The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1884-07-12
CHASING A FORTUNE.

Both at school and at college Ber-
nard Hooker had been one of the Wild
est and most dare devil youths imagin-
able. He had been the terror Of meek
companions, the aversion Of order-lov-
ing dominies, the triumphant outwitter,
on more than one occasion, Of even
that great man, the proctor.
But these halcyon days were past.
Any particular exuberance Of spirits,
In Bernard's present position, would
have been as phenomenal and as incon-
gruous with his surroundings as the
presence of English dge-blossoms in
an Eastern desert. He was chained to
the ear Of daily toll as tightly and as
hopelessly as any galley-slave. The
sturdy symmetry of his figure, the
humorous cast of his frank and open
countenance, the twir kle of his light
blue eyes, where all that outwardly re-
mained of the idiosyncrasies that had
made him the idol Of his comrades in
class and on college walk. The press
ure of adverse circumstances had put
an iron curb upon his vivacity, if it
had not altogether crushed it.
He had looked forward to reading
for the bar, with the prospect, if he
displayed ability, of capital start in
his chosen profession by reason Of his
fathers position and influence. In
stead of this Bernard Hooker found
himself, at the age of two-and-twenty,
merely an insignificant unit In the
already overcrowded ranks of profess
sional quill-drivers.
His father had become the dupe Of
an unprincipled business partner, and
had lost everything. Even Edwin Hook
er's hitherto fair fame had suffer ed as
persion, for it had been hard to persuade
the great careless world that the vii
lainy, which had made the trading name
of Hooker and Glenning a byeword in
che city, was the work of Archer Glenn
Ing alone. Yet it was so, and the Grim
inal trial which followed the crash told a
tale of forged signatures and stolen
securities which set the elder and victi-
mized partner free, and would certainly
have relegated the junior to the keep.
ing of prison-wardens for long term
of years, had he remained to face the
storm. He had fed and carried with
him Edwin Hooker's fortune.
Thus it came about that the son wa:
earning his daily bread In the FembuTy
branch bank of Kenworth s. Co. That
he was located in the country, with
open skies above him and pleasant
fields around, was the one mitigating
circumstance of his hard and dreary
lot. In other respects even the average
London bank-clerk was better off
Mr.. Hollis, Messrs. Kenworth's Fem
bury manager, was an irascible little
man, who believed, as firmly as al
Egyptian task-master, in getting thu
very utmost in the way Of effort out o
his subordinates. The bank hour
might nominally be from 8 to 5, but h,
had a trick Of pillng on extras, whicl
materially heightened them.
1t would be, "These letters canno
be left. Mr.. Styles" or "This ledge
requires attention, Mr.. Hooker" II
have refused, or even expostulated
was to court instant dismissal, for Mr.
Hollis was as passionate as he wa
naughty, and knew himself to be in
vested with plenary power within tn
bank precincts. There was no re
source but to obey.
1t was a bright May morning, frag
rant in the Fembury lanes with tn
scent Of early wild-howers and voca
with melody of birds. 1t was market
day in the little country town, and the
clink of gold in consequence frequently
resounded ON the bank counter. AS {
rule Bernard Hooker paid little or nj
attention to the fitful-processions o
clients that passed the door on tn,
right. He was not cashier, and thu
burden Of his own duties was sufiicien
IOT HIS OlJ6ubluuoo WodlJ plOuluola
But as the surly office-clock announcet
the quarter before the luncheon inter
val the sound of voice he surely knew
mingled with its dull bass. An in
stinctive tremor ran through ever.
J fiber of the young mans body. HI
looked sharply up. What he saw fo
the moment puzzled him and seemed t.
refute the evidence of his ears.
The voice was emphatically that o
Archer GIenning; the outward present
ment of the speaker was that of al
absolute stranger. But a close
scrutiny and the recollection of tn
fact that the accomplished swindler wa
of necessity a fugitive, explained tn
phenomenon. Edwin Hooker's abscond
ing partner was of truth there in tn,
flesh before Bernard's eyes, but 81
cunningly disguised that the cleveres
Scotland Yard detective, might hav
been pardoned for q blunder. Th'
shapely mustache and heavy beard ha'
both vanished; the light auburn lock
of the ''Hue and Cry" description
were now, raven-black; the very eye
brows had discarded nature and applies
for protection to the artist in flesh AM
hair tinting.