, 1889-01-01

frosty. Mr.. Dawbarn was dressed in his
brightest black, and his ci-avat was ns n mon
lrnsui to the most irreproachnble Of laun-
dresses But Mr.. Dawbnrn was pale and
agitatcd, his head shook and his hands trem-
bled, till the papers be held in them ratified
and crumpled
When "A servant opened the dining room
1oJr and announced NJ Munro" Mr.. Daw-
barn turned paler, and when the young clerk
whom Mr.. Robert Studden had so playfully
rallied n fortnight before in the street en-
tered. the banker trembled more Violently.
"Mr. Munro" said the banker, when the
door was closed, '~'you-you-you doubtless
know why / have sent for you-on this fcs-
tive ocra-sion-ion, todayT
The young clerk, who wns as pale rs Mr..
Dawharn, flltercd out. "Eo, sir with so
transparent an effort That tie banker saw
that the Young man perfectly understood the
reason Of tho Interview.
"YOur conduct, sir, has been such that L
IL do not know how 20 address YOU STAN
mcrcd Mr.. Dnwbarn, THAT you. sir, my
servant. my puid and salnricd servant,
should haze SO abused my confidence; should
have 50 darcl to try to so injurc me Isis
what ! did not expect from you, / know all,
sir, nh. You are discharged from the bank
this morleut'
A pang shot over tho young mans face.
" on VIII NOT ll lllONt4 " tAAEl LAel
again. This quarters salary is there, sir"
The banker put upon the table n small paper
packet As / shall not suffer you 70 take
your place at your desk again, there Is n half
years salary" Tho banker placed another
small packet on thctlblc, and the clerk made
a dcprccatory motion with one hand. ~ in
sist GA Il, sir, aud shall take no denial. ]
aiso insist on Your leaving Brnmlingdon to-
night, or o-morrov morning, Mt tho latest.
Should yon have any debts here, leave a list
OF them, md to-day being Christmas day. l
viii sec that one Of the clerks pays them the
day after tomorrow. There can he no ex-
cusc for your remaining, and your absence,
sr, Is n matter OF much more Importance
70 nc than a few pal ry pounds; 50 | will
hear Of no ohjcction.p
Mr.. Dawblru paused Gnd drcw breath, and
the young clerk looked Mt him and then mt
tho window, ns II ont into a far distance be
yond.
My ~urrourts, sir ho began, when the
br1tor interrupted him.
"Wil ne f3uudq uitcright,I iarcs1y. Had
you only robbed M u m1ncy, sir, / should
hnva bsrn bcitcr phasod. have treated
Won only too well, ard In rr,ura SEQ what
Won have done" u. Dawharn struck his
clrnehcd haud upon tho table "Eut no
mat.rr. Do | understand that sou viii leave
Buiu'iugdDu ~to-riEHiF'
Muuro took his owes from TIC window, and,
LOOKING fun in the bankers face, said;
"Inry"
tir. nl-iur1s face tururl scarlet, and he
l-1r1 -rri, ttarj ,tiu Dot a.eIti5a nay
tuus airy5 Uruls - me, SIR, II yuu please. ]
won't bear ~ How drgo youl There, sir,
ar1 The publishing lstt,r3 You hnvo sent to
hor, and IL You have n-" $ Hacof dcccucy or
honefr ltct, yru vNi ;urn those You have
~ I.n.-rr-.r fnr fTnHf4l fra ~
Murro tool w tho letters lEa former mas.
ter Ind to-all 20 linn,
ibid You hear rlr, s.rf nslrl tho banker.
81 hc- your pardon.
- sly, Will you give mo hars her letters,
and viii YOU leave Br1lnlungdol to-nightf'
There wns n rausa, unl tho bells OF the
church rang out for morning service.
'Ican make no promise, SIR replied the
yowng clerk, very clearly. 81 have a duty
TO your duu liter IA well Es n duty to you. If
sho desires that | shOuld'-
"You set mo nt defiance, do YOU, SIR burst
In the banker. Very good, very good; but
don't suppose that II ynu stay hero forever
that you will SEQ my daughter, or % enabled
10 write to her. If Won stop in Bennington,
she COcs. Next week She travels with her
mother to London, abroad, anywhere. away
from her fnthaBs prcsumptuous clerk, who,
because his master asked him n few times 10
his house, to sit at his table, and treated him
as an equal, so far forgot himself rs TO lift
his eyes up to his daughter, his only child
II had been a terrible Christmas morning
in the bankers house. Mr.. and Mrs. Daw
barn had been Informed that their only
daughter, Lucy, rose every morning carly
and had an interview with tho young clerk,
Munro, in the kitchen garden, the door of
which opened into a lane, and of which door
either Lucy or the young clerk, or both, pos
seSscd n key. Lucy had been forced into con-
fcs!on, and had gone on her knees to her
papa, and wept and inplored him not to hurt
her George, She had given up all his letters,
which she was In tho habit of placing under
her pillow every night, and which letters
Munro had written stcalthily in banking
hours and placed in q certain portion of the
wall, near the tool house in the kitchen gar
den. Mr.. DawbaI weut on wildly and
frightened Mrs. Dawharn, n good, motherly
woman, into n fit. When Mrs. Dawbarn re-
covered, Miss Lucy went of into q swoon,
aud her father and mother had to recover
her, and Mr.. Dawbarn was in agony lest the
servants Of his household should be cognizant
Of tho disturbance, which was an entirely UNI
necessary excitement on his part, as they.
tho servants, had known all about it- for the
last eight months. Poor Lucy was told that
Munro was to DO Immediately sent away.
'@N s'@h 'N HHA ~ AAAAiAAAA NAiN " Ip 10
church that day, Us their absence might DO
remarked by a devout but curious congrega-
ton, and that she was TO batho her ewes and
look unconccrned, easy, comfortable and com
posed.
As Lucy and her mamma passed tho door
of the dining room, Lucy heard the young
clerks voice. She knew that she should
never see him again, and She could not resist
her impulse. She ran 10 the door, seized the
handle, and would have opened it, but her
mamma pulled her away, and on the other
side Mr. Dawbarn rushed TO tho door and put
his back against it Munro strobe to the
window, that he might take a last look Of his
mistress as she left the house.
"Good-by, George dear, g~ood-by!" cried
poor Lucy in the passage. 1--WE shall never
see each other again; but good-by aud good
by and good-by again"
CHAPTER III.
Agar had elapsed since Lucy Dawbarn
had hidden farewell TO her fathers clerk
through the dining room doQr. He had left
B~ramingdon and gone no one knew whittier.
Neither letter nor message game to Lucy; she
was too strictly watched She often walked
in the Garden and looked Mt that nor.;o, -