THIS TIMES NEW BLOOM FIELD, 1A., JAN U Alt Y 0,1871.
Slythorpe's Little Qamb. . ,
IN u darkened chamber, dark with the
awful shadow still more than with the
lack of material light, four persons frath
cred round ft bd, on hleh la & timn
hearing on his 'Ihee the unmlHtnkhble
lgns of the summons which none cart
refuse to answeri A weeping girl knelt
by the bedside, her faco bent over the
nerveless hand which lay upon the cov
erM, and which she held an though by
that convulsive clnnp die could hold her
father still to life. The doctor and nume
stood quietly nulde, ns having done their
part and waiting for the Inevitable end.
A shaded lamp eaot a ring of bright,
white light amid Its surrounding gloom,
and within Its gleaming clrcle.at n table
covered with papers and writing mate,
rials, sat the dying man's solicitor en
gaged in the preparation of hi will. The
instructions were short and simple,
liernard Hope had but one near relative,
his daughter Mary, now kneeling by bin
ldHl(lu,aud to her, as was natural, he
desired to leave his few possessions.
After an Interval of silence, broken
m1y by the suppressed sobs of the weep,
"ing girl and the monotonous scratching
-of the attorney's pen upon the paper, he
paused, and Inquired, In a harsh, un
pleasant voice.
''What mimes shall 1 Insert as trustees?
You should have two at least."
, The dying man paused ere he replied
with an efl'ort.
" Godfrey Howard, Major 111th, now
in India. I have no other friend."
" In that case may I venture to offer
my humble services, subject to tlieusiml
' proviso. I should be delighted to be use
ful" to Miss Hope, and if your friend Is
jibrond there may be tllfllculties."
"True, Slythorpe, I thank you. Miike
yourself trustee, then, Mitli Major How
ard. Legacy two hundred pounds for
your trouble."
" Nay, my dear sir, qulteunnecessary.
I really-"
Hut again tlir ready pen traveled over
the paper, and n quarter of an hour later
Mr. Slythorpe announced that the doc
5, . iiment was read for execution, and in a
" low, mechanical monotone read over Kb
provisions. The sick man seemed moro
than once to lose consciousness during
the reading, but at the close he appear
ed to nerve himself for a supreme
oftbrt.
" Yes that will do. Give me the pen,"
he said, and with a shaking hand affixed
his signature, and with eager eyes watch
ed the doctor and nurse as they added
their own as witnesses, after which he
sank back exhausted on his pillow.
' Thank God, that's safe!" he gasped.
l Mary, my child, you and Geoffrey
you and Geoffrey ! "What was I saying f
God bless you, my darling 1 God bless "
These were the last words Bernard
. Hope ever spoke.
'
A year had passed away since liernard
Hope's death, and Mary still remained
an inmate of the lipusc' of Mrs. Murga
iroyd, the good womhrt whom we have
seen in attendance at her father's last
illness, and who, to her occasional occu
pation as nurse, added the more perma
nent one of letting lodgings. Mary's
. sweet face and gentle manner had quite
won the heart of her good-natured land
lady, who was unceasing In her endeav
ors to soothe her grief and minister to
her comforts. Mary still showed in her
face and figure the tokens of the fiery
trial through which she had passed.
Her slight form looked slighter still iu
her soft black drapery, and the shadow
of an unforgotten sorrow still rested on
her delicate features. Mary Hope had
lieen her father's constant companion,
and she sorely missed the happy hours
in which his powerful intellect and va
ried experience had been unfolded for
her benefit, lint she had, too, another
trouble none the less hard to bear that
it was one in which she could have few
confidants. Major Howard, of whom
mention has already been made, was not
only her father's most valued friend, but
had Insensibly grown very dear to her
clf ; and when six months before Ber
nard Hope's death, he was summoned
with his regiment to India, he left Mary
his promised bride. Twice he had writ
ten within the first few weeks of his
departure, since which time there bad
been a terrible silence; and in the same
week which had left Mary fatherless, a
second blow fell upon her. The 111th
had been engaged In a smart skirmish,
the number of dead and wounded being
, considerable. Major Geoffrey Howard
was reported among the fallen ; and
Mary had to mourn at once her lover
and her father.
The death of Major Howard left Mr.
Slythorpe sole trustee of Mr. Hope's
will. This to Mary was a matter of the
most perfect indifference. Suspecting
evil of no one, she was willing that her
little fortune, amounting to some five or
six thousand pounds, should rest in Mr.
Slythorpe's hands as iu those of any
other person. But of late the attorney
had lieguu to persecute her with atten
tions, which, under existing circumstan
ces, would have been distasteful from
any one, but were doubly so front ft per
son whom she could hot help regarding
with an' instinctive dislike. Arid In
truth Mr. HlytluWpo was not preolsoly
the person to win a. falf lady's fancy.
