CHAPTER XVI.—DEALING MOSTLY WITH MONEY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2656, 8 February 1905, Page 63

CHAPTER XVI.— DEALING MOSTLY WITH MONEY.

Pilot Summerhayes stood in his garden, with that "took on his face which a guilty schoolboy wears when the eye of his master is upon him. In his hand he held a letter, at which he glanced fuitively, as if he feared! to be caught in the act of reading it, althoxigh the only eyes that possibly could have detected him were those of two sparrows that wex-e discussing the purple berries of the Portuguese laurel which grew near by. " 'I enclose the usual half-yearly allowance of £250.' " The pilot was reading from the letter. "Damnation take him and his allowance !" ejaculated the irascible old sailoi, which was a strange anathema to hurl at the giver of so substantial a sum of money. "I suopose he thinks to make me beholden to him I suppose he thinks me a? poor as a church rat, and, therefore, I'm to be thankful for mercies received — his mercies — and say v/hat a benefactor he is, what a generous brother. Bab ! it makes' roe sicker thar ever to think of him." He glanced at. the letter and read, " 'Hoping that this- small sum is sufficient for yourself ! and my very dear niece, to whom I ask I to be most kindly remembered, I remain your affectionate brother, Silas Summerliayes.'" A most brotherly epistle, containing filial expressions and indicating a bountiful spirit ; and yet, upon reading it, the pilot swore deep and dreadful oaths [ which cannot be recorded. Every six months for at least 15 years lie had received a similar letter, expressing ir the same affectionate terms the love of his brother Silas, which was accentuated by a like-draft for £250, and yet the pilot 1 had persistently tursed the receipt of each letter. There was n, footstep on the verandah behind him. With a start the old man. thrust the epistle and draft into his pocket, and stood, with a look on his face as black a? thundei. confronting almost defiantly his charming daughter. "Have you got your letters, father? I heard the postman's knock." As she spoke Rose looked rather anxiously at her frowning parent. "Good news I hope? — the English mail arrived last night." "I daresay it did, my gal," growled the pilot. "But I don't see what you and me nave to do svith England,' seeing we've quit it these 15 years.*' "But we were born there. Surely people should »hink affectionately of their native country." l "But we went die there, please God — at least I won't, if I can help it. You'll not . need to, I hope. We're colonials ; this is our country." The girl turned to go indoors, but, a sudden impulse seizing her, ' she put her arms round the old man's neck and 1 kissed his weither -beaten cheek. - ■ *** "What's been troubling you, father? I'll drive the tvorry away-" She held his rough-, hand in hers and waited for him to speak. "You're a good gal, Rosebud ; you're a great comfort. But, Lord bless me, you're acs sensitive as a young fawn. There's nothing the matter with, me except when now and again I. get a fit of the blues. But you've drove "em away, darter; you've drove em clean away. Now, just you run in and attend ii your house, and leave me to go into town, where I've a bit of business to attend to, there's a good gal !" He kissed his daughter's smooth, white forehead, and she ran indoors, smiling pnd lu.ppy. 'The pilot resettled the peakpd cap or> )As head, stumped down the garden path, and passed out }f -;he gate and along the road. His steps led him to the main sfreet of the town, where he entered 1 the Kangaroo Bank, the glass door of which swung noiselessly behind him. and he stood in front of the exquisite clerk of Semitic origin who dealt out and received ovev the broad counter the enoimous wealth of the opulent institution. "Good morning, Captain Stimmerhayes." " 'Mornin',*' said the pilot, as he*fumbled m the inside pocket of his coat. At length he dre\r out the draft and. landed it to the clerk, who turned' it over, and said. "Please endorse It." The old sailor took a pen, and with infinite care wrote his name on the back of the .document. When the clerk was satisfied that everything was in order, he said, "Two hundred and fifty pounds. How will you take it, Captaini?" "I don't want to take it," answered the; pilot gruffly. "I'll put it along with the other." "You wish to deposit it?" said the clerk. 'Certainly. You'll need a form." He drew a printed slip from a box ca - the counter and filied it in. "Sign here, please," he said, indicating Avith his finger the place of signature. "No, no," said the old man, evidently annoyed. "You've made it out in my name. It should be in my darters, like" all the rest have been."' The clerk made tho necessary alteration, and the pilot signed. "If you call in this afternoon I'll give youi the cte'posit receipt," said the clerk. "Now, really, young man, ain't that a; bit slow? D'you think S-'ve got nothing better to do than to d'edge up and down from the port, waitin' for your precious receipts?" The clerk looked surprised that anyone should question his dictum far one moment, but he immediately handed the signed form to a neighbouring clerk for transmission to the manager, or to some functionary only one degree less omnipotent. "And virile .we're waiting," said the pilot, "I'd be much, obliged if you'd show mo, Ihe book where you keep the record .of all the monies I've put into your bank.". a The clerk conferred- with, another clerfc^ who went off somewhere and returned wifcH a heavy 'lome, which he placed with a bang on the counter. The Jew turned over the broad leaves.

