Litchfield enquirer., 1879-12-18
sThere's nooccasion. god.pa,,a. for

l .sThere's nooccasion, ged-papa for you to say another word, I look upon the matter as finally settled. l shall bring Gerald to see you tomorrow morning, and you send him down to get initiated into his new duties as soon as possible. " "a She went oyer and kissed him, and then sat down on his knee, as she had dore many time when girl ....,r-. . 1 "'Pon my word there's no putting you off" he said. But what sad foolish thing that
 marriage of yours was. was never more as- founded in my life than when I heard of it.
 "A sad foolish thing was it, god-papa ?" asked Alice quietly. That depends altogeth- CT on the point of view from which you look at it. To me, now, it seemed the wisest and most sensible thing to do; to marry the one person in the world whom 1 felt could love, and who 1 was convinced, loved me in return.
 How much more sad and foolish it would have been had not made sure of happiness when it lay there ready to my hand 1" .,.-f
 "Ah, welL well. You view everything through Loves rose-colored spectacles. But it's a color that soon fades-wout stand the
 wear and tear of everyday life. So papa won't forgive you, eh? l cannot wonder at it." .fstl ,@4'- @ ts
 ''He will forgive me when go to him with six thousand pounds m one hand, and my hus- | band in the other" 1 y''So, so He's fixed his price, has he Just I sYc q. husband saving six thousand pounds
 While he's station-master at Leaswood, eh, now ?''
 ''No; suppose not" said Alice as she rose to go. But don't forget certain favorite
 proverb of yours; There are more ways of
 killing dog than hanging him. And don't l despair. CHAPTER III. .... Within little more than month after his | wife's interview with Sir Charles Stopford,
 Gerald Rivers was. duly installed as station l master at Leaswood. Alice arrived couple
 of days later by the evening train, bringing
 with her as general sevant a girl of eighteen, 1 whom she had hired in London, and who knew 1 nothing whatever of the antecedents either of l her or her husband In days gone by, Alice
 had been we'll known by sight at Leaswood l station, and to nearly every person in the
 neighborhood for miles around, so that she was obliged to be very careful now in order to
 avoid recognition. When she went out in the
 daytime, which was not very often, she wore
 a veil 80 thick that even her own sisters would I have passed her unknowing who was behind | 1t; while on those occasions when she took an l after-dusk ramble with her husband. veil of
 a thinner texture effectually shielded her from | observation.
 Gerald had been about fortnight at his l | father one day alighted from the train He
 was a stout white haired gentleman, who
 claimed the help of thick cane when he walk l ed, and whom his last attack of gont had left | slightly lame. By the porters at the station,
 the fymen and others, he was known as "Qld | Pepper-co or ''Old Fire-away." some of the I heat of his temper would seem to have i'm l parted itself to his complexion, which was not unlike a boiled lobster in tint. . s., ;. l sSo fha ofot ol,
 he said with a sort of disdainful gflnt, as he surveyed Gerald from iead to foot.
 '1 am that person, at your servlce, sir.'' | "Humph Y! I was quite satisfied with the man l who WAS here before, and don't suppose l
 shall be half as we'll satisfied with you
 "Yof have not given me a trial yet, ST."
 ''Oh, we shall soon put you to the proof. I | hope you are good hand at telegraphing, " Had not been so, should hardly have | been here.' 1#t -" That's no answer. But let me tell you
 young man, that your time here will be very
 short one unless you attend properly to my I telegra ,ls." '"' -
 " II shall give them every attention 'f5 ,7' | 'You had better do so. Some of them are
 in cipher, and with those you cannot be too
 particular An error of even single letter
 might be Of serious consequence to me- At
 whatever hour message for me may arrive
 you will lose no time in sending it up to my I house by special messenger. If you attend to
 me properly there will be turkey for you at 1 Christmas ; but if you. don't, why then, the sooner you look out for another job the bet | ter"
 '.It's only papas grumpy way" said Alice
 to Gerald, when told of the interview. "He's
 very obstinate, and will have his own way;
 but at heart he's as good as gold as you will one day discover for yourself"
 l Next morning Alice went up to London by the early train, and drove at once to Sir l Charles Stopford's. It was just eleven o'clock and he was still lounging over his breakfast. He welcomed his god-daughter warmly and ordered up some fresh chocolate. Z" D.7oa. - ''God-papa,p said Alice at last, when she | had told him all the news 'sis your broker | your man who buys and sells for you in the | City-the same man that is employed by | papa?" .Iga~ a~ @If : ''1'- No. Boucher is my, man. Your fathers man is SimMonds "a fellow that don't like | at all"
 s- Perhaps you won't mind giving me a note | to your Mir. Boucher?''
 1 Why not! A note indeed | What kind of | note p
 "A simple note of introduction, stating that | the bearer is Mir. Crewdsons daughter, and that any commission l may ask him to do for me must have the same attention as if it were | for yeurself.''s ao ..ila, gv as.. IA siss- s. . Sir Charles gave long low whistle ''Why | now, you don't mean to say that you are going l to speculate on the Stock Exchange?" Why should not do little in that line as | well as you or papa?' asked Alice with smile. ''When I used to act as papa's secreta- ry, learned to take quite an interest in the different kinds of stocks and in. the rise and fall of the money market" t ..1s... .,
 ''Ay, ay; that's all very we'll But that's unr h1xy yiytr .ar,f1S own account foug would be sure to burn your fingers before very long"
 Il should hardly do that, think, god papa. In any case have not much to lose, so shall ! not venture into very deep ,water.", gsa.. ,.s Why, now, it's just the sort of thing one might expect from your fathers daughter My friend Crewdson made every penny of his for tune on the Stock Exchange, and suppose there is sort of mania in it that runs in the family. But if you could only have the bene- fit of your fathers advice now ?"
 ''That is quite out of the question. Had it not been so, there would have been no occa- sion for my errand here this morning"
 '"Quite true, my pretty logician. Then l suppose must give you what you ask for" S''Of course you must The idea of your re- fusing your god daughter such a trifie !" |
 When Alice Lad got what she wanted from | Sir Charles, she drove at once to Runners | Court, Cornhill. She was fortunate enough | to find MT. Boucher in his office When he | had read the note he said: | ''I need hardly tell you, Miss Crewdson that l my best services willalways be at your dispos- l al have had many transactions with your father at one time or another" t
 ''l am married said Alice, ''and my name l is Mrs. Gerald. Any communications I may I have to make to you will reach you in the | formiof telegrams from Leaswood station but l whenever a telegram from me reaches you, it | must be acted upon with the utmost prompti- | tude; not an hour must be thrown away" T will give special instructions that any mess .ge from you shall be brought to me, wherever may be, immediately on it's arrival, | and you may dependupon it's having my most | prompt attention, .r | Day passed after day til several weeks had | come and gone. | during which a considerable l number of telegramsi reached sLeaswood Staa tinn for NIT Cre1uds ,s