, 1884-02-15

fireT"
"The firemen rescued him under circum-
stances of peril she answered, and at his
great age he sank under the shock. 1 have
lost the bndest and best of men. Do you TO
member how you parted from him, burned
and bruised in saving mel He liked to talk
OF it in his last illness AT least (he said to
YOU tell me the name Of the man who
has preserved my wife from a dreadful
death You threw your card to him out of
the carriage window, and away you went at
a gallop to catch your train. In all the years
that have passed l ave kept that card, and
have vainly inquired for my brave sea
captain. Yesterday 1 saw your name on the
list Of speakers at the Mansion house. Need
/ say that 1 attended the meetingi Need 1
tell you now why l come here and interrupt
you in business hoursT'
She held out her hand. Mr.. Lismore took
1t in silence and pressed It warmly.
You have not done with me yet" she re
Eumed with a smile. "You remember
what said of my srrand, when 1 first came
mr.
you said it was an errand of gratitude"
"Something more than the gratitude which
only says Thank you,' F" she added. Before
/ explain myself, however, 1 want to know
what you have been doing, and how It was
that my inquiries failed to trace you after
that terrible night"
The appearance OF, depression which Mrs.
Calender had noticed at the public meeting
showed itself again in Mr.. Lismore's face. He
sighed as he answered her:
"My story has one merit" he said; ait Is
soon told. l cannot wonder that you failed
to discover me-. In the first place, 1 was not
captain Of my ship at that time. l was only
mate. In the second place, 1 inherited some
money, and ceased to lead a sailors life,
In less than a year from the night of the fire.
You will now understand what obstacles
were in the way of your tracing
me. With my little capital 1 started sue
cessfully in business as a ship-owner. At the
time l naturally congratulated myself on my
own good fortune. We little know, Mrs.
Calender, what the future has in store for
us.H
He stopped. His handsome features hard
ened-and he was suffering (aud concealing)
pain. Before it was possible to speak to him
there was a knock at the door. Another Wis
itor. without an appointment, had called;
the clerk appeared again with a card and a
message.
The gentleman begs you will see him, sir.
He has something to tell you which Is too
important to be delayed"
Hearing the message, Mrs. Calender rose
Immediately.
at is enough for to-day that we under
stand each other. " she said. Have you any
business
"None."
She pointed to her card on the writing
table. "Win you come to me tomorrow
evening at that addressi / am like the gen.
tleman who has just called, 1 too have my
reason for wishing to see you"
He gladly accepted the invitation. Mrs.
Calender stopped him as he opened the door
for her.
"ShaIl 1 offend you" she said, "if l ask a
strange question before l got / nave a bet
ter motive, mind, thap mere curiosity. Are
you marTiedF'
HNo."
@Forgive me again" she resumed. AT my
age you cannot positively misunderstood me,
and yet
She hesitated. Mr.. Lismore tried to give
her confidence. "Pray don't stand on core
mony, Mrs Calender. Nothing that you
can ask me need be ~prefaced by an apology"
Thus encouraged she ventured to proceed.
@You may be engaged to be married" she
suggested; "or you may be in lover
He found it impossible to conceal his sur
prise. But he answered without hesitation.
There Is no such bright prospect in my
life" he said; " am not even in love"
She left him with a little sigh. 1t sounded
like a sigh Of relief.
Aman threatened by ruin is In no state of
mind to keep an engagement at a lady's tea
table. Ernest sent a letter of apology to Mrs.
Calender. alleging extreme pressure of bust
ness as the excuse for breaking his engage
ment
Am / to wait for an answer, sirFr the mes
senger replied.
"No; you are merely to leave the letter"
In an hours time-to Ernest's astonish-
ment-ths messenger returned with the
reply.
aThe lady was just going out, sir, when I
took the letter from me herself. She didn't
appear TO know your handwriting, and she
asked me who / came from. As soon as 1
told her I was ordered to wait"
Ernest opened the letter.
"DEAR Mr.. sMoRR One of US must speak
out, and your letter of apology forces me to
be that one. II you are really so proud and
distrustful as you seem to be, / shall offend
you. II not, l shall prove myself to be your
friend.
@Your excuse is pressure of business The
truth las / have good reason to believe) Is
want of money l heard n stranger, at that
public meeting. say that you were seriously
embarrassed by some failure in the city.
"Let me tell you what my own pecuniary
position is in two words / am the childless
widow of a rich man.
AFTER what l owe to you / don't regard 1t
as repaying an obligaton-I consider myself
as merely performing a duty when / offer to
assist you by a loan of money.
await a little before you throw my letter
into the waste-paper basket.
Circumstances (which it is impossible for
me to mention before we meet)put it out Of
my power to help you-unless l attach to
my most sincere offer of service a very unu-
sual and very embarrassing condition. If
Won are on the brink of ruin that miEfnrtnna
will plead my excuse-and your excuse, too,
II you accept the loan on my terms. In any
case, l rely on the sympathy and forbearance
of the man to whom L owe my life.
after what / have now written, there is
only only one thing to add. l beg to decline
accepting your excuses; and l shall expect to
see you Tomorrow evening, as We arranged
i am an obstinate old w~oman-butI am also
your faithful friend and servant.
MARY CA~LLESDRR-"
Ernest looked up from the letter. What
can this possibly meanr' he wondered.
But he was too sensible q man to be con-
tent with wondering-he decided on keeping
his engagement
Keeping his engagement with Mrs. Callen-
der, Ernest discovered that riches might
be lavishly and yet modestly used
ha Calender advanced to welcome her
guest In 4 simple evening dress perfectly
suited TO her age. All that had looked worn
III Aaoea nei hho AaSe ny uhyhgnt was
now softly obscured by shade lamps. OBJ
jects Of beauty surrounded her, which glowed
with subdued radiance from their back
ground OF sober color. The influence of np-
pearanoe Is the strongest OF all outward in
husnce while it lasts For the moment the
scene produced It's impression on Ernest, in
spite of the terrible anxieties which consumed
him Mira Calender In his office was q
woman who had stepped out OF her appro-
pirate sphere. Mrs Calender in her own
house was a woman who had risen to a new
placs In his estimation