Undersized, hlg)t-shnuldered,wlth blink.
lng,' lashless eyes; and a general angular
ity, iot to say knobblness, of feature, he
might have been expected to rlso supe
rior to any Weakness as to personal ap
pearance; but such was by no means
the ease. In Mr. Samuel Slythorpe's
own opinion, Mr. Samuel Slythorpe was
a gentleman of considerable personal
advantages, and It was his constant en
deavor to makefile, very best, of them.
He was obtrusively,'' we might almost
say offensively clean. Ills shirt-front,
collar, and wrist bands were all of the
most liberal dimensions, and of Intense
whiteness and starchlncss, giving him
the appearance, of being, so to speak,
" nil shirt ;" while his hands.whlch were
naturally coarse and red were made still
coarser and redder by perpetual wash
ing. Ho was always profusely scented,
and his short, scrubby hair was tortured
by the combined use of the brush and
(lie pomatum pot, into the semblance of
the split almonds wherewith tipsy-cakes
are wont to be decorated. His hats and
coats were always Intensely now, nnd ho
perpetually creaked as he moved his
patent-leather boots, maintaining a
friendly rivalry in tills particular with
his well-starched shirt-front. In his
habitual gorgeous array Indeed, If pos
sible, looking even cleaner and newer
than usual Mr. Slythorpe this morning
knocked at Mrs. Murgatroyd's door.
That good lady was at that moment en
gaged in dusting Miss Hope's room, and
catching sight of his approach, ex
claimed. ' " There's that nasty worriting lawyer
ngain, I do declare. Slythorpe, Indeed!
I'd Slythorpe him!"
It would be useless to endeavor to ex
press on paper the intensity of meaning
Mrs. Murgatroyd threw Into her newly
coined verb ; but it waB evident that
"Slythorplng" in her mind Included all
the tortures of the Middle Ages, with a
supplement of horscpond and other
modern Inventions. Mary smiled at the
good lady's vehemence.
" My dear Mrs. Murgatroyd.you really
shouldn't be so severe. Mr. Slythorpe
is a little peculiar, but 1 have no doubt
he means kindly, and you' know he is
the trustee of poor papa's will."
" I know he is, my dear, and I wish he
wasn't. I know he shouldn't be trustee
to a tomcat of mine, drat him !"
" Now really, Mrs. Murgatroyd, you
are too bad," said Mary, smiling in spite
of herself. " I ant sure poor Mr. Sly
thorpe Isn't nearly so dreadful as you
make out."
At this point the conversation was In
terrupted by the entrance of the gentle
man in question, and Mrs. Murgatroyd,
passing him with a final sniff of abhor
rence, quitted the apartment.
Mr. Slythorpe, for once in his life, ap
peared ill at ease. He was got up with
his accustomed care, and the suggestion
of scented soap which accompanied him
was even stronger than usual; but
his usual self satisfied air was wanting.
He evidently had something on his mind
some piece of rascality, u physiogno
mist would have conjectured, which he
either had recently perpetrated or was
about to perpetrate. Let us hope that
the physiognomist would have been
wrong.
' My dear Miss Hope," he began, after
the first greetings had been exchanged.
" I grieve to be the bearer of very un
pleasant Intelligence."
Mary looked up with quiet Indiffer
ence, scarcely believing that, after all
she had gone through, any news,good or,
bad, could have for her more than the
most passing interest. Slythorpe con
tinued: " I am sure that you will believe I did
it for the best; but misfortunes will hap
pen, you know, eveu with the utmost
care and caution. I am sure I thought
the investment as safe as the bank ; but
there's no trustinganythlng nowadays."-
" What is the misfortune, Mr. Sly
thorpe, for you haven't yet told me?
Nothing very serious, I hope."
" Only too serious, my dear Ma "he
tried to say " Mary," but couldn't get it
out, and substituted "Miss Hope"
" nothing less than the loss, I fear.of the
whole of your little fortune."
Mary turned very pale, but gave no
other sign jof emotion. " How did It
happen ?" she sald.'wlth an effort.
" Your money was, us you know, In
the Three Per Cents, where it produced
a miserable jEKiO a year. In the hope of
doing better for you, I sold out, and in
vested It in a new mining company, the
Wheal Marina, which promised to pay
a minimum dividend of ten percent,and
so would have just trebled your income.
And this morning I am grieved to find
from The Time that the company Is an
utter smash. The directors have bolted,
and the stockholders will lose every pen
ny of their money." -
; " Is all gone ? Nothing left V"
" Not a sixpence, and you remain Ha- ',
ble for calls to the amount of about as
much more." ' " ' . '
Poor Mary's fortitude quite gave way.
