The Portland daily press., 1886-06-12

MY work was finished and had an I'M
portant engagement"
Indeed sneered his employer. but L
do not allow any one of my clerks to keep
important engagements till the office is
closed, and as you have thought fit to leave
at your own time, you will not be surprised
if l inform you that l shall not need your
services longer. This is the amount due to
you,' and Mr.. Golding held out slip of pa
per, but Gilbert made no movement to take
it.
81 understand you, Mr.. Golding, and am
as ready to leave your service as you are to
require me to do so. Technically you are In
the right, and / therefore apologize for hav-
ing deprived you of ten minutes on Satur-
day. My presence, doubtless, is not very
agreeable to you, bnt we may meet again be-
fore long, should such an event happen, you
will please understand that the interview
will not be of my seeking. Good-day, gen
tlemen," and with comprehensive glance
and bow to the amazed onlookers the young
man turned and quilted the office, leaving
his employer standing as much astonished
as anyone, with the UNDECIDED check still be-
tween his fingers
".
Elin0r Cragsby sat with her friend and
companion dreamily gazing into the fire.
After while the elder lady looked up from
the book she was reading.
"a penny for your thoughts, Nellv'
The girl started at the voice, and the words
had to be aepeated before she seemed to I'M
derstand them.
''I'm not sure, she said meditatiyely,
''that they are worth the sum-
"Then,' said her friend, with a smile,
without wishing to be uncomplimentary to
the subject of them, think 1 can guess their
direction"
81 wish / could make him see how useless
it is the girl broke out, apparently irrele-
vanity.
HE doesn't wish to see that" said her
companion. 'As ! have often told you, it
appears to me that he has deliberately re-
solved to succeed in the attempt to win your
regard, as he is not man of fine feelings.
Nothing short of absolute discourtesy or
rudeness would repel him, unless, indeed it
were the presence of successful rival
she added in lower and a meaning tone.
There was something in the last sentence
that brought a flush to Elinor Cragsby's face.
She rose from her seat, and moving toward
the window stood looking out. Suddenly
she uttered an exclamation of annoyance.
Her friend looked up.
'Here he isl" said Elinor, as if in answer
to the look.
A smile played for moment around Mrs
Seaforth' lips.
'sShall leave your" she said, half rising
''No-on no account and Elinor, smiling
herself, in spite of her vexation, recrossed
the room, and with gentle force pushed the
elder lady into her seat again, and then re-
sumed her own. Scarcely had she done so
when the servant announced "Mr Golding, :"
and that gentleman entered, all bows and
smiles.
''Elinor," he said, attempting to take her
hand, ''you must know how long and how
deyotedly have been attached to you, and
how l have longed for the hour that should
enable me to approach you and offer myself
as sutton for your hand"
He paused to note the effect of this decla-
ration, which in reality he had carefully
prepared before he reached the house that
evening. But he learned nothing from the
contemplation of the face before him. 1t
was slightly averted, as was natural, but in
no wise did its fair owner seem discomposed
Mr.. Golding began to feel little uneasy,
and new idea for the first time flashed up
on his mind. Could there be another?. 1t
seemed too absurd, but it would not be dis
missed. He rose from his chair and bent
over her for last appeal
''Can it be, he murmured, half reproach-
fully. 'Have l a rival?''
AS the words left his lips the room door
opened and voice announced 'Mr Rem
shaw At the sound Mr.. Golding with a
sudden start faced around, and to his utter
establishment beheld before him, smiling
courteously and with outstretched hand, the
man whom he had dismissed from his ser
vice, whom he had even spoken of contemp-
tuously to Elinor herself as zone of my
Clerks
"a friend of yours?" he said, interroga-
lively, but in tone that sounded strange in
his own ears, and caused the other three tie
look curiously at him.
The girl blushed and smiled, but did not
answer; and Mrs. Seaforth who had risen
and approached them, came to her rescue.
''Mr. Renshaw was a friend of Mr.. Crags-
by's and is still friend of ours"
"Mr. Renshaw," said the other, probably
has good reasons for his friendship. For
tune hunters usually have"
Gilbert Renshaw took step forward, and
said, with all his former easy Indifference:
THAT is true as general statement, Mr..
Golding, but it is not true in this particular
instance. /, personally, am not a fortune
hunter. Perhaps you know of some one who
may better deserve the name?"
'You were my clerk" said Golding with
sneer; what are you now?"
81 will tell you,' replied the other in the
same unruffled tone. "As you rightly said,
| / was your clerk, and it came about In this
| way; At my fathers death the property to
| which 1 succeeded was somewhat encum-
| bered. Your late partner was an old friend
| Of ours, and he suggested that should OBJ
| tain a situation for few years, thus leaving
the property to clear itself by applying the
| income to the extinction of the debt. To
| simplify matters, he kindly offered me po-
stion in his own Office at good salary, stip-
ulating that nothing should be said or known
of his long friendship with our family, lest
it should be thought it might favor me. l
accepted the post. In few years, as we
planned, my property was unencumbered,
and your sudden dismissal Of me simply an
tieipated my own resignation by two or
three weeks You see, Mr.. Golding, while l
give you full credit for having intended to
injure me, can very readily treat with in
difference a course of action that has ended
in failure"
AS Gilbert ceased speaking, he glanced
meaningly at Elinor who, with Miss Sea-
forth, had stood quietly by. 1t was evident
ly no news to them, and MI. Golding, as his
gaze Travelled from one face to another, saw
that his efforts had been in vain, and that
success was hopeless.
But the whole matter was so utterly unex-
pected that for moment he felt that it
could not be really true. He turned to
Elinor
''You knew of all this, it seems
YES" she said, but speaking in so low
tone that he could scarcely catch the words !;
81 knew of ALL but it was my fathers wish
that the matter should. not be mentioned.
| You would, however, have known it before
4