VELLA VERNELL; OR, AN AMAZING MARRIAGE.

BY MBS StTMSBR HAYDKK, . ~ri tti o Goldie," "Tho Midnight lAUthI AUth0ji^."-Goraldino''CtC-eto-

i chapter wan. A VISION. ~T he moon shines bright. In such a night as this. N t wind did eontly kiss tho trees, When the syeot «md ( tt night , And they d" hi "i mounted tho Trojan wails. TW»»\ mS h s soul ton-ad tho Grecian tents.

E A fair, white> radiant summer

"'l' ' Hiflfrand Canal,ashootof burnished ,r ° rl t?a Rondola stately and slow. &tn £*"■«""»•» on ailkon gowns' ?XX "& flower fair faces, brings out bathes in '"" , f J6We ] Bl From undor f S of S?ghs 'through its dark, thl«, memoriecTatalo glides the boat. ■"""?' -Wle are tho blithe- voices. But as f Dtsw ep again[into the moonlight and ? ey the broad and shining .street their ? OTM r rings out" like silver on the air," '""five heT water their gay songs float. Mothergondola shoots by them, and tho »nt smile half indulgently, half °°Sa "ound of the musical mirth. ■ Cn"Sc«n 3 !" they say to each other. And etill these Americans sail on down mis which palaces, some drear and Rbomy'omo ablaze with light, line on eit. hWhlu night I" cries Owen Costello. .„,, i,. -laspa his hands behind his hand- JSUnS head as ho half kneels, half ■tf SffSJS" him with a smile. What an enthusiast he is, to bo sure ! It fa four months since they left horn-, an d to every now pleasure and place had he broueht the samo boyish enjoyment. "Iliad a letter to day," she says. Ho glanced up.^ "From whom! |

ii And Bhe wanta us to go back» _ i' She does not ask us, but she says thoir sorrow is not to havens." •■When'does the wodhng take place ." "InAuguat." , Shocanßpeak of it quite calmly now. She was trueto herself. God is true to her. His peace and calm gladness fill all her Tnil now comes in sight the superb old voune Italian officer!" murmured Evolyn. They look towards her. "Her hnlf-averted face is dimphngly demure. Bia is earnest, intensely eager." " Verily so seemeth it !" laughs Owen. A man's mellow voice outchimes in a song of his country. It peals out over the blue Adriatic, inspiriting as tho call to arms, of fifo and bugle, and drum :

" Better that fire upon tliee roll. Bettor the shot, tho shell, tho bowl. Than crnciilxion of the soul. iMaryland, my Maryland. And now they shaot under tho Rialto and out aeain into the moonlight. " Evelyn I" She starts slightly and looks at him. "Ibegyour pardoii,"and he colours as bespeaks. "lain so accustomed to hear ing Kitty addresa you so, I forgot myself." She emiJos. He takes courage and goes on. " May I tall you something ?" "Yes." " You look divine tonight.' "Oh!" she cries, in laughing protest. 11 That i 8 artistic hyperbole." But a delicate warmth had stolen over her lace, "It is not!" he maintains, sturdily.

A picture indeed is she in her draperies of silver and rose, the gleam of diamonds in her dusk hair, at her white throat, on her bare, lily hands. And her face in its pride, beauty, tinting is a poem. Some pretty fugitive linos he has some where read recur to him. He murmurs them to himself, as he looks up at her :

'"Oh, love, your lips are reel aa wine That flows where autumn sunsets ahino Upon the dark waves ot tho Khine. Oh, love, all raven is your hair; "Tiß black as midnight when despair

Sits brooding in the Alpino air.

"Whatever are you whispering to your self ?" she asks laughingly. idown the erondola goes on a clamorous merry war of words, in which they can hear distinctly John Gage's genial voice. A sudden deßperato impulse seizes Owen Costello. Every day for four months has he aeon her, every day learned to love her yet more madly and deeply. Why not tell her 80 now 1

The look in his eyes half awes, half startles lor, a3 he raises himself erect and turns to her,- : . . . "Evelyn, my queen, have I any chance? Few wtirds and simple, but they are thrilling With tho strong, young, passionate devotion of life.

Her bright eyes dwell on him. What a noble, bTave fellow he is ; what a grand and upright gentleman. Of late she has grown to know him—almost to love him. A vision of all life might be to her with him, its peace and happiness, comes to her—crowns her.

Obeying an impulse as irresistible as his own, she Btretched out to him her fair, slim, sparkling band. "Perhaps!" she whispers. Andhe knows that some day she will come to him, He bends his blonde head, and presses his lips on the little hand ho holds. The'gay party adown the gondola hush their, words and laughter while a girl's sweet voice upswells in Burns's old ballad : ." Tomako a happy fireside chime For weans and .wife Tbat's tho true pathos and sublime Of human life 1" Tho mirth and chatter break out afresh. The boat drifta on, Overhead the moon sweeps upward, But Evelyn's lover only sees far, far away in his own dear land, a happy fireside chime around which shall cluster weans and wife! .' •■CHAPTER LXXIII. ' .'AFTER MANY \EARS. .- " And.lovers may marry at forty, ' Ay, and live happy to boot, Thoufch Phillis be grey as a badger, And Corydon bald as a coot. Anox. 'Geelt patience ! the idea of you coming to talk to me now !" cries Miss Dorothy, in dignantly. "Go right straight away I"

And 6hepauses long enough in her egg whieiiDg to tug frantically at her sleeves, which are rolled above her elbows.

"Don't pull 'em down. Don't," he ontreats, quite ignoring her edict of dis missal.

" You always had such pretty arms!" He was lounging against the kitchen door, In a provokingly comfortablo atti tude.

Miss Dorothy laughs, and having been successful in her efforts, goes on beating tho yi /lkß. <> Had I, sir ? Well, as Moore says :— .i/Hiat was so vory long ago, ~ , woallknow. Into thu' big, airy culinary domain of the Costellos thi' afternoon sunlight is slanting. Deep in the mysteries of ca^° ma'i'nß is Mias VerneL 1- A bluo gingham apron envelopes her. '/"bore is a smudge of Hour on her noae. "Oh, by the way:-" sayß the captain euddenly. " You roo/omber Claflin, don t you?" Mißß.Dorothy stops ahott in turning the handle of the sifter. , .. „ "Do I?" she ejaculates, emphatically, as she looks upward with a dolorous shako ot the head. " I should say bo J" "He is dead." , , .. ." The good Lord bloss us ! " And she sits down promptly to digest the startling news.

" Apoplexy!" asserts tho captain, con- I cisely. "Always looked that way, you know. Went off in a fit thia morning. He had just been arrcßted for his attack on Owen, in the St. Pierre, at Philadelphia. "Dear,doar!" " And then she bsata the sugar and butter together, and stirs in the yolks. ■ "That girl —what was her name?— Grimeß'a .wife, you know!" •' ' "Guila." "Yes. 1 saw her walking with the old man on 'Wabash Avenue to-day."

Misa Dorothy measures four teaspoonfuls of baking powder into tho flour. "They have a vory cozy homo, I was over thoro last night. Ho will leavo hor all his money, I suppose. Thoy eeom vory much attached to each other. Ho says ho can forgive his eon all his brutality to him, becauso of tho daughter ho has given him. For n while thoro is silence. " What aro you making, Dolly ?

