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

AiiOhO III bit WOtiu
"No, no, don't say that, Miss Mary
said Slythorpe, in a gentle patronizlng
manners Fit isn't as bad as that comes
to. haven'tdisguised 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 I should get you out of It,"
Mary had hidden her face In her hands
but she became aware, from the increased
intensity Of the all-pervnding 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:
"Sr, l am willing to believe you mean
kindly, but your offer under such cir
cumstances is an insult. BE good enough
to leave me-"
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'll be sorry for this, you'll find,
Miss Hope" said Slythorpe; but Mary
vouchsafed no answer, and the attorney
retired discomfited, 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. always feel as if the
house wanted disln-what dye call it
with Condy's Sea-salt or Tidmans Re
storer, or some o. them deidolisers, when
ever he's been in it. Why, my dear
lamb, whatever is the matter ?''
Poor Mary's overweight nerve had
at last given way, and she fell upon the
sofa in fit of violent Mysteries. 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.
Il II
1t was two days after the scene just
recorded, and Mary Hope, with The
Times 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 misfortune,a lat
once set about bravely to earn her own
livelihood. With this view she was now
seeking to procure situation, as a
governess, entering upon her task with
a brave heart, though she well knew the
trials to which such 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 cal
culating how long she could at any rate
subsist before she found employment.
In replacing her purse her hand fell up
on portrait, which she took out, and
gazed at fondly. Dear old Geoflrey, if
you had lived how different my future
would have been l suppose ought to
say Gods 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
quick, well-remembered voice said,
Where This room 20 And in an
other 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, Geof1rey
Howard had been dangerously wounded
and had been prisoner for the greater
part of u year in an Indian dungeon,
where for many weeks his life had hung
on thread by reason ofa attack of ma
lignant fever. His worn and sallow
features, his skin bronzed to Oriental
swarthiness, and the scar, of a deep sa-
bre-cut across his cheek, scarce hidden by
rather ragged beard, bore eloquent wit
ness to the perils he had passed through.
He had landed in England but twelve
hours previously, and had lost not a mo-