Year: 1876

was the matter, and as we opened


the dining room door We saw Capt


Thornton with his hands on Oliver.


throat. / shriekea. Sam, our man
servant, darted in, and. helped tc
separate them-arawing his master
away towards the door.


The faces of both men worked with
passion; Oliver shook himself free,
snatched decanter from the dining
table and hurled it across at his an
tagonist with full force. Instintively
the captain put up his arm to guard
his face. The decanter smashed up.
on his arm gashing it frightfully.


] believe there was a cry for a
doctor, but not for me, though had
tainted and been carried back to the
drawing room sofa insensible.


Capt. Thornton's life was in peril
from the hemorrhage! His wrist was
bound tightly before a surgeon came
to extract the glass and sew up the
wound; but for all that, he was for a
long time in danger Of lock jaw.


When he did recover, the muscles
Of his right hand we're SO contracted
that he could no longer shuttle cards,
ride at hunt or steeplechase, hanale
a billiard cue or fire a gun; and he
vowed vengeance against the man
who made life a burden to him.


Oliver laughed, as was his wont;
but evil seemed to haunt us from that
hour-not as consequence Of that
one act, but Of much foregone, of
which knew nothing.


NV father beckoned me into the
library before he and Leah returned
home, and he shut the door.


Mary, said he gravely, 'had |
known thy Oliver was such a wastrel,
Id have chopped my hand of afore
I'd hs' given thee to him. I'm afraid
thou'lt rue afore long.


Such riot and extravaganza as l
saw last night cannot last. And
when his own brass is melted he'll
want thy thousand pounds


Never shall forget his look Of
as | told him ! had
given the money over to Oliver be-
fore we left home on our wedding
day.


Then, ten to one it's thy money
he's squandering. he cried in as
much of temper as ! ever saw him;
but he softened at my tears, added:


It's my fault, Mary; ! ought to
have tied it down on thee. Never
mind, lass, if the worst come to worst, j,
there's home for thee and thy little
Launcelot whilst I've roof to cover
me-


The end did not come quite so
soon as father predicted, but it came
quite soon enough. Bills came pour
ing in as soon as the rupture between
Oliver and Captain Thornton got
wind, and | had to soften my hus-
bands hang it, let them watt as
best could to importuna.e duns Il
who had never known what debtor
and credit meant beyond bill Of
parcels at school. Then credit was
stopped, and Oliver swore over every
sovereign he gave to me. Some
times, after a brief absence, he came
back with rolls of notes, but he would
disappear again, and they would dis
appear too. And as his embarrass-
ments increased he drank still more
heavily, and his temper grew so
irritable, no one knew how to deal
with him.


One servant had already gone.
The old housekeeper myself dis
missed knowing my inability to pay
her. And now | felt the value Of
.eah's sharp training, for l had to
DO the work of the house cook, and
nurse my baby in the bargain; and
woe betide me if broil, or roast were
not to my husbands liking.


He rode off one morning with a
valise strapped before him, kissing
Launcelot and me before he went,
and | did not see him again for years.
Before the day was out sherif's Off
GERS were in the house, and but for
Kind Mrs. Matthews, who interceded
Tor me, neither baby nor myself
would have had SO much as change
of raiment left.


"She took me home with her,
poor dazed, stunned creature, who
had not reached her twenty Sc econd
birthday. Consoling Launcelot (who
wept because his mother wept, as
children wilD with lump Of sugar
and jam, she hushed him to rest, and
hen despatched hurried missive to
my father.


ga couple of days elapsed, during
which my heart sank to its lowest
ebb. Then he came. He had been
away himself at an auction, al d could
not leave.


"He did not upbraid me; he said
ne had 'foreseen what was coning;'
and | know not whether he or thank
ed Mrs. Matthews most heartily for
her kindness.


"Back to my childhood's home l
went with heavy heart; and not all
my dear fathers heartiness could
prevent me feeling mysef and child



"Soon after he sent me down to