"Cako." "And why in thundor deesß t i-llon mako it?" . , , , . "Becauso I am just aching to bo doing something for the dear children !' sho avows, candidly. . , " And you consider cake-making a good way to let off tho stoam of superfluous energy, eh ?" But sho does not deign an nnswor. " Can't I holp you, Dolly ?" "Of course you can I" sho snaps out, whipping tho whites to a stiff froth as she speaks. " Sit down and stone those raisins. Idlenosa is crimo " Ho seats himsolf on tho broad window ledgo and begins his task. Vory, vory clumsy aro his fingers. "They stick so, Dolly!" ho protests, mepkly. . She springs up, wrings out a cloth in water, and presents it to him. •' Wipo your fingers in that after every raisin."

Tick,tick ! goes tho clock on the wall. Clickety click, click—click ! tho whirling egg-beater. " Do you romombor the night of frolic at Seth Martin's 1" Did shot " Yes." The tone might have.been kopton ice for a week, so cold is it. "And do you romombor my catching you on tho stairs and kissing you J" "No" " What ?"

" You didn't do anything of the sort I" " Oh, Dolly 1" in shocked reproach. "I , hadn't much courage to say all that was in my heart, so I waited till I caught you ' alone in tho dark. I said, ' Dolly, do you care for mo, or somobody else?' and you said ' Somebody olso.' That settled it." "Oh!" Such a panting, surprised, dismayed littlo gasp! Sho stops abruptly in her task of measuring frosting sugar and wheols around. " Was that you?' lie stares at her blankly. From an open corner of the brown paper parcel in his lap the raisins begin to drop. Liken wild littlo hail storm down they patter. " Of course it was I." Hor rosy old face grows white as paper. Sho fairly gasps. He rises, is beside hor in a second, Lower the raisins cannot lie. " You thought—" he begins. The sorrow of a life-time is written in the countenance lifted to bis.

"You spoke so low I thought it was El wan Fisher."

Ho falla back, still staring at her. " Thunderation !" ho at last says, slowly. "And the coat I" flushing hotly, " was so rough, and—" " I recollect. I was going out, and had put on Ehvan's rough great-coat. I could not tind my own. I was hoai'36 as a raven that night, too. And you never cared for him ?" She shakes her hoad. There are tears in tho blue eyes. Her mouth quivers liko that i of a grieved child. " And you did care a tiny bit for me, Dolly?" She cannot answer. "If 1 wore to ask you the same question now ?" ho says. Ho has hor in his arms and will not let her go. "Oh, tho cake, Terry !"

" Darn the cako i" cries Terry. " The children are coming !" Darn— bless the children > Dolly, you'ro just as fair and sweet to me to-day as you were thirty years ago. Bessie and Owen are deserting mo. Will you como and take care of me '! Or—or is all the old feoling dead ?"

His cheery voice grows unconsciously very wistful. For answer she looks up °<> «» wiiu brimming, oussiui eyes, and slips her plump arms around his neck. " Ah, Terry, no ! As Browning says :— 'The heart that has truly 'overt never forgets, But as truly lovea on to the close; As 'he sunllower turns to her god when lie seta The same look that she turned when he rose! • " Bravo, Dolly !" For awhile there is silence, save for the ticking of the clock, tho crackle of the fire, and the purring of the cat—rapturous, ecstatic silence. Then Captain Coatello says, softly: 1 "Great Jerusalem, Dolly, doesn't it beat—creation?" Old lovers ! ah, that I grant you ! don t lauch at them though. Love is love ! And be the crown theirs, yours, or mbe, than it high heaven hold 3 nothing sweetor !

CHAPTER LXXIV

WEDDING BELLS. " Discussing how their courtship grow, And talk of others tniit are wed. Ad<l howflholooked, and what nosaid, And back we como at fall of dew! —Tennyson • Sucii a day as it is-such a clear, bluo, soft sunny-skied fragrant day !

'"Happy is the bride tho sun shines on !'" cries Aunt Dolly, flying down the stairs liko a little brown sparrow. Captain Costello catches her ns she reaches tho landing. , " Blessed Polonius!" ho ejaculates. '< Hold on a minute and tell a fellow how he looks." ,111 tj- He is in inky, conventional black, his iovial old face is shining. The diamond on his snowy shirt-bosom is shining Alto gether he is quite a dazzling apparition. " Splendid !" decides Bhe, warmly. But tho negative is the pleased protest of gr» tA 8 Dolly !" he adds, but here words fail him. Indeed, she does look well though—the dear little woman ! She is all in golden brown satin, with delicate, yellowing point at throat and thrists, an airy structure ot the samo on her silvering head, a knot of trink ro?es at her bosom. P A very quiet wedding it is, but oh, such a triad, iovous, happy one. About a doeen old friends are P^ent. "If only Owen and Kitty could have been home !" says that bonnio bride of a month Mrs Voyle Vernell, as she twines a spray of white roses in Vella's golden curls. Marc Tracy and his wife are to go abroad, to remain till near Christmas. By that time the grand house now building on Vincennes Avenue will be COl?P leted- Anrl how does tho groom look ? Happy as a king And the bride I Ah !I do wish y^r°y Ut dan °and rstately looks she in her sweeping, snowy satin. In the dead-gold of hlffi the dusk-leavedro.es; at her throat her husband's jewels gleaming like white ""And now the glowing August day to waning • and the mirth, and music, and S grow loud and sweet. Mrs Tracy S away to change her dress -and down Bill ° And nS U™ tofhlngly p «*£, "g toof -and the groom catches Besaie's blue sat n dFppor asit whirls after them with a true aim, and refuses to surrender it. wiping hi ß eyes ; and straightwayr in the exuberance of hia feelings he kissoa Miss Dolly again.

' One glimpso more 1 Oh, you curious old readers, you. Well it is Chriatmaa Eve, and the Tracy mansion is all ablaze. From every window SgSgi. the grand entrance, passes a 14 D a o nd yo bfS^~a- ar e B ttoh3r ago concerning dear \ella. - a £ B notice of her marriage ™thClaflm Mtt B into tbe papers when ehe had only gone a visit to FhiladeTpta."

" I remember. The perpetrator of such an unkind joko should have boon well punished." And this is the mild explanation gene rally current in Chicago aa to Vella Vernoll's amazing marriago Only her intimato friends know tho truth, and they are silent. Since tho wedding, in August, Aunt Dolly has been Btaying with Voyle and Bcsio. Just a week ago she loft them. As she herself put it, she had taken Terry to got rid of him. How tho night flios !—with crash of music, and chime of song, and fragrance of flowers, and ring of laughter, and tread of dancing feot' Thoy are all here—tho old, familiar faces. John Gage and Captain Costello are firm friends with tho first hand-clasp. Owen looks older becauso of the tawny beard he wears.

