The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1869-02-20

up by q maiden aunt, who left him
snug little fortune of $1,000 odd,
put out on excellent security, at iiVe per
cent. interest AS natural consequence
of this legacy, Stephen Hawkhurst never
had, or wished to have, single client.
But the unprecedented necessity for doing
somethingshad exercised galvanic effect
upon the torpid mind of Stephen Hawk
hurst, who wrote to Miss Harriet Fielding
three letters, each more peremptory than
the preceding one, insisting upon imme-
date payment, with the threat of legal
proceedings in the event Of non-compll-
ance with his demand. No notice being
paid to these epistolory gems, he took out
q writ; and, having nothing in the world
to do, proceeded to the distant region of
Tyburnia, to serve 1t with his own hands.
Never was man more completely ami
hilated than Mr.. Hawkhurst when ushered
into the presence Of bright, sunny little
thing, wreathed in smiles, and beaming
with kindliness and fun.
1t was so good of him, she said, to come
all the way to see her. She knew she had
been dreadfully rude in not answering his
letters, but she was so afraid Of lawyers,
they were so awfully clever. Besides, l.
was so very awkward; for just at that
moment, 1t really was not quite conve-
nient to pay her dear friend DIR. Bryan.
| She could never forget how kind he was
to her. Somebody had been making mis-
chief and setting him against her, and she
knew nobody in London, and was so ig-
norant of business and then she threw
herself on the sofa, and hid her face, and
had good cry.
This was more than Mr. Hawkhurst
bargained for. Though lawyer, he was
still man and, it might be added, a very
weak man. He sat brushing his
hat the wrong way, and wishing
himself back in Raymond Build.
ings, all the time the golden-haired
sprite was speaking to him; but when she
broke down and sobbed, he jumped up
and exclaimed, "John Bryan is brute,
and am no better l must serve this
writ on you, though pom my word, l feel
l ana beast to do it. But don't cry-Pll
make 1t all right. Do forgive me. | had
no idea you were an-an-angelW With
that he rushed out of the room, down
stairs and into the street. His back, how
ever, was scarcely turned before both en-.
Velope and writ were in full blaze while
the little lady was almost convulsed with
laughter at the discontinue of her enemy.
When Mr. Hawkhurst returned to his
chambers, his first impulse was to send
Miss Fielding q check for the entire sum,
But he was quite as little accustomed to
writing bilLetS.dottD as to serving writs
so that, by the time he had torn up half a
quire of note paper, his passion had
| cooled down to the value Of $50 Sending
porter to the bank for a note to that
amount, he enclosed it in sheet of paper,
containing only the words, Fr0m sim
cere Friend and Admirer !" and dispatched
1t by a messenger, with instructions to
leave it at the door, and on no account
to say who had sent him. She will recog-
nize, he thought, the monogram on the en-
velope.
Poor man it is as well that he was not
present when the "angel" opened the
note left by his messenger. She never for
a moment troubled herself to look at the
monogram, or the handwriting; but
pocketed the money, with smile, under
the full impression that it came from her
old beau, the City Merchant. Mr.. Hawk
hurst, however, continued in FOOLS para
disc all that evening He still went on
building castles, until the sudden thought
stabbed him, like dagger, What if she
S6a SsEspdX XE5PJ P OEa6 68Td TdRh RhB2 bB2AS AS rorenead
there was feeling Of sufocation in his
throat. With violent effort he gulped
down half wine-glassful of Burgundy,
and then relieved his momentary anguish
with SIGH.
Mention has already been made of Ed
mund Blake, Esq, Barrister at-Law. The
most marvellous thing about Mr. Blake
was his means of locomotion He would
be in Paris one week, in Edinburgh
another, then he would be seen in Man
chester or Liverpool, and after that in
London or Ramsgate. As he never car
ried anything but an old carpet-bag with
him, it was rumored among his friends
that he generally took French leave of
mine host of the hotel he might chance to
honor with his company. On one occa-
sion, he happened TO be at Brighton, lodg-
ing in the house of respectable widow
lady, in straitened circumstances, who had
denied herself everything in order to be-
stow brilliant education upon her only
child, in the hope of obtaining for her q
comfortable home as goVerness or com
panion.
Mary White had just left school at the
time Mr. Blake engaged her mothers back
and front parlors. She was Joyous,
bright little thing, with q profusion of
golden hair, which she was fond of letting
down over her shoulders. Her voice was
the very essence of harmony; her man
ners bewitchingly simple; her eyes
beamed with seemingly artless, confiding
| oAFooA,ov,. hnr r;Nn1tpCr ov,nfIas Vynrn o1to
gether irresistible. Edmund Blake nader
attempt to resist them. For upwards Of a
= fortnight he raved about her, and to her.
There was nothing he would not do for her.
She should have her carriage and pair, a
house near Hyde Park, stall at the Opera
-he thought of promising a box, but
changed his mind. But Mary remarked
that his collars and cuffs were particularly
ragged, that he had only one pair of boots,
and they were patched at the side and,
above all, that he neither made any
presents to herself, nor paid his weekly
bills to her mother. For all that, she was
a good deal impressed by his manly pres.
ence, his rich voice, his smooth talk, his
pleasant anecdotes, and his varied infor-
nation; when one morning it was discov-
} cred that the fine gentleman had departed,
taking with him his carpet-bagr but omit
tirg to pay his account.
Now that Mary's education was com.
pleted, Mrs. White resolved to dispose of
: her furniture, and seek for herself situa-
ton as housekeeper, and for her child that
ofa companion, or governess. Mary, how
ever, had other plans in view for her own
advancement. Full of romance, and blest
with an excellent opinion Of her own
charms, personal and intellectual, she fell
confident of her power to secure an eligible
match, provided only she could obtain an
opportunity Of showing herself off to ad,
: vantage.
The irst thing to be done was to gel
clear of her mother. She waited, there
! fore, until their furniture was converted
into hard cash, and then she practised hel
, first deception. She told her unsuspectine
! parent that, on the erecommendation Of one
, Of her late schoolfellows, she was going al
reader and pianist to Lady Purnull. Hel
) mother accordingly supplied her with al
! | abundant and even hqndaona outf1t and