Year: 1870

count of his three sisters; though | do
not suppose he would have cared much
what we thought, even if he knew


But it was really comical to us fellows
to see the way he toted those three old
girls around. He was great for lectures;
and because he scribbled little for the
papers plenty Of tickets came to him
with compliments. You might see them
almost any night, at about eight, march
ing in solid phalanx, the two oldest arm
in-arm in front, with Browler and the
youngest bringing up the rear. All four
of them wore spectacles, and kept per-
feet step and little Browler, being rather
short, was obliged to stretch great deal
to keep up the stride.


1t was fun, too, to see the way he
glowered around at the men who went
past and he would make nothing of stop
ping the whole cavalcade and giving some
poor fellow lecture on civility, if he
fancied he paid too warm attention to the
ladies. And such rigmarole it was too,
Baxter said he got it from one of Can
ning's speeches, and learned it by heart ;
but | never could find it.


Suddenly we found cut, one day, that
none of us ever visited Browler, or knew
where he lived. We could tell pretty
near the quarter he came from mornings,
but he used to slip away from us at night,
in way that seemed mysterious, now
that we noticed it. Baxter, who is our
polcy-clerk, said he believed he lived in
sewer somewhere, on account of the
musty smell he used to have about his
clothes, and his shriveled-up skin, which
Baxter said, come from being in the wa
ter 80 much. But, of course, we did not
think this was fact.


However, we commenced to have an
eye on Browler's movements, as there
would be a reward coming to us, if we
found him out in rascality and We
vowed that no pity for his three sisters
should prevent us from exposing him 10
the world,i we uncarthed him. lie had
mean way Of eating his lunch behind
his ledgers, though we found out it was
nothing but a cracker and an apple but
some day he might be pretending to take
his lunch and really be altering some fig
ures, and so we determined to keep strict
watch.


About this time, a young fellow was
brought into the Office by the President
and introduced to us lower clerks by the
name of O'Neil.. He was handsome
one, and looked SO much the gentleman
that all of us were afraid to speak with
him at first, though he presently turned
out to be quite social and civil.


He told us right of, as though he meant
We should understand it, that he didn't
know anything about work, and that he
had been used to slaves in the South, but
that the war had made him poor; but he
said he could whistle and box beautifully,
and we might take it out in that if we
liked We all laughed, and we struck up
friendship directly.


That day, at about ten, when We We're
all busy and still as death, We heard
O'Neil sing out.


Hello say, Van Colt, is that YOU -


W L HI lOOhtu atOuuu, auh thcit was
O'Neil, looking at Browler, quite pale in
the face.


" Yes" said Browler, Keeping his red
face down, and writing away like mad,
Here am"


We fellows stared like owls to hear the
old gentleman called Van Colt, and to see
how it affected him. Baxter eyed the
two like hawk, but managed to give us
look that said, How are the inno-
cent apples and bread now, ch ?" O'Neil
stood for minute, looking as evil as a
thunder-cloud, and then walked slowly
over to old Browler's desk and stood be-
side him, fddling with his watchchain all
the while. We did not let move or
sigh escape u.s. Browler pretended to be
trying his pen on his thumb-nail, and
tried hard to appear unconcerned but he
could not get rid of the flush in his face
and his hanging head. O'Neil leaned
his shoulder against the desk, and looked
down very cool but very fierce at Brow
Ter, who was little below him, and said
something to him in very low voice, so
low that we could not catch a syllable.
Browler answered him in the same mean,
underhanded style that was piece ofthe
rest of his actions lately. They talked
some minutes this way, then suddenly
Browler broke out


1t will only make heap of mischief,
sir"


That's exactly what | want to make, u
said O'Neil, turning away. &" An eye
for an eye, and tooth for Il tooth say
l." He made few steps, as if he were
going back to the private offices, when
Browler scrambled off his stool and
touched his coat-seeve very hurriedly,
but very gently.


Don't, for Gods sake" says he
trembling like an aspen.


4" For who's sake ?"


For my sisters sake" ammered
Browler, much cut up.


You mean your incomes sake" re.
torted O'Neil. " You mean your comfort
your miserable salary"


Browler said nothing, but held his bald
! uCdQ QOM ldltuti tuuu CfCls iuO) WSie
both silent for a moment, O'Neil scowl.
ing, and drumming his foot on the floor
and Browler very meek and quiet. Then
O'Neil walked him off to the window
and leaned down and spoke in his ear
very quickly and in sharp, decided
tone but was very careful not to let us
hear. Then he turned about and came
back to his desk, with his hands deep in
his pockets, and fell to starring at his
inkstand without word to any of us,


Here was mystery for us We were
not at all surprised that Browler had
committed some act of treachery or blood.
thirsty violence, for We had long been
certain that man of his peculiar skull
and features would hesitate at nothing
when once fully aroused but that O'Nei