Very proud is Evelyn of her artist husband, whoso pictures now aro being not only hung but eagerly sought. And a | gracious picture for any man's eyes is she in robos of trailing velvet with a smilo of . porfect content in her dark-fringed eyes and lingering on her goranium-red mouth. , And every whoroatonceseems Mrs Captain ■ Costello, a deinuro little dovoclad figuro, whoso rosy face under her silvery hair is almost beautiful in its happiness. Kitty, in white mull and jacqueminots, is flirting furiously with a young lawyer, like tho rnorciless witch she is. Mrs Vornell, in azure silk and pearls, I wears her matronhood with charming grace, | conscious that ovor on hor aro her husband's i

loving eyes. Marc? Oh, Marc is handsomer than ovor. Thero is no sadness in his face now. All

tho old, spirited, dashing mannor laughs out in him again. And Vella ? Well, Volla doesn't look quite mortal. Sho wears her wedding robe.', of course. Hor sunny hair crowns coronot-wiao hor pretty, proud head. Back to hor cheeks havo come their delicious, wavering bloom. Hor smiling lips are scarlot; hor oyes aro brown diamonds. But one of the happiest momenta of the wholo long night of revelry is when eho steals upstairs, whither a quiot little lady has iled before hor. Tho lattor glances up from the cradlo over which sho is bending, at Mrs Tracy's low words. "Is she asleep, Geraldino ?" " Yes." And then Mrs Doctor Laurent, with a sudden, soft, joyful sob, clasps hor arms around her hostess. "I know why you wont away, Vella. Ho did learn to love mo. That is why we called our baby after you " "Hush!" she whispors, and kisses ten derly mother and child, and goes away. But the vory happiest timo of all is whon the music is still and tho guests aro gone, and, standing alone in the splendid deserted room, Marc clasps her in his arms, all his heart in his shining, passionate) oyes. " Whatwasthe song thoy sang thatnight ?" " Every cloud has rollod away That darkened love 'twixt you and mo. Darling! darling 1" [the end.]

A SHIP OF '49.

A ROMANCE OF CALIFORNIA-

In Three Parts.

By .Bret Hakik,

CHAPTER 111,

If Jlr Renshaw indulged in any further curiosity regarding thointorioroftheronliac, lie did not mako his active researches mani fest to Rosey. Nor, in spite of her fathor's invitation, did ho again approach the galley —a fact which gave hor her first vague im pression in his favour. Ho soemed also to avoid the various advances which Mr Nott appeared impelled to make, whenever they met in the passage, but did so without seemingly avoiding her, and marked his Nott by an increase of respoct to the young girl. She would havo liked to ask him something about ships, and was sure his conversation would have been more inter esting than that of old Capt. Bower, to whose cabin he had succeeded, who had onco told her a ship was the "devil's hen coop. :1 She would havo liked also to ex plain to him that she was not in tho habit of wearing a purple bonnet. But her thoughts wore presently engrossed by an experience which interrupted tho even tenor of her young life. She had been, as she afterward remotn bered, impressed with a nervous rostleesnos3 one afternoon, which made it impossible for her to perform her ordinary housoholJ duties, or to even indulge her favourite re creation of reading or castlo building. She wandered over the ship, and, impelled by tho samo vnguo feeling of unrest, descended to tho lower deck and the forward bulkhead where she hpd discovered the open hatch. It had not been again disturbod, nor was there any trace of further exploration. A little ashamed, she know not why, of revisit ing the scene of Mr Kenshaw's researches, she was turning back, when she noticed that the door which communicated with De Ferrifcre'a loft was partly open. The cir cumstance was so unusual that she stopped before it in surprise. There was no souno. from within ; it was the hour when its queer occupant was always absent; he must have forgotten to lock tho door, or it had been unfastened by other hands. After a moment of hesitation she pushed it futher open and stepped into the room. By the dim light of two portholes she could see that the floor was strown and pi ed with the contents of a broken bale of curled horsehair, of which a few untouched bales etill remained, against the wall. A heap of morocco skins, some already cut in tho form of chair cushion covers, and a few cushions unfinished and unstuffed, lay in tho lHit of the ports and gave the apart ment tho appearance of a cheap workshop. A rude instrument for combing the horse hair awle, buttons, and thread heaped on a small bench showed that active work had been but recently interrupted. A cheap earthenware ewer and basin on the floor, and a pallet mado of an open bale of horse hair, on which a ragged quilt and blanket were nung, indicated that tho solitary worker dwelt and slopt beside his work. The truth flashed along the young girls active brain, quickened by seclusion and fed by solitary books. She read with keen eyes tho miserable secret of her fathers strange guest in the poverty-stricken walls in the mute ovidences of menial handicraft performed in loneliness and privation, in this piteous adaptation of an accident to save the conscious shame of premeditated toil. She knew not why he had stammermgly refused to receive her father's ofler to buy back the goods ho had given him ; she knew now how hardly gained was the pittance that paid his rent and supported his childish vanity and grotesque pride. From a pog in the corner hung the familiar masquerade thathidhispoverty-thepearl-grey trousers, the black frock coet, tho tall shining hat in hideous contrast to the penury of his surroundings. But if they were here, where was he and in what new disguise had ho escaped from his poverty? A vague un easiness caused her to hositato and return to tho open door. She had nearly reached it when her eye fell on tho pallet, which was partly illuminated. A singular resemblance in tho ragged heap mado her draw closer. The faded quilt was a dressing gown, and clutching its folds lay a whito wasted hand. The emigrant childhood of Rose Nott had been more than once shadowed by scalping knives, and she was acquainted with death. She went fearlessly to the couch, and found thattho dressing gown was only an enwrap ping of the emaciated and lifeless body ol Do Ferricres. She did not rotroat to call tor help, but examined him closely. He was unconscious, but not pulseless; he had evidently been strong enough to open the door for air or succour, but had afterwards fallen in a fit on the couch. She flew to her father's locker and the galley fire, returned, and shut the door behind hor, and by the skilful use of hot water and whisky, soon had tho satisfaction of seing a faint colour take the place of the faded rouge in tho ahastly cheeks. She was still chafing his lvnds when he slowly opened his eyes. With a start, he made a quick attempt to push aside her hands and rise. But ehe gently restained him. "Eh—what! he stammered, throwing his face back from hers with an offort, and trying to turn it to the wall,

" You have boen ill," sho said quietly. " Drink this." With his face still turned away he lifted the cup to his chattering teoth. When he had drained it ho threw a trombling glance around the room and nt the door. "There's no ono been hero but myself," she said quickly. " I happened to see the door open as I passed, I didn't think it worth while to call anyone." Tho eearr.hing look he gave hor turned into an expression of relief, which to her in finite uneasiness again feebly lightened into one of antiquated gallantry. Ho drew the dressing-gown around him with an air. "Ah! it is a goddess, mademoiselle, I that lias deigned to ontor tho cell where— ! whore—l—amuso myself. It is droll —is it not ? I camo hero to make —what you call —tho experiment of your father's fabric, I mako myself— ha ! ha ! —liko a workman. I Ah, bah I the heat, tho darkness, the

plebeian motion mako my head to go round. I stagger, I faint, I cry cut, I fall. But what of that 1 Tho great God hears my cry and sends mo an angel. Voila I" Ho attempted an easy gesturo of gallan try, but overbalanced himself and foil sido ways on tho pallet with a gasp. Yot thero was so much genuine feeling mixed with his grotoequo affectation, co much pitoous con sciousness of tho innffectivoness of his falso hood, that the young girl, who had turned away, camo back and laid her hand upon his arm. " You must lio still and try to sleep," she said gently. " I will return again. Per haps, sho added, " thoro is someono I can send for ?"

He shook his head violently. Then in his old mannor : "After mademoiselle—no ono."