-with a great rustling. "This inspection of ' our books is purely optional with us, cap--tain, but with an old customer like youreelf we waive our prerogative." "Very han'some of you, very han'some indeed." How does she stand?" The clerk ran his finger down a long Icolumn of figures, and said, "There are a number of -deposits in "Miss Rose's name. Shall 'l read the amounts?" 'Tvb got the receipts in my strong box. All I want is the total." "Ten. thousand five hundred pounds," said the clerk. "An' there's this here new lot," said the pilot. "Ten thousand seven hundred and fifty altogether." f The pilot drew the heavy account book \ towards him and verified the clerk's statements. Then he made a note of the sum total, , and said, 'Til take that last receipt now if it's ready." The clerk reached over to a table, where the paper had been placed by a fellow clerk, and handed it to the gruff old sailor. "Thank you," said Pilot Summerhayes. "Now I can verify the whole caboodle at jny leisure, though I hate figures as the dievil hates holy water." He placed the -~ receipt . in his inside pocket* and buttoned up Ms "coat. -' "Good.-day," he said as he turned to- go. -""I wish you good morning, captain." " - The :pilotTglaiiced back, Ms face wearing * look of amusement, "as though he thought the -clerkfs effusiveness was too good to be true. ' * Then he nodded, gave a little chuckle, and -walked out through the swinging glass "doors. The Jew watched the bulky sailor as •be moved slowly, like a ship, leaving port •in heavy- weather, -with many a lurch and - tact- against an adverse wind. By the ecsJjression on. the Semitic face you might have " thought that Isaac Zahn was beholding - some "new and interesting object of natural history instead of a ponderous and grumpy -'■'©Id sailor, whio seemed to doubt somewhat the bona fides of the Kangaroo Bank. But - the truth was that ?ae young- man was •dazzled by the personality of one who might command such wealth. It had suddenly dawned on his calculating mind that a large sum of money was standing in the ■name of T^ose Sramnerhayes. He realised ' tvith, the clearness -Of "a revelation that there - iwei^other fish" than Rachel Varnhagen in - thesea-of matrimony. " ' The .witching' hour of lunch was near at band. Isaac glanced at the clock, the '.ifcands of which, pointed to five minutes to ;?12. As soon as' the cleck above the post ■ „cf&ce sounded.. the hour* he left Jbhe counter, -which was immediately occupied by another • clerk, and; going to a little room in the "''• rear of th"c big building/ h# titivated 1 his -.person beforej a small looking-glass that - frang on ,the walL, and then, putting on ;3ris -immaculate^ hat, he turned his back tipon the "cares of business for one hour. y His steps led him no'fTin the direction of - Ihis 'victuals, bufJrWvrards the warehouse of Joseph Varnhiagen.' There was no hurry "'~ in Bis, gait.; -"he sauntered down the street, ' (liis eyes : observing^ everything, and with a ' 'look of "patronising good* humour on his dark faGe, us though he would say, "Really, - you/people are most amusing. Your style's awful, but- I put up with, ft because you know, no better: "~ He" reacted the door of Varnhagen's store in precisely the same frame of mind. _ The „sjrim.y, match-lined walls of the merchant's untidy office, the litter •of "odds and 1 ends upon the" floor, the , antiquated safe which stood in one corner,- all aroused' his pity and contempt. - The old Jew came waddling from, the '"back of the store, his. body ovoid, his .'bald head perspiring with the exertion he Lad put himself to in moving a chest of lea? "Well, my noble, vat you vant to-.day?" lie asked, as he waddled to his office table and placed upon it a packet of tea, in- , .tended for a sample. ._^ "I just looked