Litchfield enquirer., 1879-12-18

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 and pressed it to lips. s'You are my comfort now and ever, The said. Then, with his shoul- ders resting against the chimney piece, he went back to what he had been talking about. Another fact my lesson has taught me" he said, .9'sand that is, that there is no present and whether there is one ln the future seems highly problamatical-nft my being able to keep you and myself, by the proceeds of my pen in anything more than the most abject ) pauperisn. Such being the state of affairs, you cannot fail to agree with me as to the ab solute necessity that exists for my at once set ting about some other mode of earning liv- ing. The only question is: What is that mode to be In other words, what am fit for?,
 ''What are you fit for, indeed Why, any thing. and everything With your abilities -
 .'My abilities, forsooth? Where are they :? In what do they consist Would the exercise of them in any direction bring me in a hun- dred year? Really, MT. Chairman, really you are most impractical this morning. and wanting in your usual sagacity
 You don't know what you can do till you try, dear Your abilities have never been properly put to the test"
 tsTheIe's the mischief of it. If my uncle, instead of bringing me up to 8 life of idleness, and turing me on with the hope of one day being his heir, had insisted on my being taught some decenS trade or profession, 1 should not De in the predicament in which 1 find myself now. Seriously. cara naia, what am fit for :? Iknow nothing; have been taught nothing ; and have no special aptituIc unless it be for a little foolish scribbling-by means of which as already proved, l might perhaps earn enough to find you in gloves and myself in ci- gars. But where is the bread and cheese to come from ?' 5]a 'D" 4, et .1' -'~ I've shave.several months before us yet, dear, during which we can look out and con- slider what it will be best for Us to do." .... "And in the meantime your money-yours, Alice-which ought to have been put away untouched, is melting day by day. And there is sting in knowing that" - . .-.. l.a. F sYou foolish Gerald As if both my money and I were not your own to do as you like with How would it be if we went into less expensive lodgings? These rooms are very dear - . .. ....-....... ...-. . .'What are these rooms in comparison with the home you gave up for my sake?" He put his arms suddenly round his wife's neck and kissed her, Something must be done and at once but what that something must be. know no more than the man in the moon. You with your clear head must try to think for me. will leave, you now. am going to the Mu- scum to get up my references for an article intend writing for MdHfair. Left alone, Mrs. Rivers had another little cry all to herself. Then she bathed her face, and after that she took up her fathers letter and read it through slowly and carefully. ''Six thousond pounds :" she murlnered to herself If could but take him that, he would forgive me and put another six thousand to it. How he must have laughed to himself as he wrote those words, knowing how utterly unlikely it was that such miracle should ever happen '"
 Ordinarily one of the most active of young housewifes- if lady who occupies furnished apartments can be called housewife-Mrs. Rivers, this morning, never stirred out of her easy chair till Gerald came home to luncheon. She put away her fathers letter as her husband opened the door, Gerald, dear, do you know anything about the electric telegraph ?" was her first question. ' 't - = - ,
 lssTheoretieau,-- ,--I hur1w something of it from DOCKS; practically know nothing'
 ''Then you could not send a message by it, say from one station to another ?"
 Certainly not; not if my life depended on t ,"But you could learn ?" e ,... '1 suppose so, should the necessity for my doing so ever arise.p
 Il wish you would learn." i 4.. ..,s
 With all my heart if you particularly wish me to do so. Though certainly fail to see in what way such Knowledge could ever be of use to me.' ..t,. -s.5I 4.. iss, ,sE ! 'It may be use to you-of very great use |; and 1 want you to begin to take lessons to- morrow. 1 see from the newspapers that there are one or two places where telegraphy is taught as regular branch of knowledge, so that it need not take you long to learn."
 Good. But may 1 ask"-
 ''Nothing at present. Like good little boy. you must shut your eyes and open your mouth, ,ahd see what your wife will give you. !"
  } One afternoon, some two months later, Ger aid Rivers put into the hands of his wifea cer- tifcate of proficiency from the telegraphy, at which he had been taking lessons for several weeks past. Alice's eyes sparkled as she read it. "'To-morrow morning dear," she said, ''I shall go and see my godfather, Sir Charles StOpford. "s9a'ir GJ l.i. J1h
 CHAPTER II " -+ -'-'"'t
 ''Why now. What, what Just say that over again, will you p ---r-r
 The speaker was Sir Charles Stopforl. and the person to whom he spoke was his god- daughter Mrs Rivers. SiA Charles was City magnate who mad been knighted during his mayoralty some yeaIs previously. lie had been very fond of Alice. in a god-fatherly sort ofway, and had heen greatly shocked by the news of her mesalliance This was the first time they had met since that deplorable event.
 A.Just say that over again, will you?" re- peated Sir Charles. as'-S - asulG. a'
 .'7, You are chairman of the Easterham June- tion Railway, and in that capacity you can doubtless do what you like on that line"
 ''Quite mistake, my dear-quite mis- take, There are three of four members of the Board-I won't mention names-who are no better than stupid asses
 ''But the favor want you to do for me is a very trif1ing one, and such as there can be no difficulty about. It is, simply to ask of you that my husband may be appointed station master at Leaswood Station" @aa {. -@a' . "What, what Station-master at Leaswood your husband? Why, now, that's the sta ton for Brookfefd, your fathers place" Precisely so5 That is the very rsasoi-its proximity to Brookfield-~wfy l want you to give my. husbapd the appointment" -: .e
 ''Ay, ay see now; see Letters having proved of no avail, you thlnk that if you and your husband are down .'-L -Leaswood, you will have an. o.t--rSun1ty of waylaying papa as he sccps out of the train, and uf going down on your knees and begging his forgiveness there and then. A pretty picture, and one that should like to see !" @ftE ,. How absurdly you talk, god-papal I shall not appear in the matter at ali Every body knows me at Leaswood, and that would never do. The last thing in the world that I should want papa to know would be that Ger aid was station-master there"
 But the name, @aa petite, the name. Why now, your father would be sure to suspect something from that"
 "Gerald has three names. His full name is Gerald Hunstone Rivers. He would go down to Leaswood simply as Mir. Hunstone." v,f
 There's scheming little brain for you always sad it was pity you were not born boy so bright and sharp and all that. You're planning something nova surprise or some- thingyl We'll, well.ss1Mr. Hunstone. eh ]? But there are other difficulties in the way of which have not yet spoken" Fai a " ,rza ''What difficulties, god ?" aJ ..as.s- Why, in the first place, the man whom we have now got at Leaswood is very good fel- low, and we are quite satisfied with him and under such circumstances we don't care to re-, move man." a ya 3 Promote him. Give him more money, and send him elsewhere ;. Well now.I That's your idea. Not So bad No, no! But even granting that we found or made vacancy for your husband, he knows nothing of railway work and we dare mi an.