"I mean no friends 1" "Friends, ah ! without doubt." lie shruggod hia shouldors. " Butmadomoisollo will comprehend " "You aro better now," said Rogoy quickly, " and no ono neod know anything if you don't nish it. Try to sleep. You noed not lock tho door when I go; I will see that no one eomos in." He flushed faintly and nvertod hia eyea. "It is too droll, madomoisclle, is it not ?" " Of courso it is," said Rosey, glancing round tho misornblo room. " And mademoisolle is an angol." Ho carried hor hand to hia lips humbly— his first purely unaffected act. Sho Blipped through the door, and softly closed it behind her. Reaching the upper deck, sho was re lioved to find her fathor had not returned, and hor absence had been unnoticed. For she had resolved to keep Do Forrieros's socrot to herself from tho moment that sho had unwittingly discovered it; and to do this and still bo able to watch over him without her father's knowledge required some caution. She was conscious of his strango aversion to tho unfortunato marj, without understanding tho reason, but, as she was in the habit of entertaining his caprices moro from affectionate tolerance of his weakness than rovorence of ,his judg ment, sho saw no disloyalty to him in with holding a confidence that might bo disloyal to another. "It won't do father any good to know it," sho said to hersolf, " and if it did it oughtn't to," sho added with triumphant feminine logic. But tho impression made upon her by the spoctacle sho had just wit nessed wan stronger then any other con sideration. The revelation of Do Forritros's secret poverty seemed a chapter from a romance of her own weaving ; for a momont it lifted the hero out of tho depths of his folly and selfishness. She forgot tho weak ness of tho man in tho strength of his dramatic surroundings. It partly satisfied a craving sho had felt; it was not oxactly tho story of tho ship as sho had droamod it, but it was an opisodo in hor oxporionco of it that broko its monotony. That she should soon learn, perhaps from Do Ferrieres's own lips, the truo roason of his stiango seclusion, and that it invol ved moro than appeared to her now, sho never for a momont doubted. At tho end of an hour sho again knocked softly at the door, carrying somo light nourishment sho had prepared for him. Ho was asleep, but sho was astonishod i- finH rlin*- ;•> ♦!><> Jrjtorvnl l.n k«<l, mot). aged to dross himself completely in his antiquated finery. It was a momentary shock io tho illusion sho had been fostering, but sho forgot it in tho pitiablo contrast between his haggard face and his pomatumed hair and beard, the jauntincss of his attire, and the collapso of his invalid ficruro. When she had satisfied horself that his sloop was natural, she busied heroolf softly in arranging tho miserable apartment. With a few fominino touches sho removed tho slovenliness of misery and placed tho looso material and ostontatious evidences of his work on ono side. Finding that ho still slept, and knowing the importance of this natural medication, sho placed the refreshment she had brought by his side and noieelosely quitted the apartment. "Hurrying through tho gathering darkness between docks, sho onco or twico thought that sho had heard footsteps, and paused, but, encountering no ono, attributed tho impression to her over-consciousness. \et sho thought it prudent to go to the galley first, whore she lingered a fow moments beforo roturning to tho cabin. On enter ing Hho was a littlo startled at observing a figure seated at her father's desk, but was relieved at finding it was Mr Konehaw. Ho roso and put asido tho book he had idly picked up. "I nm afraid I am an intentional intruder this time, Miss Nott. But I found no ono horo, and I was tempted to look into this shipshapo littlo snuggery. You see tho temptation got tho betterotme. His voice and smilo were so frank and pleasant, so free from his previous restraint, lot still respectful, so youthful, yet manly, that Rosey was affected by them evon in her preoccupation. Her oyes brightened and then dropped before his admiring slanco Had sho known that tho excitement of the last fow hours had brought a wonderful charm into hor pretty faco, had aroused the slumbering life of her half wakened beauty, sho would have been more confused. As it was, sho was only glad that the young man should turn out to bo " nice " Perhaps ho might toll hor some thing about ships ; perhaps if sho had only known him longer she might, with De Ferriures's permission, have shared her conti denco with him, and enlisted his sympathy and Resistance Sho contented horeelf with showing this anticipatory gratitude in her faco as she begged liim, with the timidity of a maiden hostess, to resume his seat. But Mr Renshaw seemed to talk only to make her talk, and I am forcod to admit that Rosey found this almost as pleasant. It was not long before ho was in full pos session of her simple history from the day of her baby emigration to'Californiato the transfor of her childish life to the old ship, and oven of much of the romantic fancies she had woven into her existence there. Whatever ulterior purpose he had m view, holistenod aa attentively as if hor artless chronicle was filled with practical informa tion. Once, when she had paused for breath, ho eaid, gravely. " I must ask you to show me over this wonderful ship somo day that I may see it with your eyes. » But I think you know it already bettor than I do," said Rosey, with a smile. Mr llenshaw's brow clouded slightly. " Ah," he said, with a touch of his formor re^tllCidtt!: toWly ( "I thought you went round and touched things in a familiar way, as if you had handled them beTho young man raisod hiscyoa toßoeoy's, and kept them there long enough to bring back his gentler oxpreesion. "Then, bo causo I found you trying on a very queer bonnet the first day I saw you,' he said, mischievously, " I ought to believe you were in the habit of wearing ono. , , . ~ In tho first flush of mutual admiration voune poople aro apt to find a laugh quito as significant as a sigh for an expression of nym pathetic communion, and this masterstroke of wit convulsod them both. Injiho rmdstof it Mr Nott ontored tho cabin. But the com placency with which ho viewed the evident porfoctunderstandingofthepairwaßdostined to suffer somo abatement. Kosey, suddenly conscious that ehe was in some way partici pating in ridicule of hor father through his unhapny gift,, became embarrassed. Mr Renshaw's restraint returned _ with tho presence of tho old man. In vain at hrst Abner Nott strove with profound levity to indicate his comprehension of f tho situation, and in vain, later becoming alarmed, he en deavoured, with cheerful gravity.to indicate his utter obliviousnoss of any but a bußinesa significance in their teto- ittW1 ' '' I oughtn't to hey intruded, Rosey, he said, "when you and the gentleman were talkin' of contracts mebbee ; but don t ramd

•" sho hesitated ;

" havo you

me. I'm on the fly, anyhow, Rosey dear, hovin' to sco a man round the corner."

I But oven the attitude of withdrawing did ! not prevent tho oxitof Renshaw to hisapart i mont and of Rosoy to thegalley. Leftalonein | the cabin, Abner Nott felt in tho knots j and tangles of his beard for a reason. ; Glancing down ut. his prodigious boots, I which, covered with mud and garvel, strongly emphasised his agricultural oiigin, and gave him a general appearance of stand . ing on his own broad acres, he was struck j with an idea, "It's thorn boots," ho whispered to himself softly ; " they somo how don't eoem 'xactly to trump or follow suit in this yor cabin ; they don't hitoh into anythin,' but jist slosh round loose, and, so to speak, play it alono. And them young critters nat'rally feels it, and gets out o' the way." Acting upon this instinct with his usual precipitate caution, ho at onco proceeded to the nearest second-hand shop, and, purchasing a pair of enormous carpet slippers, originally tho property of a gouty sc» captain, reappoarod with a strong suggestion of newly upholstering tho cabin, Tho improvement, however, was fraught with a portentous circum stanco. Mr Nott's footstops, which usually announced his approach all over tho ship, became stealthy and inaudible. Meantime Miss Rosey had taken advan tago of the absence of her father to visit her patient. To avoid attracting attention sho did not take a light, but groped her way to tho lower dock and rapped softly at the door. It was instantly oponod by De Ferriore't He had apparently appreciated the fow changes she had already mado in the room, and had himself cleared away the pallot from which ho had iust risen to make two low seats against tho wall. Two bits of oandle placod on the floor illuminated tho beams above, tho dress ing gown was artistically draped over tho solitary chair, and a pile of cushions formed another seat. With olaborato courtesy ho handed Mies Rosoy to tho chair. Holookedpaloand weak, though the gravity of tho attack had evidently passed. Yet he persisted in remaining standing. "If I sit," ho explained with a gesturo, "I shall again disgrace mysolf by sleeping in mademoiselle's presence Yes ! I shall sleep—l shall dream—and wake to find her gone!" Moro embarrassed by his recovery than whon he was lying helplessly beforo her, she eaid hesitatingly that sho was glad ho was better, and that sho hoped he liked his broth.

