Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1881-08-31
Muml Then he knows nothing Of


know Of this business"
The cashiers statement was confirmed
by the bank clerk, A check iof fldO,
made payable 10 and indorsed iy q
George iiayson, had been presented At
tho bank'counter the day previously by
Harold Spencer u confidential clerk,
well,kn0wn at the bank, being frequent
" employed to pay in aud draw out the
firms money II was consequently paid
without hesitation, hut when the pass
book was made up on Icing called Tor
IN the morning. the forgery was dis
covered
"When Mr., Spencer returns, let him
some TO my room at once" said Mr.
Chattefton, when he had fully con
sidefed the matter
ut IL time he was back" replied Mr.
Davidson, who began to ieely very uneasy,
"fia very ugly business"
"Dont say word 10 anybody, I'LL !
have seen Mr., Spencer"
Half an hour went by but tho absent
clerk did not return. An hour and still
no sign OF him, ilo had always been
considered u Trustworthy servant, and
both Mr. Chatteiton and tho cashier
were unwilling to condemn Inn unhcafd
Still, his prolonged absence, together
with the weight OF evidence, was against
him, Twelve o'clock came, but ho haG
not put In an appearance, There could
DO no longer any doubt OF his dclin'
auency he had evidently absconded,
Tho bank clerk returned to say they
had found that tho check was taken
from book that had been supplied for
the private use OF Mr.. Forbes, senior.
The junior partner resolved to start at
once for Kensington. II was most
annoying that such disagreeable affair
should have occurred on this day, but II
could not be helped.
Ho did not, however, give up his in
tention OF proposing for Mary, Peter
Forbes could not deny that tho match
was u good one, He was q rich man
with life still before him, and she was
young and beautiful. He came Of q
good family, while the Forbcs's had
been but poor Scotch farmers. II hor
father desired II, Mary surely could not
refuse.
Why should she not, therefore, be his
wife2
With these thoughts in his mind he
reached the house. Mr.. Forbes had
gone ont, Mr.. Graham was in tho Ii
brary, and Miss Mary was in the garden
This was the answer to his inquiries.
Flo would go into the garden and find
Mary.
Almost hidden by some laurels, in the
far corner, was II rustic summer house
He could not see the girl anywhere, and
fancied, perhaps, that she was sitting
there. As hc drew nearhe heard voices.
One was woman's-low and hesitating
The other was mans - earnest and
pleading. Surely that voice was familiar
to him. II was not Graham's.
Who's was il p
He was not, as rule, given to playing
the eavesdropper; but he could not re-
sist the temptation to discover, unob.
served, Mary's companion. He slipped
among the laurels and cautiously ap.
preached the summer.house. There
was slight wind which rustled the
leaves, and enabled him to move with
out being heard.
The voices became more distinct.
Could it be? No-there must bo some
terrible mistake.
He was at the back OF the structure
He discovered small hole in the wood
work, and looked through.
What he saw was Harold Spencer,
with his arm around the waist of Mary
Forbes. Her head rested upon his
shoulder. He heard her murmur, "Dear
Harold, know You love me-" and he
saw him draw her glorious figure tightly
to himself, and watched him kiss her
flushing cheek.
Since Peter Forbes had given up
coming daily to the city, Harold Spenc-
er had been in the habit of taking him,
each morning, any private letters that
came addressed to the Office. He had
been in the service of the firm since
quite lad He was now four and twen-
ty, and was great favorite with the
"Old Guv'nor," rs he was rather irrev-
erently called in the office. He had
frequently been invited to come up and
spend the evening at "The Laurels," T"
but he had received hint not to talk too
freely about these visits in the office, in
order that no occasion might be given
to arouse the envy of his fellow clerks.
His friendly relations with Peter Forbes
family were not, therefore, generally
known.
Mary and he had been thrown a good
deal together, for her brother Graham
was O young man of fast habits, sadly
inclined to dissipation, and rarely at
home in the evenings. 1t was only
natural that Harold should admire his
masters daughter, and by degrees he
discovered that she had awakened new
interest in his life.
His father had been wealthy East
Indian merchant, who had determined
that his son should be trained to busi-
ness habits, and instead of having him
sent back to Calcutta when his school
days were over, he had placed him with
the highly respectable firm of Forbes
Brothers, of Mincing-lane, in whose SER
| vice he had risen from office lad to con-
fidential clerk.
His father had lately retired, and was
on his way to ENGLAND. Harold knew
that one day he would be rich man,
and that when his father arrived he
would probably be able to set up in
business on his account, and when he
discovered that he was in love with
Mary Forbes, he devoted himself in a
manly straightforward manner to win
her affection in return.
He did not find it difficult task. He
was good looking fellow, with, even at
his young age, luxuriant beard and
moustache, source of much envy
among his friends in Mincing- lane who
were only able to exhibit promising
crops of hirsute sprouts. His voice was
honest and fearless, and his countenance
betokened q strong moral character.
Women are always quick to discover n
mans real value, and Mary Forbes was
not long before she learned that she was
| L. 4 80 L.