" O dear, what shall I do t I haven't a
friend In the world."
" No, no, don't say that, Miss Mary,"
said Slythorpe, In a gentle patronizing
manner; " H If n't as bad as that comes
to. I haven't disguised my own feelings
toward you ; and though you've lost your
money, you know, that needn't make
any dlflerenco belween you and me. My
affection ain't of the mercenary sort t In
fact, as I got you Into the mess (though
with the best of Intentions, mind you,)
It's only fair I should get you out of It."
Mary had hidden her face In her hands
but she become aw are, from the Increased
Intensity of the all-pervndlng scentcd
Boap aroma, thut Slythorpe was drawing
nearer to her, and In another moment
his arm was around her waist. She drew
herself up proudly : '
" Sir, I am willing to believe you mean
kindly, but your offer under such cir
cumstances Is an insult. Be good enough
to leave mo."
Slythorpe would have parleyed, but
with an air of an outraged queen Mary
Hope rang the bell, and obedient to the
summons, Mrs. Murgatroyd appeared.
" Open the door for Mr. Slythorpe, If
you please."
" You '11 be sorry for this, you'll find,
Miss Hopo," said Slythorpe; but Mary
vouchsafed no answer, and the attorney
retired discomfited, Mrs. Murgatroyd
holding the door for him with an ex
pression of thorough enjoyment. As
soon as It was closed upon him, she
bounced back into Mary's room, and
flung open the windows.
" Let's have n breath of fresh air, for
goodness' sake, after that nasty, slimy,
scented serpent. I always feel as If the
house wanted dlsln what d'ye call it ?
with Condy's Sea-salt or Tidman's Re
storer, or some o' them deldolisers, when
ever he's been In It. Why, my dear
lamb, whatever Is the matter ?"
Poor Mary's overwrought nerve had
at last given way, and she fell upon the
sofa in a fit of violent hysterics. Mrs.
Murgatroyd, with motherly instinct, let
her emotion have its way, and she was
soon so calmed as to be able with many
tears to tell the story of this new mis
fortune, finally crying herself to sleep on
the good old woman's sympathizing bo
som. It was two days after the scene just
recorded, and Mary Hope, with The
Time before her, was answering adver
tisments for a governess. Mary was not
one to sit still under the pressure of ca
lamity, however heavy, and having got
over the first shock of her mlsfortune,at
once set about bravely to earn her own
livelihood. With this view she was now
seeking to procure a situation, as a
governess, entering upon her task with
a bravo heart, though sho well knew the
trials to which such a position M ould
probably expose her. Sho 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 cal
culating how long she could at any rate
subsist before she found employment.
In replacing her purse her hand fell up
on a portrait, which she took out, and
gazed at fondly. " Dear old Geoffrey, If
you had lived how dlffeient my future
would have been ! I suppose I ought to
say God's will be done, but O, it's very
very hard !" A few moments she con
tinued gazing through her tears at the
portrait, when a sharp knock at the out
er door startled her, and she replaced it
in the desk. She heard Mrs. Murgatroyd
in conversation with some one,and then
a quick, well-remembered voice said,
"Where? This room?" Ami in an
other moment the door was flung open,
and Mary Hope was sobbing iu 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 wounded
and hud been a prisoner for the greater
part of u year in an Indian dungeon,
where for many weeks his life had bung
on a thread by reason of an attack of ma
lignant fever. Ills worn and sallow
features, his skin bronzed to Oriental
swarthiness, and the scar, of a deep sabre-cut
across his check, scarce hidden by
a rather ragged ljeard, bore eloquent wit
ness to the perils he had pussed through.
He had landed In England but twelve
.hours previously, and had lost not a mo
ment in seeking the presence of his dar
ling and her father, for he was of course
ignorant of Bernard Hope's death. ' Ma
ry, too, had much to tell, and nestling
by Geoffrey's side, her little white fin
gers hidden In the rugged brown hands
of her lover, which held them as though
they would never aguln let them go, she
told him all she had gonei through the
lose .of her father, the history of the
will, and lastly, the loss of her little for
tune.
" I don't understand it," said Geoffrey,
" The man has been playing some' deep
game. '
" Perhaps he really wished to get me
more what do you call it? Interest for
my money. I daresay it war meant
kindly enough, though It has happened
so unfortunately." J i . - .
" I don't believe It, darling If he had
really your Interest at heart, he would
have regarded safety before all things, I
strongly suspect that If all things had
gone well you would simply have re
ceived your three per cent., and Mr'.