" It wasmannafromhoaven,mademoisollo. Sco, I havo taken it all—every precious drop What else could I have done for mademoiselle's kindness?"

Ho fhowod hot the empty bowl. A swift conviction came upon her that the man had been suffering from want of food. The thought roetored her self-possession oven while it brought tho tears to her eyes. "I wiish you would lot rao epeak to father—or some one," she said impulsivoly, and stopped. A quick and half insane gleam of terror and suspicion lit up his deop eyes. " For what, mademoiselle? For an accident— that is nothing -absolutely nothing, foe I am strong and woll now—see!" ho said, | trembling. "Or for a whim—for a folly you may fiay, that they will misunderstand No, mademoiselle is good, is wiso. She will say to herself,' I understand, my friend, Monsiour do Forriores for tho moment has a eocrot. Ho would seem poor, he would tako the role of artisan, ho would shut him solf up in these walla—perhaps I may guess why, but it is his secret. I think of it no more," Ho caught her hand in his with a gosturo that ho would havo mado ono of gallantry, but that in its tremulous in tonsity became a piteous supplication. " 1 havo said nothing, and will say nothing, if you wish it," said Rosey hastily ; " but other? may find out how you livo hero. This is not tit work for you. You seem to bo a gentleman. You ought to bo a lawyer, or a doctor, or in a bank," she continued, timidly, vaguely enumerating the prevailing degreos of local gentility. Ho droppod her hand. "Ah ! does not mademoiselle coinprehond that it is because I am a gentleman that thore is nothing botween it and this ? Look !" ho continued almost lierr«.., ig £ What^f T^d^oj^itjs that brings mo, a gentleman, to this, eh ? h, bah ! What do I say ? This is honost, what I do ! But tho lawyer, tho bankor, tho doctor, what aro they !" Ho shrugged his shoulders, and pacing tho apartment with a furtive glanco at tho half anxious, halffrightoned girl, suddenly stoppod, dragged a omall portmanteau from bolund the hoap of bales, and opened it. " Look, mademoiselle," ho said, tremulously lifting a handful of letters and papers. 'Look— theso aro tho tools of your banker, your lawyer, your doctor With this tho banker will mako you poor, the lawyer will prove you a thief, tho doctor will swear you are crazy, eh ? What shall you call the work of a gentleman—this—" ho dragged the Dile of cushions forward—or this ?"

" To tho young girl's obeorvant eyes eomo Of the papers appeared to be of a legal or official charactor, and others like bills ot ladin", with which she was familiar, Their° half-thoatrical exhibition reminded her of some play she had seen ; they might bo tho clue to some story, or tho mero worth loss hoardings of a diseased fancy. W hat over they were, De Ferrkrcs did not ap parently care to explain further ; indcod, tho next moment his manner changed to his old absurd extravagance. "But this is stupid for madomoieollo to hear. What shall wo apeak olt Ah! what should wo speak of in mademoiselle's presenco ? " But are not theso papors valuablo ? asked Rosoy, partly to draw her hosts thoughts back to their formor channel. " Perhaps." He pausod and regarded her fixedly. " Does madomoiscllo think BO?" ''I don't know," said Kosey. "How "Ah ! if raodemoißolle thought so—if madomoieello would deign "He stopped again and placed hia hand upon his fore head. "It might be so!" ho muttered. " I must go now," said Rosey hurriedly, rising with an awkward sense of constraint. " Father will wonder where I am." " I shall explain. I will accompany you, mademoiselle." "No, no," said Rosoy, quickly; "he must not know I have been here!' She stopped. Tho honest blush Hew to her cheek, and then returned again, because she had blushed. De Ferrieiea gazed at her with an exaltoa look. Then drawing himself to hie full height, ho said, with an exaggerated and indescribable gesture, "Go, my child, go. Tell your father that you havo boen ulono and unprotected in the abodo of poverty and suffering, but—that it was in tho pro?ence of Armand de Ferricres.' Ho threw open tho door with a bow that nearly swopt the ground, but did not again offer to take her hand. At once impreseed and embarrassed at this crowning incon gruity, her protty lips trembled between a s nile and a cry as she said, " Good-night," and slipped away into tho darkness. Erect and grotesquo.Ue Ferrieres retained tho same attitudo until the sound of her footsteps was lost, when he slowly began to close the door. But a atrong arm arrested it from without, and a large carpeted foot appeared at tho bottom of tho narrowing opening. The door yielded, and Mr Nott entered tho room.

CHAPTER IV,

With an oxclamation and a hurried glance around him, Do Ferrieroa throw himsolf before the intruder. But, slowly lifting his large hand, and placing it on his lodgers breast, ho quietly overbore tho sick man s feeble resistance with an impact of powor that seemed almost as moral as it wan physical. Ho did not appear to take any notice of tho room or its miserable sur roundings; indeed, scarcely of the occupant. Still pushing him, with abstracted eyes and iramobilo faco, to tho chair that Rosoy had just quitted, ho made him fit down, and then took up his own position on tho pilo ot cushions opposite His usually undergone complexion was of watery blueness, but Ins dull, abstracted glanco appeared to exercise a certain dumb, narcotic fascination on his °'^i rmout," said Nott, " hoy laid ye out here on sight, without enny warnin 'or dropped yo in yer tracks in Montgomery street, wherever ther was room to work a sixehooter in comf'ably ? Johnson ol Petalunv- him, ye know, ez had a game eye -fetched Flynn comin' outer meetin one Sunday, and it was only on account of his wife, and she n second-hand ono so to speak. There was Walker of Contra Costa plugged that young Sacramento chap, whose name I ditremember, full o' holes jiet

ez he was sayin' ' Good by' to his darter. I mout hey done all this, it it had settled things to please me. For while you and Flynn and that Sacramento chap ez all about the same sorto' men, Rosey's a dif forentkind from their sort o' women."

" Mademoiselle is an angel I" paid De Ferrieros, suddenly rising, with an excess of extravagance. "A saint I Look! I cram the lio, ha ! down his throat who challenges it."

"Ef by mam'selle yb mean my Rosey," eaid Nott, quietly laying his powerful hands on Do Forrieres's shoulders, and slowly pinning him down upon his chair, " ye're about right, though eho aint mam'selle yet. Ez I was sayin', I might hey killed you off hand if I hod thought it would hey been a good thing for Rosey." "For her? Ah well! Look, I am ready," interrupted De Ferriercs, again springing to his feet, and throwing open his coat with both hands. " See ! here at my hoart—tiro!"