round to see how you ;wf re- bobbing up." "Bobbin' up, vas it? I don't bob up much better for-seein' you. Good Gracious ! v-I vas almost dead, with Packett ill with fever or sometings from that ship outside, ;and" me doin' all his York and mine as 1 .well. Don't stand round mi my vay yen you see I'm pizzy !" Young Isaac leisurely took a seat by the safe, lighted a cigarette, and looked .on amusedly at the merchant's flurry. ' "You try to do too much," he said. ioo anxious to save wages^^ -Wihat you want is a partner to keep your books, a young man with energy who will look after your interests — and his own. You're just wearing yourself to skin and bone ; "soon you'll go' into a decline and 1 drop off the hooks." "Eh? Vat? A decline yeu call it? Me? Do I look like it?" The fat little man stood upright, and ' his rotund person. "It's the. wear and tear of mind that I fear will be fatal to you. You have braintire written large over every feature. I - think you "ought to. see a doctor and 1 get a nerve tonic. This -fear of dying a pauper •is rapidly IrfTTmg you, and who then will ■6]} your shoes?" - "My poy, there is one thing certain — you ivon't. I got too much sense. I know a smart feller when I see him, and you're . altogether too slow to please me." " "The really energetic man is the one who ■works with his- brains and leaves others to work, with their hands." "Oh! that's it, eh? Kvite a young Solomon ! Veil, Ido both." "And you lose money in consequence.' *!I losing money?" . ~ "Yes," you. You're dropping behind fast. "Crookenden and Co. and outstripping you in every line." .'"Perhaps you see my books. Perhaps Jroii see theirs." ~i "' "I see their accounts at the bank. I "Jjtjow what their turnover is ; I know yours. lYou're not in it." "But * they lose their cargo — the ship jgo^s down." "But they get the insurance and send forsrard new orderSi and make arrangements

■with us for the consignors to draw on them. Why, they're running rings round you.'' "Veil, how can I help it? My mail i never come — I dc-nt know vat my beobles ar« doing. But I send orders too." i "For iuow much?" "Cat's my pizz'ness." "And this is mine." The clerk took a sheet of paper from his pocket. "I don't want to know your pizz'ness." "But you'd like to know" C. and Co.'s?" "Kvite right. But you know it. Perhaps you know the devil's pizz'ness too?" Young Zahn laughed. "1 wish I did," he said. "Veil, young -mans, you're getting pretty near it; you're getting on that way." i "That's why it should be wise to take me into your business." "I dare say ; 13ut all you vant is to marry my taughter Rachel." "I w?.nt- to marry her, that's true, but theie are plenty of fish- in the sea." "AnS 1 there are plenty other pizz'nesses besides mine. You haf my answer." The bank clerk got up. "What I propose is for your good as well as mine. I don't want to ruin you; I want to see you prosper." - „ "You ruin me? How do you dt> that? i If 1 change my bank, how do you. affect < me?" "But you would have to pay off your overdraft first." "That vill be yen the manager pleases — but as for his puppy clerk, dressed like a vonian's tailor, get out of this !" The young man stood smiling at the door ; but old Va.rnhagen>, enacting again th« little drama of Luther and the devil, hurled the big office inkpot at the scheming Isaac with full force,. The clerk ducked his head and ran, but j Ihe missile had struck him. under the chin, and his immaculate person was bespattered from shirt collar U mouse-coloured spats with violet copying ink". In this deplorable state he was forced to pass through the streets, a spectacle for tittering shop girls arid laughing tradesmen, that he might gain the seclusion of his single room, which lay somewhere in the back premises of the Kangaroo Bank. (To be continued.)