Slythorpe would have pocketed the dif
ference." .' t f
41 0 Geoffrey .Geoffrey I I'm afraid you
have come home very uncharitable. Be
sides, what does It matter about a lot of
stupid money, now I have got you 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 Major Howard
mado it that Is to say, 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 lost. On leav
ing her, he took a hansom cab and
drove to the ofilceof the liquidator of the
company, when, on his stating that he
desired to make some Inquiries on be
half of one" of their shareholders, Mr.
Slythorpe, he was Informed to his aston
ishment that there was not and never
had been any shareholder of that name
on the books of the company. Ho next
Inquired whether, perchance, the shares
were standing In Miss Hope's own name,
and again was answered in the negative.
Utterly bewildered, he drove to Mr. Sly
thorpe's office. Mr. Slythorpe was at
home, and he speedily found himself In
the attorney's presence. Mr. Slythorpe
was a little nervous. Ho was always a
little nervous with Btrangerstlll he knew
their business; and Major Howard's an
nouneement that he had called On be
half of Miss Mary Hope did not tend to
Increase his confidence. He was, how
ever, far from suspecting Major How
ard's Identity, but jumped to the con
clusion that he was a hostile solicitor
employed by Miss Hope to call him to
account. Major Howard's next remark
tended to confirm that impression.
" You stated to Miss Hope, I think, a
couple of days ago, that the property be
queathed to her by her father's will had
been Invested In the Wheal Marina Corn
pany,which has Just come to grief. You
are of course aware that an Investment,
upon such a rotten security was a gross
breach of trust, for which you nre lia
ble." " Not at all ; the power of investment
is unlimited. Indeed shares of companies
are specially included."
" You ore certain of that ? "
" Quito so. I drew the will myself."
"Very good. The shares stood, I sup
jiose, in your own nume."
" Ye-es ; in my name, of course as sole
trustee." . '
" Then pray how Is It, Mr. Slythorpe
that I don't find your name among the
list of shareholders of the company?''
Mr. Slythorpe's countenance fell.
"Because because I may as well
make a clean breaet of it to tell you the
truth.the money never was in that com
pany at all. It was a false alarm, Sir, a
false alarm."
" Then where on earth is the money,
sir ? And what do you mean by a false
alarm ?"
" I'll tell you, If you'll have a littlepa
tience. As a brother solicitor, I'm sure
you won't press harder on me than you
are quite obliged. Miss Hope's money is
in the Wheal Mary Ann, one of the
most flourishing companies going, and
her shares are worth Just double what I
gave for them." !
" Then what on earth induced you"
" I'll tell you between Ourselves, I've
taken an uncommon fancy to Miss Hope
and I had made up my mind to make
her Mrs. 8. ; but somehow she didn't
take to me quite as kindly as I could
have wished. Now the other morning
w hen I took up The Times, almoet 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, my lady, you'd have been glad
enough to say " Yes" to Samuel Sly
thorpe." And then I thought I'd try it.
It was merely a little innocent practical
joke a roose cTamour, Sir: a mererooae
d'amour." Aud Mr. Slythorpe smiled.
" You atrocious scoundrel I"
There was a sudden blow, a heavy
crash, and Mr. Samuel Slythorpe meas
ured 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 Major Howard, having
knocked Slythorpe down, proceeded to
set him up again ; and with his own
dutidy 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 Slythorpe
many a grudge for acts of petty tyranny,
listened at the dooif smiling pleusantly
at each " swish" of the descending cane,
and finally indulging in a war dance ex-
presrttva'of triumph and exultation round,
me omco-stooi. t. . ' v
i A fortfhhrht liter. Malorllo ward. look.
Ing wonderfully better tit . hearth and
sreiigiu, two nerore the alter of a
quiet city ohurch with u graceful little
figure his side. And with no pomp
6t oeremohi, no breakfast, 4io speeches,
no weaning guests, with only good Mrs.
Muriratrovd for bridesmaid, ill A turn frna
lovern tvere made one, And Mt run tit lis
afterwards, in . the Court of Queen's
Jtencn, the great assault case of Sly
thorpe Vs. Howard was trlml. Atwl
when the lawyers on both sides had hod
ii. .i .. . . . .
uieir say, ine presiding Judge said,
"Gentlemen of the Jury, It Is, not klis--'
puieu mat a very violent assault was
committed on the 'nlalntlif. ami ha u
therefore entitled to your verdict, But
m assessing tne damages, gentleman,
you" will consider the federal' merit nf
the case, and give the plain tiff only such
compensation as you think he fairly de
serves." And the Jury,, in awarding
one lariuing ny way or damages, ex
pressed their unanimous recrret that
there wasn't a smaller coin.
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