"Ez I wasfiayin'," continued Nott, once more pressing the oxciteel man down in lub chair. " I might hey wiped ye out—and mebbe ye wouldn't hey keered—or you might hey wiped me out, and I mout hoy said, ' Thank'eo,' but 1 reckon this aint a ease for what's comf'able for you and me. It's what's good for L'osei/. And tho thing to kalkilato ie, what's to bo done?"

His small round eyes for the first time rested on De Ferrieres's face, and were quickly withdrawn. It was evident that this abstracted look, which had fascinated his lodger, was merely a resolute evidence of De Ferrieres's glanco, and it became apparent lator that this avoidance was due to a ludicrous appreciation of Do Ferricres's attractions.

"And after wo'vo dono ilial wo must kalkilato what Rosey is, and what Rosoy wants._ P'raps, ye allow, you know what Rosey is ? P'raps you've seen her pranco round in velvet bonnets and white satin slippers, and sich. P'raps you've seen hor readin' tracks and v'ygee, without waitin' to spoil a word, or catch her breath. But that ain't the Roaey ez /know. It's a little child ez uster crawl in and out the tailboard of a Mizzouri wagon on tho alcali pizencd plains, whoro thero wasn't another bit of God's mercy on yearth to be seen for miles and milos. It's a little gal as uster hunger and thirst cz quiet and mannerly cz she now eats and drinks in plenty ; whose voico was ez etoady with Injins yollin' round her nest in tho loaves on Swcetwater ez in her durty cabin up yonder. That'll tho gat ez I know ! That's tho Rosoy ez my 010 woman puts into my arms ono night a."ter wo left Larainio when the fever was high, and sez, ' Abner,' Eez sho, ' tho chariot is swingin' low for mo to night, but thar ain't room in it for hor or you to git in or hitch on. Take hor, raro her, co wo kin all jino on tho other shore,' sez sho. And I'd knowed tho other shoro wasn't no Kuliforny And that night, p'raps, tho chariot swung lower than over beforo, and my 010 woman stopped into it, and left mo and Rosoy to crcop on in tho old wagon alono. It's them kind o' things," addod Mr Nott, thoughtfully, " that seem to pint to my killin' you on sight ez tho beet thing to be dono. And yot Rosoy might not liko it." Ho had slipped ono of his fe9t out of his hugo carpet slippers, and, as he roached down to put it on again, ho added calmly : " And oz to yer marrying her, it ain't to bo done."

Tho utterly bewildered expression which 'iranefigurod Do Forrieres's faco at this an

nounccment was unobserved by Nott's averted oyes, nor did ho percoivo that h.a listener tho next moment straightoned his erect tiguro and adjusted his cravat.

" Ef Rosoy," ho continued, " hoz read in vy'ges and tracks in Eyotalian and French countries of such chaps ez you, and kalki-

lates you're the right kind to tie to, inebbeo it mout hey dono if youl'd been livin' over thar in a pallis, but somehow it don't jibo in ovor hero and agree with a phip- and that ship lying comf'ably ashoro in San Francisco. You don't Eeem to suit tho climato, you Eeo, and your general gait is likely to stampedo tho other cattle. Agin," said Nott, with in cstontation of looking at his companion, but really gazing on vacancy, " this fixed up, antique style of yours goes fefiy°l! XJii n .*'loffiiyy-ki.v.Pr(ld ruins in Rome

with, than it would yoro. I ain't sayin', ho added, as Do Ferricres was about to speak, "I ain't sayin' ez that child ain't smitten with yo. It ain't no ueo to lio and say sho don't prefer you to her old fathor, or young chaps of her own ago and kind. I'vo eeod it afor now. I suspicioncd it afor

I seed her slip out o' this placo tonight. Thar ! keep your hair on, such ez it is !" ho added as Do Forrieres attempted a quick deprecatory gesture. "I ain't askin' yer how often sho comes hero, nor what she sez to you nor you to her. I ain't asked her, and I don't ask you. I'll allow ez you've settled all tho peliminarics and bought her tho ring, and sich ; I'm only askin' you now, kolkilatin1 you'vo got all tho kcords in your own hand, what you'll take to step out and leavo the board?"

Tho dozed look of Do Forrlires might havo forced itsolf even upon Nott's one idead fatuity, hud it not been a part of that gentleman's system to delicately look another way at that raomont so as not to embarass his adversary's calculation. " Pardon," atammored Do ITorricres, " but Ido not comprehend I" Ho raisod hiß hand to his head. '' lam not well—l am stupid. Ah, rnon Uieu !" " 1 ain't eayin'," addedNott moregently, "oz you don't feel bad. It's nat'ral. But it ain't business. I'm askin' you," ho con tinued, taking from bis breast pocket a largo vallot, "how much you'll tako in cash now, and tho rest next steamer day, to givo up Rosoy and leavo the ship." Do Forrieros staggered to his foet despite Nott's restraining hand. "To leave madc raoisollo and loavo tho ship ?" ho said huskily, "is it not?" "In course Yer. can leave things yor jist oz you found 'em when you came you know," continued Nott, for tho first time looking around the misorablo apartment. "It's a business job. I'll tako the hales back again, and you kin reckon up what you're out, countin' Iloeoy anil losso' time." "Ho wishes mo to go—ho has said," repeated Do Fcrrieros to himself thickly. "Ef you mean me when you say him, and ez thar ain't any other man around, I reckon you do -yes !" "And ho asks mo—ho—.this man of tho feet and tho daughter- asks me—Do Forri cres- what I will tako," continued Do Ferricres, buttoning his coat. "No! it is a dream!" He walked stillly to tho corner whero hia portmanteau lay, lilted it, and, going to the outer door, a cut through tho ship's sido that communicated with tho galley, unlocked it aod flung it opon to tho night. A thick mist like the breath of the ocean Mowed into tho room. " You ask mo what I shall take to go," he Baid as ho stood on tho threshold, " I shall take what you, cannot givo, monsieur, but what I would not keop if I stood here another moment. I take my honour, mon siour, and—l take my leave !" For a moment his grotesque figuro was outlined in tho oponing, and then disap peared as if ho had dropped into an invisible ocean below. Stupefied and disconcorted at this complete success of his ovortures, Abner Nott remained speechless, gazing at tho vacant space until a cold influx of tho mist recalled him. Then ho rose and shullled quickly to the door. " Hi! Ferrers ! Look yer- Say ? AYot's your hurry, pardner.?" But there was no response. Tho thick mist, which bid tho surrounding objects, seemed to deaden all sound also. After a moment's pause ho closed the door, but did not lock it, and, retreating to tho centre of tho room, romaincd blinking at the two candles and plucking some perplexing problem from his beard. Suddenly an idoa seized him, Kosey. Where was she ? Per haps it had been a preconcerted plan, and fho had iled with him. Putting out tho lights, ho stumbled hurriedly through the passage to the gangway abovo. Tho c:\bin door was open ; thero was tho sound of voices—Rensliaw's and Roeoy'a. Mr Not* folt relieved, but not unembarrassed. Ho would have avoided his daughter's presence that evening. But even whilo making this resolution with characteristic infelicity ho blundered into tho room. Kosey looked up with a slight start : Rensbaw's animated face wan changed to its formed expression of inward discontent. "You came in so like a ghost, fatker," eaidKosey, withaslight peevishness that was new to her. '' And I thought you were in town. Don't go, Mrßeushaw." But Mr llonshaw intimated that he had already trespassed upon Miss Nott'a time, and that no doubt hor father wanted to talk with hor. To his surprise and annoyance, however, Mr Nott insisted oil accompany

ing him to his room, and, without heeding Renshaw's cold "Good-night," entered and closed the door behind him.

