Year: 1870

1
went out, the whole transaction not con-
suming over two minutes When she
had gone l rose from my desk, went over
to Johns and cast glance over his shoul-
der. He was holding the cheque in his
hand at the time, and after giving me an
angry side stare, thrust 1t into his drawer
l took the rebuff quietly, as knew de.
served 1t, and returned to my seat.


A few days had passed, when one even
Ing, just as we were about to close the
Office, we were electrified by a passion
ate outburst from old Pennypacker
directed against John Barrett. For some
minutes none of us understood the mat,
ter, but at last, through the invectives Of
/ Epbrairn and the explanations of a gentle.
man who had entered with him, it came
out that John had paid q forged cheaue
for eight thousand dollars, bearing the
| name of Abendroth q Co, one of our
largest depositors, The forgery had
been discovered on the monthly return OF
cheques to that house, and the spurious
paper now lay on Johns desk, apparently
striking him speechless. When he could
| find tongue, it was to tell that this was
the cheQue presented by the lady some
days before; and as it was drawn to
the order of Messrs. Abendroth & Co,
and endorsed in their usual manner, he
had felt no doubt about the 'propriety
of paying it. The forgery had been neat
| ly executed; there could be no doubt of
that. In those days, even some very
! large houses--that of Abendroth & Co
among others-did not have cheques
printed especially for their own use, but
ayailed themselves of such as were to be
found at the stationers. l shall never
forget the rage of oil Pennypacker. He
showed 1t in every way short of using his
fists upon the unfortunate culprit He
had just method enough in his madness
not to do that. -.


This affair upset the equanimity of the
establishment for week. John was
banished to an inferior position, and un-
der threat of having his whole salary cut
off for hundred years-for nothing less
than that would have made good the loss
was kept close prisoner at the desk,
except when summoned (as was also fre-
! quently my own easel before an inquisito-
rial board consisting of Pennypacker and
corps of detectives. On such occasions
we were called upon to repeat the de
scriptions we had so often given of the
woman who had presented the cheque
In these descriptions John and l did not
agree, but as it was supposed that he had
enjoyed better opportunity of seeing
/ her, and had more interest in her de-
lection than l, his account seemed to
carry the most weight. However, no
clue was found, and in a few months
John was restored to his former position,
for well old Pennypacker knew that he
could get no one of equal ability at the
same salary. The forged check was filed
away in the archives of the establish
ment, and the affair ceased to be dis
dussed.


Now comes the second event in my
story. l have spoken Of Lydia Penny
packer, but l have not mentioned that
l always knew that John Barrett was
very fond of her, and took every oppor-
| tunity to show it when her father was
out of the way. In fact, it was about the
only subject upon which John was not
taciturn, and upon that he would talk
with me for hours if gave him a chance
which l did not often do, for liked Lydia
myself, though not in the way John did,
but rather in brotherly manner. l
could not say that Lydia liked him; on
the contrary, thought she repulsed him
at every opportunity; 30 much so some
times as to excite his deepest ire, and
draw forth, in the solitude of our cham
ber, threats did not like to hear, but
feared to resent. Then considered that
John was fine young man, and likely to
rise in the world, being steady and indus
trious, and could think of no good rea.
son why Lydia should not like him, un-
less the fact that had seen her many
times in the street, especially on the way
| home from church, with o handsome
young Scotchman, an engineer, named
Alexander Graham, had something to do
with it. / said as much TO her one even
ing, and the blush and faint laugh which
were her only reply went good way to
confirm my suspicious. As the meetings
with Graham grew more frequent, Lydia's
dislike to John and her disgust with home
were more plainly expressed. Trouble
was rising, and one night it eliminated in
q contention between father and daugh
ter heard all through the house, and end
ing in the sound of blows. l stood
trembling at the foot of the stairs, and in
few moments down rushed the girl, with
hair disheveled and dress torn, making
straight for the street door. 1t was but
little after dark, and was the only one
of the clerks lett in the house. caught
her in my arms, but she tore herself
fiercely away, exclaiming:


"Let me go! The last blow is strucb
that I'll ever bear"


"Where are you going?"


Anywhere! anywherel so that get
away from this accursed place"


still struggled to hold her, and after a
few moments she seemed to relent; sud
denly bursting into tears, she caught my
hand and said:


"oh, no was wrong to speak so, for
you have always been kind to me, but
must 60"


l drew her to me, trembling all the
while-not with passion, but from fear of
old Ephraim coming upon us-and tried
every persuasion to make her forego her
purpose. l pictured the perils of young
girl going forth into the world penuiless
and with no means of earning her bread.
For time she was resolute, and no words
could dissuade her, even though, as she
owned, she was going to certain ruin.
God help me what could do for her
with my beggarly two hundred dollars
year g-just enough to provide me with
clothes and such necessaries as old Eph-
rain did not comprise in his stingy tariff
At last exacted promise from her that
she would go to her room and put off her
intention till morning, when we might
consider the situation more calmly. SO
parted from her, drying her tears with
my handkerchief, and kissing her as She
went away. That night l loved lydia
Pennypacker well enough to have made
her my wife-an act of pure madness, for
l was then only eighteen.


The next morning she did not come
to breakfast, and as this omission was
a fearful breach of discipline, the SER
want was sent for her. She was gone
gone, taking with her nothing but a
bonnet and cloak in addition to the
clothes which she had worn the evening
before, and in which, as was to be in
ferred from the appearance of her bed,
she had passed the night, without other
covering. In the early morning she
had fled. Had cat or dog strayed away,
think it would have affected Ephraim
Pennypacker as much. He asked no cues.
tions, ate, as usual, half of what was on
the table, and thep went to his business.
From that time forth no one mentioned
the name of his daughter to him or in his
presence, and she remained as thing
that had never existed, save in the Whis,
pered conversations of the clerks or in
my searches, which for months occupied
all my vacant time. They were wholly
| n