The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-01-04

Mary fatherlcss, o second blow fell upon
her. The One Hundre1th and Eleventh
had been engaged in smart skirmish, the
number of dead and wounded being con-
siderable. Maj. Geeffrcy Howard was
reported among the fallen; and Mary had
to mourn at once her lover and her father.
The death of Maj. Howard LETT Mr..
Slythorpe sole trustee of Mr.. Hopes will.
This to Mary was matter Of the most
perfect indifference. Suspecting evil of
no one, she was as willing that her little
fortune, amounting to some i've or six
thousand pounds, should rest in Mr.. Slv.
thOrpe's hands as In those of any other
person. But of late the attorney had he.
gun to prosecute her with attentions which
under existing circumstances would have
been distasteful from any one, but were
doubly 80 from person whom she could
not help regarding with an instructive dis.
like. And in truth Mr.. Slythorpe was
not precisely the person to win fair
lady's fancy. Understood, high. shout.
dered, with blinking, lashless eyes, and .
general angularity, not to say knobbiness,
Of feature. he might have been expected
to rise superior 10 any weakness as to per.
sOnal appearance; but such was by no
means the case. In Mr.. Samuel ely
thorpe's own opinion, Mr.. Samuel Sly
thorpe was . gentleman of considerable
personal advantages, and il was his con-
slant endeavor to make the very best of
them. He was ebtrusively, we might al
most say Extensively, clean. His shirt
front. collar and wristbands were all of
the most liberal dimensions, and of in
tense whiteness and starchiness, giving him
the appearance of being, SO to speak, ''all
shirt;'' while his hands, which were nat.
urally coarse and red, were made still
coarser and redder by perpetual washing.
He was always profusely scented, and his
short scrubby hair was tortured by the
combined use of the brush and the poma
tum. pot into the semblance of the split
almonds wherewith tipsy cakes are wont
to he decorated. His hats and coats were
always intensely new, and he perpetually
crcaked as he moved his patent leather
boots, maintaining friendly rivalry in
this particular with his well.starched
shirt front. In his habitual gorgeous ar
ray-indced, if possible, looking even
cleaner and newer than usual-Mr. Sly
thorpe this morning knocked at Mrs.
Murgatroyd's door. That good lady was
at the moment engaged in busting Miss
Hopes room, and catching sight of his
approach, exclaimed:
There's that nasty worriting lawyer
again, do declare. Slythorpe, indeed
I'd Slythorpe himv'
1t would he hopeless to endeavor to ex-
press on paper the intensity of meaning
Mrs. Murgatreyd threw into her newly.
coined verb; but it was evident that
"SlythOrping" included all the tortures
of the Middle Ages, with a supplement
of hOrsepOnd and other modern inycn-
tons. Mary smiled at the good lady's
vehemence.
My dear Mrs. Murgatroyd, you really
shouldn't be so severe. Mr.. Slythorpe is
u little peculiar, but have no doubt he
means kindly, and you know he is the
trustee of poor papa's will"
II know he is, my dear, and wish he
wasn't. know he shouldn't be trustee
| to tom cat of mine, drat himv'
Now, really, Mrs. Murgatroyd, you
are too bad, )" said Mary, smiling in spite
of herself. I" am sure poor Mr.. Sly.
thrope 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 3 final sniff of abhor.
renee, quilted the apartment.
Mr.. Slythorpe, for once in his life, APP
peared ill at case. 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, physiognomist
would have conjectured, which he either
had recently perpetrated, or was about to
perpetrate. Let us hope that the physiog-
nomist would have been wrong.
My dear Miss Hope" he began, after
the first greetings had been exchanged,
II gr;cve to be the bearer of very I'M
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 continued:
am sure that you will believe I did
it for the best; but misfortunes will hap.
pen, you know, even with the utmost
care and caution. l am sure thought
the investment was as safe as the bank;
but there's no trusting anything nova
days."
"What Is the misfortune, Mr.. Sly.
thorpe, fer you haven't yet told me?
Nothing very serious, hope"
"Only too serious, my dear Ma" he
tried to say I" 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 hap
pen:" she said, with an effort.
Your money was, as you know, in
three per cents, where it produced mis-
cradle G16O year. In the hope of do
ing better for you, sold out and invested
it in new mining company, the Wheal
Marina, which promised to pay a mini
mum dividend of ten per cent, and so
would have just trebled your income.
And this morning I ann grievcd to find
from the Times that the company is an
utter smash. The directors have bolted,
and the shareholders will lose every penny
of their msny."
us all gone! Nothing left"
mot sixpence, and you remain liable
for calls to the amount of about as much
mOre.''
Poor Mary's fortitude quite gave way.
"Oh dear, what shall do! ! haven't q
friend in the world"
mo, no, don't say that, Miss Mary"
said Slythorpe, in q 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 Of.
lection amt of the mcrcenary sort; in
fact, Is I got you into the mess Though
with the best of intentions, mind you), il's
only fair l 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-pervadipg scented soap
aroma, that Slythorpe was drawing nearer
to her, and in another moment his arm
was round her waist. She drew herself
up proudly. @I
"Sir, am willing to believe you mean
kindly, but your offer, under such cir.
cumstances is IN 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 sum
mons, Mrs. Murgatrovd apnearefl.