" P'raps," said Mr Nott, with a troubled air, " you disremomber that when you first kern here you asked me'if you could hey that 'er loft that tho Frenchman had'down stairs."

" No, I don't remember it," said Kenehaw, almost rudely. "But;" he added, after a pause, with the air of one obliged to revive a stale and unpleasent memory, "if I did— vhat about it '!"

" Nuthin', only that you kin hey it to morrow, en that 'ere Frenchman is movin' out," responded Nott. " I thought you was sorter keen about it when you first kern." '' Umph ! We'll talk about it to-morrow." Something in the look of wearied perplexity with which Mr Nott was beginning to regard his own mal apropos presence ar rested tho man's attention. " What's the reason you didn't sell this old ship long ago, take a decent house in the town, and bring up your daughter lika a lady ?" he asked with a sudden blunt good humour. But oven this implied blasphemy against the habitation he worshipped did not prevent Mr Nott from his usual misconstruction of the question.

" I reckon now Rosoy's got high-flown ideas of livin' in a castie with ruins, eh?" hg said cunningly. " Haven't heard say," returned Renshaw abruptly. " Good night."

Firmly convinced that Rosey had been unable to conceal from Mr Kenshaw the in fluenco of her drearnsof a constellated future with Do Ferrieres, he regained the cabin. Satisfying himself that his daughter had retired, he sought his own couch. But not to sleep. Tho figure of De Ferrieros standing in the ship side and melting into tho outer darkness haunted him, and com pelled him in dreams to rise and follow him through tho alleys and byways of the crowded city. Again, it was a part of hie morbid suspicion that ho now invested tho absent man with a potontial significance and an unknown power. What deep-laid plans might ho not form to possess himself of Roßoy, of which he, Abner Nott, would bo ignarant V Unchecked by the restraint, of a father's roof, ho would now give full license to his power. " Said he'd take his honour with him," muttered Abner to him eolf in tho dim watches of tho night: " lookin' at that savin' in ita right light, it looks bad." CHAPTER V.

TjtK elaborately untruthful account which Mr Nott gavo his daughter of De Ferrieres's euddon departure was more fortunate than his usual equivocations. While it dis appointed and slightly mortified her, it did not seem to her inconsistent with what she already knew of him. " faid his doctor had oidered him to quit town under an hour, owin' to a comin' attack of hay fever, and ho had a friend from furrin parts wait

in' him at the Springs, Rosey," explained Nott, hesitating between his det-ire to avoid his daughter's eyes and his wish to observe his countenance.

"Was he worse?—l mean, did he look badly, father 1" said Roeo thoughtfully. "I reckon not oxackly bad. Kinder looked oz if he mout bo worse soon el he didn't hump hisself." " Did you Bee him ?—in his room ?" asked Rosey anxiously. Upon the answer to this simple question dependod tho future confi dential relations of father and daughter.

If her father had himself detected the means by which hia lodger existed, she felt that her own obligations to secrecy had been removed. But Mr Nott's answer dis-

posed of this vain hope. It was a response h after his usual fashion to tho question he ii imagined sho artfully wished to ask, i.e., if fj ho had discovered their rendezvous of the previous night. This it was part of his D peculiar delicacy to ignore. Yet his reply ] showed that he was unconscious of tho one £ miserable secret that he might have read <j easily. I " I was there an hour or so—him and me j alone—discussin' trade I reckon he's got q a good thing outor that horsehair, for I see he's got in an invoice o' cushions. I've c stored 'em all in the forrard bulkhead until j the loft."' ' *r~ "—U""' U°° **1" ln ' But although Mr Ronehaw had taken the E loft, ho did not ecom in haste to occupy it. Ho spent part of tho morning in uneasily ] pacing his room, in occasional sallies into j tho street, from which ho purposelessly re- ] turned, and onco or twice in distant and j furtive contemplation of Rosey at work in the galley. This last observation was not 1 unnoticed by tho astute Nott, who at onco, i conceiving that ho was nourishing a secret ■ and hopeless passion for Rosoy, began to considor whethor it was not his duty to warn tho young man of her preoccupied affections. But Mr Renshaw's final disappearance obliged him to withhold his confidence till morning. This time Mr Renshaw left the ship with the evident determination of some settled purpose. He walked rapidly until he reached the counting house of Mr Sleight, when he was at once shown into a private ollico. In a few moments Mr Sleight, a brusque but passionless man, joined him. "Well," said Sloight, closing the door carofully. " What news '!" " None," said Eenshaw bluntly. "Look here, Sleight," be added, turning to him suddenly, "let me out of this game. I don't like it." " Does that mean you've found nothing ?" asked Sloight, sarcastically. " It means that I haven't looked for any thing, and that I don't intend to, without the full knowledge of that d — dfool who owns the ship." •' You've changed your mind since you wroto that letter," said Sleight, coolly producing from a drawer the note already known to the roador. Renshaw mechanically extended his hand to take it. Mr Sleight dropped the letter back into tho drawer, which ho quickly locked. The apparently simple act dyed Mr Renehaw's check with colour, but it vanished quickly, and with it any token of his previous embarrassment. Ho looked at Sleight with tho convinced air of a resolute man who had at last taken a disagreoablo step, but was willing to stand by the consequences. ! " 1 have changed my mind," he said coolly. "I havo found out that it was one > thing to go down there as a skilled ■ prospector might go to examine a mine that ) was to be valued according to his report of i the indications, but that it was entirely r another thing to go and play tho spy in a , poor devil's house in order to buy some -3 thing he didn't know he was selling, anc 0 wouldn't fell if he did." c " And something that tho man he bought c of didn't think of" selling ; something he hinvolf never paid for, and never expected " to buy," sneered Sleight. 1 " But something that we expect to buy \ from our knowledge of all this, and it in b tbat which makes all the difference." i- " But you know all this before." " I never saw it in this light before ! I

nevor thought of it until I was living there faco to face %vith )ho old fool I was intend ing to overreach. I never was sure of it until this morning, when ho actually turned out ono of his lodgers that I might have the very room I required to piay off our little gamo in comfortably. When he did that I made up my mind to drop the whole thing, and I'm here to do it."

" And l«t Bomebcdy else take the respon sibility—with the percentage -unleesyou've also felt it your duty to warn Nott, too," said Sleight with a sneer, "You only daro Bay that to me, Sleight," said Kenshew quietly, " because you have in that drawer an equal evidence of my folly and my confidence 4 but if you are wise you will not prosume too far on either. Let ua see how wo stand. Through tlio yarn of a drunkon captain and a mutinous piiilor you became aware of an unclaimed shipment of treasure, concealed in an unknown ship that entered this harbour. You aro enabled through mo to corroborate fc-ouie faetaand identify the ship. You pro- I posed to mo, as a speculation, to identify I the treasure if possible before you,purchased the ship. I accepted the offer without con sideration ; 011 consideration 1 now decline it, but without prejudice or les? to anyone ! but myself. As to your insinuations, 1 j need not remind you that my presence ! hero today refutes it. I would not require your permission to muke a much better bargain with a good naturod fool like Nott than I could with you. Or, if I did not care for the business, I could have warned the girl " " The girl—what girl?" Kenshaw bithis lips, but answered boldly : "Thocldman'a daughter—a poor girl— whom this act would rob as well as her father."

