odIih. dllu al
large sum of money in his pocket-booK
lin the aggregate about $4,000, every
cent Of which was left u~nreservedly to
Henry Burnett and his wife Matilda.
The sealed paper was n still more
startling revelation, and made clear
to the merchant many things over
which he had often pOndered: The
lstrange coming of Peter Hay into the
place: his anxiety for a clerkship at
his age: his Indifference about his sal
AIRY: his generosity in the loan of his
money, his remarkable affection for
himself and all the members of b.:
family. The sealed document was
the story of Il part of Peter Hays life,
land told that, over thirty years be
fore, he had been accused OF an in
famous crime in a town in Virginia,
land, although innocent. he was involv-
ed in Il network of adverse circum-
Istances which set public sentiment
AGAINST him: that the father of Henry