The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1877-01-09


truth Mr. Sslythbfpe was not precisely
the person to win fair lady's fancy.
| Understood, high-shouldered, with blink
ing, lashless eyes, and general angular
ity, not to say knobbiness, OF feature, he
might have been expected to rise supe-
rior TO any weakness as to personal ap-
pearance; but such was by no means
the case. In Mr.. Samuel Slythorpe's
own opinion, Mr.. Samuel Slythorpe was
gentleman of considerable personal
advantages, and II was his constant en-
deavor to make.the very best of them
He was obtrusively, we might almost
say Extensively clean. His shirt-front,
collar, and wrist bands were all of the
most liberal dimensions, and of intense
whlteness and starchiness, giving him
the appearance of being, so to speak,
call shirt !" while his hands, which were
naturally coarse and red were made still
coarser and redder by perpetual wash
ing. He was always profusely scented,
and his short, scrubby hair was tortured
by the combined use of the brush and
the pomatum pot, into the semblance of
the split almonds wherewith tipsy-cakes
are wont to be decorated. His hats and
coats were always intensely new, and he
perpetually creaked as he moved his
patent-leather boots, maintaining
friendly rivalry in this 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-
gagged in dusting Miss Hopes room, and
catching sight of his approach, ex-
claimed.
There's that nasty worriting lawyer
again, do declare. Slythorpe, indeed
I'd Slythorpe him ~
1t would be useless to endeavor to ex-
press on paper the intensity of meaning
Mrs. Murgatroyd threw into her newly
coined verb; but it was evident that
"Slythorping" in her mind included all
the tortures of the Middle Ages, with
supplement of borsepond 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 have no doubt
he means kindly, and you know he is
the trustee of poor papa's will"
81 know he is, my dear, and wish he
wasn't. know he shouldn't be trustee
to tomcat of mine, drat him -
Now really, Mrs. Murgatroyd, you
are too bad, said Mary, smiling in spite
of herself. 81 am 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 final sniff of abhor-
renee, quilted the apartment.
Mr.. Slythorpe, for once in his life, ap-
peared i'll 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, a 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:
am sure that you will believe / did
it for the best; but misfortunes will hap
pen, you know, even with the utmost
care and caution. am sure / thought
the investment as safe as the bank; but
there's no trusting anything nowadays "
What is the misfortune, Mr.. Sly
thorpe, for you haven't yet told me +?
Nothing very serious, 1 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 of emotion. "How did it
happen ?n she said, with an effort