The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-03-27
Our Daily $bort Story

Simple, but despicable.
 T will give the matter my atten- tion." he said instead. Perhaps your husband is working too hard. His po- sition as cashier is especially onerous No doubt he needs rest. I will speak to him about taking a few weeks rest. and I think he will soon be his old self again."
 She smiled her gratitude. Suddenly her face grew grave. Henry often tells me how considerate you always are of him, and oh! l thank you so much for it, as you could be otherwise if you desired"
 "Birdie." the old pet name of other days swept impulsively from his lips as he arose and bent over her, Il could do anything to make you hap py." he said softly.
 She looked imploringly into his eyes.
 "Don't-please don't. I have no right to listen."
 He bowed his head resignedly. For give me. l have less right to speak, he said sadly.
 She arose and walked slowly to the door. Goodbye. she said simply. Then she was gone.
 The man closed tho door after her and sank into his chair oh, God.
 what hast thou denied mel he cried
 in the bitterness of his soul All
 through the long hours of the day the
 man sat. Vision of what might have
 been" came and went. The stars were
 shining in at the open window when
 the man at last raised his head. Open-
 ing drawer of his desk he took out a
 photograph. The fair face of a young
 girl smiled up at him. For a long time
 he sat looking at it. then with all the reverence of manhood he touched it with his lips.
 The next morning the cashier was called into the office of the manager
 and went back to his duties an hour later with new buoyancy In his man.
 ner. That same day the manager transferred $5.000 from his private ac- count and the cashiers deficit was made good. That same week Hyram King went abroad.
 Ten years passed. Again Hyram King stood upon his native land. Time had made great changes in all things Ills business interests had grown, and he was a rich man.
 One day he strolled through the ! apartments of the company. There | were bat few familiar faces there now After a time he stopped at the cash ier's desk. A strange face looked up
 to greet him. He thought he had lived down the old life. but he turned eager ly to the manager to ask of Henry Goodson, the former cashier For the first time he learned how the weak
 man had again fallen. but had evaded the laws of justice by taking his own life. No one knew what had become of his family. but the manager thought that they were still in the city. Hyram King was surprised at him. self and the eagerness with which he
 pursued the task of finding the lost
 ones. Time passed. His search was
 unrewarded. nor had the detectives he put upon the case any better success The wife and child of the defaultinG
 cashier had disappeared nor could they be found. So at last the search was abandoned.
 The ran had been falling all day in a slow. continuous drizzle and freez- ing as 1t fell. The clouds were dark and lowering, and the cold wind howl | ed through the almost deserted streets Hyram King yawned many times over his newspaper. and at last flung 1t aside in disgust. He was lonely and nothing satisfied him. He walked up and down the room in restless i'm
 patience, pausing now and then to look out upon the street at the long glisten- ing iciciles which hung in pendants as he could, and then he donned his great coat and set out to walk himself into a better frame of mind. He paused a little in the corridor of the hotel, but the rough jokes and small