The Press., 1890-09-18


 found myself in Inverness terrace, gaz- ing up at the drawing room windows. They were open, but there was no sign l of Mary. I trudged away down the road, across Addison road to Kensington, and so back to the Temple. | shut myself into my room, lit my lamp and tried to read.
 Suddenly grim shadow crossed my mind. MT. Campbell Bruce-what would ssss say to all thisp
 He was reputed to be wealthy, and knew he was proud. What would he think? Was 1t likely that he would give his daughter to man whose income was but e250 year and what he could earn as guerrilla of the pressp Was it likely?
 It was not. No use blinking the fact. It was improbable in the highest degree. Expectation, even, had none. The only person who was at all likely to leave me any money was my Aunt Johanna; and she, good soul, was as tough as grenadier and as long lived as parrot. Her personal appearance, moreover, reminded one of that beauty fowl. Out of clear three thousand year she spent about Ave hundred, so that her accumulation must, knew, be large and her income increasing year by year. But would she make me an allow ance? That was the question. Or would she-but no! knew the old lady too well. She was as tenacious of her money as dog of bone and as proud of it as a cook of her copper.eT Once when was in pecuniary scrapa at Oxford had applied to her. Her reply was charac- teristic:
 VILLA CAMPANARR, NICE.
 My DEAR CHARIEs-If were to accede to your request for :es0 should be doing you a great wrong. By having to get out of your scrapes yourself, you will learn to avoid them and acquire self reliance. Thirty pounds, my dear Charles, is a sum of money. Avoid debt. and you will be spared what cannot but be painful to you. Read the enclosed Your affectionate aunt,
 JOHANNA.
 "The enclosed was some horrible trash about 8 man who came to London with twopence and died worth million. AS to thirty pounds being sum of money, what did she suppose imagined it to be-a sack of potatoes?
 We'll, the recollection of this incident failed to dispel my present misgivings, and that night wrote to Mary telling her that I would see her father at once, but that until had done so she was to keep our engagement secret. And I went to bed with despair at my heart. I tossed about all night and had but short and fitful intervals of sleep. In the morning was in high state of fever, varied by frequent fits of shivering and shooting pains all over me. sent a tel egram to my doctor and then went back | to bed.
 For three months I was laid up with g dangerous rheumatic fever. In the ear- | ly stage had found it necessary to take Edward Bold into my confidence, and he had regularly conveyed tidings of me to Mary, who, poor girl! suffered grievous- 1 ly for my sake. Her messages gave me heart and strength, but my prostration was great and the paroxysms of pain frequent. At last the muscles of the throat were affected, and I could neither eat, drink nor sleep. Laudanun was administered in large and increasing doses and brought me some temporary relief; but overheard my dear friend, George Vivian, my doctor, say one day:
 "If he is not better in forty eight hours it is all over with him."
 1 My Aunt Johanna was not the sole possessor of the parrot constitution. Il ran in the family. Therefore, feeble and near to death as I was, made uI my mind that I would pull through There never was kinder nurse than wizened, uncouth Mrs. Crump (Mrs Swatman's mummified assistant before mentioneO turned out to be. The hired nurse was as callous and repugnant as nine out of ten of her class are, but Mrs Crump, who would tend me while the professional took her daily exercise, was ray of sunshine in the room. She was always good humored and hopeful; she smoothed my pillows, raised my head or arranged the bed with the ightest oi hands. Often did scream for her when the hired nurse was causing me the most acute pain by her rough handling Nurses are born, not made. But at the best had hard time of it. Those who fall sick in chambers are apt to suffer grievously. More than once during those forty-eigh hours I feared that the parrot constitution would be worsted after all.
 However, they passed, and was not dead yet. I began to mend; slowly but surely the improvement went on, and ir due time I became SO far convalescent as to be able, with assistance, to get from one room to another. A new trouble now loomed in my horizon. On looking into the state of my finances made thf unpleasant discovery that, after settling various liabilities incurred by my illness should be left with balance of no, more than ten or twelve pounds at Praed's, out of which thert would be g heavy chemists bill to pay. My dividends were not due until December, and Twas debarred iron forecalling them by the provision of thu will under which obtained them, ani which forbade me to assign, charge ol cucumber" the property, under penalty of seeing it depart into the clutches of g distant connection. Not without mucl reluctance, therefore, resolved to writt to my Aunt Johanna and ask her to come to my assistance. After had done thil feeling of conditional resignation cams over me. had swallowed my pride and such dose, after all the other nos trums had been taking, ought surely to bring about some sort of improvement, in my unlucky state.
 The same day on which wrote this letter to my aunt was enlivened by { call from MT. Bruce. He had looked i1 on me several times during my illness and had made the kndest inquiries as t< | my progress He now sat down on ths