Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-10-25


her. Some hing must be done and q. olcs bit
what that something must be, know no NOR
than the man in the moon. You with your clear
held must try to think for me. will leave you
| now. / am going to the Museum to get up nv
references for an article / intend writing for
| Magyar.
| all TO herself Then she bathed her face and
after that she took up her fathers letter and read
1t through slowly and carefully.
six thousand pounds > she mlirmllred to her
self. If could but take him that, he would
forgive me, and put another six thousand to IL.
How he must have laughed to himself as he
wrote those words, knowing how utterly I'M
likely 1t was that such a miracle should ever
happen!"
Ordinarily one of the most active of young
houSeWlVeS-1f a lady who merely occupies fur
nished apartments can be called a housewife
MIS- Rivers, this morning, never stirred out Of
her easy chair till Gerald came home to lunch-
con: She put away her fathers letter as her
husband opened the door.
Gerald. dear. do you know anything about
the electric Telegraph" was the first question.
theoretically know something of it from
D0okS practically, | know nothing
-. Then you could not send message by II, say
from one station to another?"
Certainly not; not If my life depended on
it,
"But you could learn?"
81 suppose so, should the necessity for my
doing so ever arise"
90 i wish you would, learn"
'With all my heart If you particularly wish
me to do so. Though | certainly fail to see in
to me-"
at may be of use to you-of very great use:
and l want you to begin to take lessons to-inol-
row. see from the newspapers that there are
one or two places where telegraphy is taught as
a regular branch OF knowledge, so that it need
not take you long TO learn"
"GOod. But may ask"
Nothing at present. Like a good little by,
you must shut your eyes and open your mouth
and see what your wife will give you.'
One afternoon, some two months later Gerald
Rivers put into the hands of his wife certiii-
cate of proficiency from the school of telegrlphy
at which he han been taking lessons for several
weeks past. AllceS eyes Sparkled as she read it.
''TO-morrow morning, DEAR" she said, Il shall
go and see my godfather, Sir Charles Stopford'
CHAPTER II.
"Why, now! What, what! Just say that over
again, will you?n
The speaker was Sir Charles Stopford and the
person spoken to was his god-daughter, Mrs.
Rivers. Sir Charles was city magnate who
had been knighted during his Mayoralty some
years previously. He had been very fond of
Alice, in a gOd-fatherly sort OF way, and had
been greatly Shocked by the news of her mesal-
lance. This was the first time they had met
since that deplorable event.
"Just say that over again, will your" repeated
Sir Charles
"You are Chairman of the Easterham juno
ton Railway, ahd in that capacity you can,
doubtless, do what you like on the line"
''Quite mistake, my dear-quite mistake.
There are three or four members of the board
won't mention names-who are no better than
stupid asses"
but the favor 1 want you to do for me is a
very tritling one, and such as there can be no
difficulty about. 1t is simply to ask of you that
my husband may be appointed station-master at
LeaSwOOd Station
What, what! Station-master at Leaswood-
your husband? Why now, that's the station for
BroOktield, your fathers place"
Precisely so. That is the very, reason-its
proximity to BrOoktield-why want you to give
my husband the appointment"
''Ah, ay! l see now; see. Letters having
proved OF no avail, you think that If you and
your husband are down at Leaswood, you will
have an opportunity of waylaying papa as he
steps out of the train. and OF going down on your
knees and begging his forgiveness there and
then. A pretty picture, and one that should
like TO See!"
How absurdly you talk, god-papa! I shall
not appear in the matter at all Everybody
knows me at Leaswood, and that would never
do. The last thing in the world that / should
want papa to know would be that Gerald was
station-maSter there"
now, your father would be sure to suspect some
thing from that"
.'Gerald has three names. His full name is
Gerald HunStone Rivers. He would go down to
LeaSwOod simply as Mr.. HunStOne"
"There's scheming little brain for you!
always said it was a pity you were not born
planning something nova surprise or some
thing. Well, wel-Mr. Hunstone, Ell? But there
are other difficulties in the way of which have
not yet spoken"
What difficulties, god-papa?"
"Why, in the first place, the man whom we
have now got at LeaSW ood is a very good fellow.
and We are quite satisfied with him, and under
such circumstances we don't care to remove
man."
Promote him. Give him more money, and
sWel now. That's your idea. Not so bad.
No, no! But even granting that, we found or
made a vacancy for your husband, he knows
point man who is ignorant OF his duties to the
important post of station-master. In case otan
accident how could we justify ourselves?"
my husband has an excellent knowledge OF
telegraphy. so that one great difficulty is at once
Obviated And as for the mechanical routine OF
railway work. why not put him for month
under the tuition OF the man who Is at present
at Leaswood; and if at the end of that time Ger
aid hasn't acquired a competent knowledge OF
his duties, I'll never call him husband OF mine
..Why, now. Listen to her. just like her
father. No difficulties allowed to stand in her
way. But really now, don't know what to
say"
s.There's no occasion, god-papa, for you to say
another word. look upon the matter as finally
settled l shall bring Gerald to see you to-mor-
row morning, and you will send him down to
get initiated into his new duties as soon as pos
sible." She went over and kissed him, and then
sat down on his knee, as she had done many
time when girl.
"'Pon my word, there's no putting you of, !" he
said but what sad foolish thing that mar
rage OF yours was. was never more astound-
ed in my life than when heard OF it."
"A sad foolish thing was 1t, god-papa?" asked
Alice quietly. 'sThat depends altogether on the
point of view from which you look at it. To
me, now, it seemed the wisest and most sensible
thing that could do: to marry the one person
in the world whom felt could love, and who,
l was convinced loved me in return. How much
more sad and foolish 1t would have been had
not made sure of my happiness when 1t lay there
ready to my hand?"
..Ah well, well. You view everything through
Loves rose-colored SpectacleS. But it's a color
that soon fadeS-won't stand the wear and tear
of everyday life. SO papa won't forgive you,
eh? l cannot wonder at it."
''He Will forgive me when / go to him with
six thousand pounds in one hand and my huS-
band in the other"
80, so. He's fixed his price, has he? just
like him. But there's not much chance of your
husband saving six thousand pounds while he's
station-master at LeaSwood, eh, now7"
mo; suppose not" said Alice, as she rose to
go. ''But don't forget a certain favOrite pro-
verb Of your: There are more ways OF killing
dog than by hanging him.. And don't despair"
CHAPTER III.
Within little more than a month after his
w1fe's interview with Sir Charles StOpford, Ger
aid Rivers was duly installed as station-maSter
at LeaswOod. Alice arrived day or two later
by the evening train, bringing with her as gen
eral servant a girl Of eighteen whom she had
hired in London, and who knew nothing what
ever OF the antecedentS either Of her or her huS
band. In days gone by Alice had been well
known by sight at Leaswood Station, and to
nearly every person in the neighbOrhood for
miles around, so that she was obliged to be yery