The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1877-01-11

than usual but his usual seif-satisfied
air was wanting. He evidently lIad
something on his mind-sOme piece
of rAseality.
"Aiy dear Miss Hope,n he began,
after the first greetings hsd been ex-
changed, "I grieve TO be the bearer o.
very unpleasant intelligence"
, ! Mary looked up with quiet indifier-
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.
Slytborpe continued:
81 am sure that yOl will believe
did il for the best but mlsfOrtunes
will happen, you know, even with
, the utmost care and caution. / am
sure thought the Investment was Sc
safe IS the bang but there's nc
trusting anything nowadays"
"Whst is the misfortune, Mr.. Sly
thorpe, for you haven't told me
Nothing very serious, / hope.n
"Only too seriOus, my dear Ma
be tried to say "Nsry," bur couldn't
get il out, and substituted "Miss
Hope''-tnotbing less, 1 fear, than
the loss Of the whole Of your little
fortune"
Mary turned very pale, but gave DO
other sign Of emotion. ''How did it
happen ?" she said, with an effort.
"Your money was, as you know, in
the three per cents, where il produced
q miserable e160 year. In the hope
of doing better for you, sol6 out and
invested Il in q new mining company,
the Wheal Marine, which promised
to pay q minimum dividend OF 10 per
cent and SO would have just trebled
your income. And this morning /
am grieved to find from the Tines
that the company Is an utter smash.
The directors have bolted, and the
shareholders will lose every penny of
their money"
iIs slI gone? ? Nothing left ?''
mot sixpence, aud you remain
liable for calls to the amount Of about
as much more.p
Poor Mary's fortitude quite gave
way. 30 dear, what shall / do |
| haven't friend in tue world"
"No, no F; don't say that, Miss
Mary" said Slythnrpe, in s gentle,
patrOnizihR manner sit isn't as bad
as that comes to. L haven't disguised
my own feelings toward you, and
though you've lost your money, you
know that needn't make any differ
ence between you and me. My atfee-
ticn amt of the mercenary sort In
fact, as l 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 sll-per-
vading scented sOap aroma that Sly
] thorpe was drawing nearer TO her,
and in another moment his arm was
around her waist. She drew herself
up proudly.
"Sir, am willing to believe you
mean kindly, bus your offer under
such circumstances is an insult. Be
good enough to leave me-"
1t was two days after this scene that
Mary Hope, with the Times before
her, was answering advertisements
for q governess. She had answered
three advertisements, and had folded
and sealed her letters, and now, with
her desk before her, was counting her
little store Of ready money, and cal
cuIating how long she could st any
rate subsist before she found employ
ment. In replacing her purse, her
hand fell upon q portrait, which she
took out and gazed at fondly. "Dear
old Geoffrey, il you had lived how
different my future would have been
1 suppose 1 ought to say Gods will be
done, but o, it's very, very hard P'
A few moments she continued gazing
through her tears at the portrait, when
q sharp knock at the outer door start
led her, and she replaced it In her
desk. She heard Mrs. Murgatroyd in
conversation with some one, and then
Q quick, well-rsmembered voice said,
"Where? This room ?n And in an
other moment the door was flung
open, and Mary Hope was sobDing in
her lost lovers arms.
Geoffrey Howard had been danger
ously wounded, and had been a pris-
oner for the greater part of the year
in an Indian dungeon, where for
many weeks his life hung upon
thread by reason OF sn attack Of ma
lignant fever. He had landed Ia Eng
land but twelve hours previously, and
had lost not q moment In seeking the
presence of his darling and her father,
for he was, OF course, ignorRnt Of Ber-
nard Hopes death. Mary too. had
much 20 tell, and nesting by GeOff-
rey's side, her little white 6ngers bid
den In the rugged tcoRn hands OF her
lover, which held them as thongh
they would never let them 60, she
told him all shs had suffsred-the loss
Of her father, the history Of the will,
and lastly, the loss of her little for
tune.
"I don't understand it," said Geoff-
rev. "The man has been playing
some very deep game"
perhaps he really wished to get ME
more-what do you call it?-interest
for my money. dare say It was
meant kindly enough, though it thus
happened so unfortunately"
81 don't believe it, darling. II all
had gone well you would simply have
received your three per cent, and Mr..
Slythorpe would have pocketed the
difference
so, Geofrey, Godfrey! I'm afraid
YOU have come home very uncharits-
bic, besides, Whist does it matter
about lot of stupid money, now 1
have got you back again? Unless,
Indeed, you would have liked me bet
ter for having the money ?"
There is only one possible answer to
such an accusation, and Maj. Howard
made it that is to say he called Mary
q little goose, kissed her, and dropped
the subject. On leaving her, he took
q Hanson cab and drove to the office
of the Ilquidator of the company,
when, on his stating that he desired
to make some inquiries on behalf OF
one OF their shareholders, Mr.. Sly
thorpe, 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.
He next inquired whether, perchanee,
the shares were staLding in Miss
Hopes own name, and again was an
sWered in the negative. Utterly be-
wildered he drove to Mr.. Slythorpe's
Office. Mr.. Slythorpe was at home,
and he speedily found himself in the
attorneys presence. Mr.. Slythorpe
was little nervous with strangers till
he knew their business, and Major
Howardis announcement that he had
called on behalf OF Miss Mary Hope
did not tend to increase his conf
denee. He was, however, far from
suspecting Major Howard's identity,
but Jumped to the conclusion that be
was q hostile solicitor employed by
Miss Hope, to call bimI to account.
Major Howard's next remark tended
| to confirm that impression.
a conple Of dSyts3 Msg;5ss Msg;5sSs tHHQp tHHQpei i.II / think,
ty bedueathed to her by her fathers
will had been invested in the Wheal
Marine Company, which has just
come to grief. You are, of course,
aware that an investment upon such
| q rniten secnrifv was gross breach