Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 January 1877 — CHAPTER III. [ARTICLE]

CHAPTER III.

It was two days after the scene reoorded in our last chapter, aad Mary Hope, with the Timet before her, was answering advertisements for a governess. Mary was not one to sit still under the pressure of calamity, however heavy, and having .got over the first shock of her misfortune, at once set about bravely to earn her own livelihood. With this view she was now seeking to procure a situation, either as governess or companion, entering upon ner task with a brave heart, though she well knew the trials to which such a position would probably expose her. She had answered three advertisements, and had folded and sealed her letters, and now, with her open desk before her, was counting her little store of ready money, and calculating how long she could at any rate subsist before she found employment. In replacing her purse, her hand fell upon a portrait, which she took out, and gazed at fondly. "Dear old Geoffrey, if you had lived, how different my future would have been! I suppose I ought to say God’s will be done, but, oh, it's vety, very hard!" A few moments she continue! gazing through her tears at the portrait, when a sharp knock at the outer door startled lief, and she replaced it in the desk. She heard Mrs. Murgatroyd in convemation with someone, aad then a quick, well-remem-bered voice said: • ‘ Where ? This room I” And in another moment the door was flung open, and Mary Hope was sobbing in her lost lover's arms. After the blissful excitement of the first meeting had subsided, a season of mutual explanations followed. Geoffrey Howard had been dangerously founded, and had been a prisoner for the greater part of a year in an Indian dungeon, where foe many weeks his life had hung on a thread by reason of an attack of malignant fever. His worn and sallow features, his skin bronzed to Oriental swartness, and the scar of a deep sabercut across his cheek, searce hidden by a rather ragged beard, bore eloquent witness to the perils he had passed through. He had landed in England but twelve hours previously, and had lost not a moment in seeking the presence of his darling and her father, for he was, of course, ignorant of Bernard Hope’s death. Mary, too, had much to tell, and nestling by Geoffrey’s side, her little white fingers hidden in the rugged brown hands of her lover, which held them as though they would never again let them go, she told him all she had gone through—the loss of her father, the bistory of the will, and lastly the loss of her little fortune.

" I don’t understand it." said Geoffrey. “ The man has been playing some very deep game.” " Perhaps he really wished to get me more—whatdovou call it?—interest tor my money. I daresay it was meant kindlv enough, though it has happened so unfortunately.” “ I don’t believe it, darling. If he had really had vour interest at heart he would have’ regarded safety before all things. I strongly suspect that if all had gone well you would simply have received your three per cent., and Mr. Slythorpe would have pocketed the difference." “ O Geoffrey, Geoffrey! I’m afraid you have come home very uncharitable. Beside. what does it matter about a lot of stupid money, now I have gotyou back again ? Unless, indeed, you would have liked me better for having the money.”

There was only one possible answer to such an accusation,' and Mat. Howard made itr—that is to spy, he called Mary a little goose, kissed her, and dropped the subject, having taken care, however, to ascertain the address of Mr. Slythorpe and the name of the company in which Mary’s money had been leak On leaving her he took a hansom cab and drove to the office Of tee liquidator of the company, when, oo his stating that he desired to make some inquiries on behalf of one of their shareholders, Mr. Slythorpe, he was in. formed, td his astonishment, that there was not, and never had been, any shareholder of that name on the books of the company. He next inquired whether, perchance, the shares were standing in Miss Hope's own name, aad again was answered in the negative. Utterly be wlldcred, he drove to Mr. Slythorpe’s office. Mr. Slythorpe was at home, and he speedily found himself in the attornev’s presence. Mr, Slythorpe was a little nervous. He was always a little nervous with strangers till he knew their business ; and Maj. Howard’s announcement that he had called on behalf of Miss Mary Hope did not tend to Increase his confidence. He was, howevefr far from suspecting* for employed by Miss Hope to call him to

account. Maj. Howard’s next remark tended to confine that impression. m “ You stated to Miss Hope, If think, a couple of days ago, that the property bpqueathed to perby her father’s will had 1 been invited, U thq Wb«al Marina Company, which has just come to grief. You 4TQ of courefe aware that ah m*risttheht •Upon such w rotten security WW» breach of thist, for which you are liable.*’ . “ Not at all; the power of investment is 1 “ You are certaih of thntr'i <j < > ■-> ft * J u t :#^'WKW2 ; pose, inytmroWn'name.” '' W op, “ Yn-«a; in my name of course as sole trustee.” “ Then prfcy bow is H, Me.’Blythorpe, that I don't find your name among the list of shareholders of the company ?” . Blythorpe’s countenance fell. •'‘Because—because—l may an well make a clean breast pf it—to tell you the truth, the mctady never was id that company at all. It was a false alarm, a4k S false alarm.” “ Then where on earth is the mbnfiy; sir? And what do you mean by a false alarm t” , “ I’ll tell you if ydu’ll have a little patience. As a brother solicitor, I’m sure you won’t press harder on roe thiyi you’re quite obliged Mias Hope’s money is in the Wheal Mary Apn, one a l the most flourishing companies going, and her shares are worth just double what I gave for them.” . f . “Then what on earth induced you ” “ I’ll tall you. Between ourselves, I’ve taken an uncommon fancy to Miss Hope, and I had made up my mind to make her Mrs. S.; but somehow she didn’t take to me quiteas kindly as I could have wished. Now, the other morning when I took up the Timet, almost the first thing I caught sight of was the smash of the Wheal Marina, and the similarity of name gave me quite a turn, for just at the first moment I thought it was the Wheal Mary Ann. And then the thought struck me, “If it only had been, may lady, you’d have been glad enough to say ‘Yea’ to Samuel Blythorpe.”" And then I thought I’d try it. It was merely a little innocent -practical joke—a roose d’amour, sir ; a -mere roose d'amour." And Mr. Blythorpe smiled. “ You atrocious scoundrel!?’. There was a Sudden blow, a heavy crash, and Mr. Samuel Blythorpe measured his length on the floor. The clerk outside hearing the downfall, popped his head into the room, but seeing the state of things discreetly retired again, remarking; “ Beg pardon; thought you rang, sir.” Meanwhile Maj. Howard, having knocked Blythorpe down, proceeded to Sull him up again; and with his own andy cane, which stood by the side of the fireplace, gave him one of the most tremendous thrashings ever recorded in the pages of history. And the clerk in the outer office, who owed Blythorpe many a grudge for acts of petty tyranny, listened at the dnor, smiting pleasantly at each “swish” of the descending cane, and finally indulging in a war dance expressive of triumph and exultation round the office-stool. A fortnight later Maj. Howard, looking Wonderfully better tn health and strength, stood before the altar of a quiet citychurch with a graceful little figure by his side. And with no pomp or ceremony, no breakfast, ho speeches, no wedding guests, with only good Mrs. Murgatroyd for bridesmaid, the two true lovers were made one. And six months afterward, in the Court of Queen’s Bench, the great assault case of Blythorpe ns. Howard was triad. And when the lawyers on both sides had had their say,, the presiding Judge said: “ Gentlemen of the jury, it is not disputed that a very violent assault was committed on the plaintiff, and his is. therefore entitled to your verdict. But, in assessing the damages, gentlemen, you wm consider the general merits of the case and give the plaintif only such compensation as you minkhe fairly deserves.” And the jury, in awarding one farthing by way of damages, expressed their unanimous regret that there wasn’t a smaller coi».— London Society.