Sleight looked at his companion attcn tively.

""Vou might have said so at firet, and let up on this enmp-meetin' exhortation. Well, then—admitting you've got the old man and the girl on tho same string, arjd that you ye played it pretty low down in the short time you've been there—l sup poee, Dick Kenshaw, I've got to kg your bluff. Well, how much is it ? What's tho figure you and she have sottled on ?"

For an instant Mr Sleight was in physi cal danger. But before ho h>id finished speaking Renshaw'a quick sense of tho lu dicrous had so far overcome his first indig nation as to enable him to admire the per fect moral insensibility of his companion. As he arose and walked toward the door, he half wondored that ho had ever treated the affair ssorioudy. With a smile ho replied :

" Far from bluffing, Sleight, I am throw ing my cards on the table. Consider that I've passed out. Lot some other man take my hand. Eake down the pot if you 'ike, old man, / leave for Sacramento to-night. Adieu !"

When the door had closed behind him, Mr Speight summoned his clerk. "Is that petition for grading Pontiac street raady ?" " I've seen the largest property holder?, sir; they're only waiting for you to si{<ii first." Mr Sleight paused and then affixed his signature to tho paper hie clerk laid before him. " Got the other names and send it up at onco."

"If Mr Nott doesn't sign, sir I" "No mattor. He will bo assessed all tho same." Mr Sleight took up his hat. " The Lascar seaman that was here tho other day has be;n wanting to see you, sir, I said you were busy." Mr Sleight put down his hat, " Send him up."

Nevertheless, Mr Sleight sat down and at once abstracted himself so completely as to be apparently in utter oblivion of the man who entered. He was lithe and Indian looking, bearing in dress and manner tho carslees slouch without tho easy frankness of the sailor.

" Well," said Sleight without looking up "I was only waitin' to know ef you had any news for me, boss ?"

" News ?" echoed Sleight, as if absently ; 'news of what?"

" That matter of the Pontiac we talked about, boss," returned tho Lascar with an uneasy servility in the whites of his teeth and eyes.

" Oh," said Sleight, "that's played out. It's a regular fraud. It's an old forecastle yarn, my man, that you can't reel off in the cabin."

The sailor's face darkened

"Tho man who was looking into it has thrown the whole thing up. I tell you it's played put!" repeated Sleight, without raising his head.

"It's true, boss—every word," said Lascar with an appealing insinuation that seemed to struggle hiird with eavago earnot-tness. " You can swear me, boss ; I wouldn't lie to a gentleman like you. Your man hasn't half looked, or else—it must be there, or "

"That's just it," said Sleight slowly; "who's to know that your friends haven't been there already—that seems to have been your.style,"

" But no one knew it but me, until I told you. I swear to God, I ain't lying, boss, and I ain't drunk. Say—don't give it up, bosß. That man of yours likely don't be lieve it, because he don't know anything about it. I do—l could find it." ,

A eilence followed. Mr Sleight remained completely absorbed in his papers for some moments. Then, glancing at tho Lascar, he took his pen, wrote a hurried note, folded it, addressed it, and holding it between hia fingers, leaned back in his chair. .

"If you choose to tike this note to my maiij ho may give it an other show. Mind, 1 don't say that he will. He's going to Sacramento to-night, but you could go down there and rind him before he starts. He's got a room there, I believe. While you're waiting for him you might keep your eyes open to satisfy yourself.

" Aye, aye, sir," said the sailor, eagerly ondeavouring to catch tho eye of his em ployer. But Mr Sleight looked straight be '™aY\ve &M]iMJx<sv pdMvgv said Mr Sleight, quietly.

This time their glances met, and the Lascar's eye glistened with subtle intelli gence. The next moment, he was gone, and Mr Sleight again became absorbed in his papers.

Meanwhile Renshaw was making his way back to the Fontiac with that light-hearted optimism that had characterised his parting with Sleight. It was this quality of bis nataro, fostered perhaps by the easy civilisa tion in which he moved, that had originally drawn into relations with the man he juet quitted, a quality that had been troubled and darkened by those relations, yet when

they were broken at once returned. It consequently did not occur to him* that he had only selfishly compromised with the difficulty ; it seemed to him enough that ho had. "withdrawn from o. compact lie thought dishonourable; he was not called upon to betray his partner in that compact merely to benefit others. He had been willing to incur suspicion and loss to reinstate himself in his self-respect; more ho could not do without jusitfying that suspicion. The view taken by Sleight was, after all, that which most business men would take, which even the unbusi nesslike Kott would take, which the girl herself might be tempted to listen to. Clearly he could do nothing but abandon

the Pontiao and her owner to the fate he could not in honour avert. And even that

fate was problematical,

It did not follow

that tho treasure was still concealed in tho Pontiac, nor that Nolit would be willing to

»ell her. Ho would make some excuse to Nott —he smiled to think he would probably bo classed in the long line of absconding tenants—he would say good-bye to Roi-ey and leave for Sacramento that night. lie asconded tho stairs to the gangway with a

freer breast than when he first entered tho ship. (To bo Continued.)

UNKNOWN.

In a few week?, electricity is to be given

thorough trial as a motor on tho Now York Elevated Railroads. There are two com peting systems, each of which will be given ' a suction of track on which to demonstrate '. what it can do in the way'of running trains economically. Tho Daft system (ominous name) uses a motor weighing about Si tons ~ to draw a train of cms. The Edison-Field system has two motors under each car, and all the wheels of th« car are used as drivers, \ being connected to t'iio motor by belts. In ''' each system a middlo rail is used to convey the current to the motor, therunning-rails being return conductors. In the Edison-. Field system, all the drivers of a car or of: a train will be under the control of one engineer. One enthusiastic electriciau says that within three hundred feet the train ' may be made to travel at the rate of twontry1 . miles an hour, and can bo stopped so • quickly as '• to tear the structure to pieces and jerk every passenger's head off." This, . we take it, is only to bo considered a re- | commendation of tho system so far as it shows controllability. The relatives of the passengers would doubtless protest against " a demonstration of its powers in this diree- . tion. Each company will have a central station in which to generate tho electric current. The road, operated by the Edison- ' Field system will be seven miles long, and the test will bo a purely commercial one. If,' tho electric companies cannot show economy as well as safety End convenience, the rail road people- are not likely, as a rnero matter ' of sentiment or scientific interest, to use'1 their systems.-, Tho following oldims of superiority over ptcam traction are mado for electricity as a railway motor Absonco of srnoko, anpl cinders; it obviates all dungcv from ci- . plosion ; itdoes away with the necessity for;' heavy locomotives und tenders, and allows;' of lighter bridges iind trai'bs ; the rails are'; not worn out so fast, as n-perfect rota'ty ' motion is communicated, to the driving wheels, and there is do pounding or jump-'1 ing of tlio motor ; no obstruction can throw ' the train from the track, as the current is neutralised by tne obstruction itsolf, and" the train comes to a stop before the obstruc tion is reached. A broken rail or an open drawbridge would break the current, io that the train could not reach the point of. danger; by a proper arrangement of con-!, noctiona if. would be impossible "for any" train to proceed, to a section already occ'u-; pied by another train, and colUsona, TrbuliJ/ be imposEible.

3

THE AUCKLAND EVENINU STAR, SATURDAY, JULY 4, 1885