The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-01-26
bank but there's no trusting anything

Nothing very serious, 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, fear, of
the whole OF your little fortune"
Mary turned very pale, but gave no
other sign of emotion. "How did it
happen 2" she said, with an effort.
Your money was, as you know, i'll
the 3-per-cents, where it produced
miserable EGO year. In the hope of
doing better for you, sold out, and
invested it in new mining company,
the Wheal Marina, which promised to
pay a minimum dividend of 10 per
cent, and so would have Just trebled
your income. And this morning l am
grieved to find from the Times that the
company is an utter smash. The Di-
rectors have bolted, and the sharehold-
ers will lose every penny of their
money"
"Is all gomez Nothing left2"
"Not sixpence, and you remain liza
BILE for calls to the amount of about as
much MORE"
Poor Mary's fortitude quite gave way.
ooh, dear, what shall 1 dog 1 haven't
friend in the world"
"No, no, don't say that, Miss Mary"
said Slythorpe, in gently patronizing
manner; " it isn't as bad as that comes
to. haven't disguised my own feelings
toward you; and, though you've lost
your money, you know that needn't
make any difference between you and
me. My affection amt of the mercenary
sort; in fact, as got you into the mess
Though with the best of intentions,
mind you), it's only fair should get you
out of it."
Mary had hidden her face in her
hands, but she became aware, from the
increased intensity of the al-pervading
scented-soap aroma, that Slythorpe was
drawing nearer to her, and, in another
moment, his arm was around her waist.
She drew herself up proudly:
"Sir, L am willing to believe you
mean kindly, but your offer under such
circumstances is an insult. Be good
enough to leave me-"
Slythorpe would have parleyed, but
with the 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"
"Youu be sorry for this, you'll find,
Miss Hope" said Slythorpe; but Mary
vouchsafed no answer, and the attorney
retired discounted, Mrs. Murgatroyd
holding the door for him with an ex-
preston 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 breath of fresh air, for
goodness sake, after that nasty, shiny,
scented serpent. l always feel as if the
house wanted disin-what dye call it p
with Condy's Sea-salt or Tidman's Re
storer, or some o them deidolizers,
whenever he's been ia it. Why, my
dear lamb, whatever is the matter 2"
Poor Mary's overwrought nerves had
sofa in fit of violent Mysteries. Mrs.
Murgatroyd, with motherly instinct, let
her emotion have its way, and she soon
80 far recovered as to be able with many
tears to tell the story of this new
misfortune, finally crying herself to
sleep on the good old woman's sympa-
thizing bosom.
CHAPTER LII.
1t was two days after the scene re-
corded in our last chapter, and Mary
Hope, with the Times before her, was
answering advertisements for gov
erness. Mary was not one to sit still
under the pressure of calamity, however
hnouu fhn
shock of her misfortune, at once Sc,
about bravely to earn her own hveli.
hood. With this view she was now seek
ing to procure a situahon, either as gov.
erness or companion, entering upon hef
task with brave heext, although she
well knew the trials to which such po.
sitien would probably expose her. She
had answered these 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 employ.
ment. In replacing her purse her hand
fell upon a portrait, which she took out,
and gazed at fondly. "Dear old Geof-
frey, if you had lived, how different my
future would have beenl suppose /
ought to say Gods will be done, but, o,
it's very, very hard !" A few moments
she continued gazing through her tears
at the portrait, when a sharp knock at
the outer door startled her, and che re-
placed it in the desk. She heard Mrs.
Murgatroyd in conversation with some
one, and then quick, well-remembered
voice said, "Where9 This room 2"
And in another moment the door was
flung open, and Mary Hope was sobbing
in her lost lovers arms.
After the blissful excitement of the
first meeting had subsidized, season of
mutual explanations followed. Geoffrey
Howard had been dangerously wound
ed, and had been prisoner for the
greater part of year in an Indian dun
geon, where for many weeks his life had
hung on thread by reason of an attack
of malignant fever. His worn and sal
low features, his skin bronzed to ORR
entail swarthiness, and the scar of deep
saber-cut across his cheek, scarce hid
den by a rather ragged beard, bore elo-
quent witness to theperils he had passed
through. He had landed in England
but twelve hours previously, and had
lost not a moment in seeking the pres
ence of his darling and her father. for