The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-11-15

long as be likes, provided that he gets along veil with me. The princess is no' exacting, although she is eccentric. I de mt suppose, indeed, that the york wiI be hard; and as there is plenty of good shooting and fishing down here, the Iifs is very pleasant l may tell you that Mr Fegan has already telegraphed to me an Douncing your visit, and that l am upor the whole prepared to engage you.s
 You are very good returned Tom who, however, did not add that he knev the telegram in question had been sent and that he was perfectly aware of it, contents. The words were: "I sen6 down Checkstone for secretary. Easy tc manage. Perfectly innocent and harm, les&' Nor did Tom explain that he, and not Fegan, was the real donor of ths Ggars.
 -Oh, it is merely matte, ofbasiness, : reJoined MDum- 4l fancy that VI should get on together. But since, if yor obtain the post, you will obtain it through my good offices, and since naturally de sire to have some guarantee that the princess's confidence in you will not bs | misplaced, you must excise my asking whether you are prepared to-vell-tc make some small-wha, shall ve say some small ceposit some trifling pay ment as a security, you know
 Nothing could be more reasonable Mir. N Dunn" said Ton.
 imagine continued the s,e~ard ~ho was mech encouraged by Tom $ words, that premium, say, of two years salU d not, xnder the cir cums;ances. excessive, for the pos, would practically be permAnency. Two years salary would be Lsoor
 "Yes; l think that Isoo would not be excessive" said Tom. s.l am ready to agree to pay that sum-"
 That's good. Then l will introduce you to the prlncesxn And placing his Ennhnished cigar in an ash-tray upon the table, Mir. M'Dum arose, and led the way through some long and cheerless stone passages into a more pretentious and better furnished part of the huge building. Leaving Tom in a panelled an'eroom, he went for~ard to announce him ; and returning. conducted the new secretary into her presence.
 h large armchair in a long low drawing-room sat the Princess Henrieta Maria Tom bowed low as soon as he saw her, and then-acting upon directions which had been supplied to him by NIT. Fegan--Adyanoed and respectfully kissed the tips of her outstretched fingers
 Mir. NJ Du n tells me- said the prin- cess, that you are in all respects com potent to act as our private secretary. We particularly need the services of an amanuensis just nov, because we are drawing up some memoirs of pur family The documents are here in the castle :: but our health does DO, permit of suffi. cent progress with the work Are you prepared to undertake the du,ies:-
 am. your royal hishness,7 assen,ed Tom meekly, as he stood before the ma )estc old lady.
 That is well. And when can you be- gin those duues. Mir. Checks,one?
 am at any moment al your royal highness's disposal" said Tom. -I can even take up my residence here to-day, should your royal highness wish it,"
 Let lt be so then. NIT. Blackstone. Nil. MDun shall conduct you to your apartments and l myself will take an early opportunity of visiting them and of sa'isty,ng myself sha. you will be com
 The princess signi6ed tha, the audience was over; and . pm and the steward backed out of the room, lowing low as they went
 You should not have said that you would come in today, said M'Dum. as soon as the door was shut. " And be- saoes, how can you do SO? Where is your luggage?"
 It is at the inn at Aberdumble,' an- svered Tom -l thought under any of staying in Scotland for a few weeks and so came prepared"
 HumPh 70 ejaculased M'Dam, who vas sone~hat annoyed at his proseses Nov. if you don't mind, ve will go back to my little office and complete our business arrangements"
 Ten minutes later Mir. M'Dum vas the richer by pronissory note for LSoo, and Tom vas formally installed as private secretary to the Princess Henriesta Maria. At the earliest possible moment he sent back the conveyance to AbeTdumble, in- structing the coachman to forward bis luggage to the castle, and intxusting the man with two kilograms, vorded in French, one being addressed to George Fegan. and the other to Charles Edward StuAr-.
 Later in the day the princess requested him to attend her in the library and there, without many prehmlnaries, he began, under her supervision, to tran scnbe the contents of numerous musty documents in English, and to translate those of others that were written in French and Latin. He worked for only . coaple Of hours and then the princess. bidding him lay aside his pen. sat and talked about Loadsn, about politics, and about books. In the evening he played chess and smoked with Mir M'Dum and afssI the soddy had been done full justice to, he retired, we'll satisfied, to his own snug rooms oo the second floor of the ancient keep.
 Thus did he spend his time for . week and nore, until one afternoon the princess fell to talking about the sad fate of Aer