LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1576, 8 March 1879, Page 3

LITERATURE.

ONLV JUST SAVED.

[“ Cassell’s Magazine,”]

Willie Stansi ield was clerk in a London and Indian bank. He was an orphan, and had but one or two distant relatives. Not very many friends either could he boast of, but two he had, both sincere and one powerful. Mr Manley, life-long friend of his father, had procured him his present appointment in the bank, of which he, Mr ManLy, was a director ; and Mr Turner had known him from boyhood, and counselled him on all importa .t matters. ‘Willie,’ said the latter, ‘what is this whisper which reaches me that something more than kind feeling has risen up between you and Laura Manley ?’ A question of this character put to youngsters of three-ancl*twenty generally disconcerts them a little, but Willie replied pretty readily - ■ ‘There may be people in the world so clever that they have penetrated both into Miss Manley’s heart and my heart, and there discovered a secret,’ he answered ; ‘ but that one single person ever saw the smal'est outward manifestation of affection between us, I most positively deny. ‘You will see in a moment, Mr Turner, how awkwardly 1 have been placed. I confess it at oece, I am strongly attached to Miss Manley, and I do not think I am uncared for by her; but what an outrageous thing for me to entertain the smallest hope of any useful result! Here is Mr Manley, who was my father’s friend and has been mine no doubt. He is a man of great wealth, and of high position and influence. Ho has only one child, Laura. How do you think he is likely to view any advances towards her by his humble protege —the clerk in the bank at a hundred and fifty pounds a year ? You will yourself say, Mr Turner ’

‘ That you had better speak less excitedly, Willie That vehement temper of yours does not sho w signs of mending.’ ‘ It never will, Mr Turner,’ continued the young gentleman, ‘and, what is more, I do not much care about its mending ; I would always rather speak out, and to the mark. Well, you are quite right,’ he added, in a softened tone ; * I have no wish to conceal anything from you ; but this feeling between Laura Mauley and myself is a thing I do not venture to think of. The moment my thoughts turn that way I wrench them in another - direction. Every feeling of duty towards Mr Manley requires me not to see Laura Man’ey, not to think of her, not to go where she is, never to let any association recall her ; but, oh, Mr Turner ’

‘Well, Willie?’ ‘ I love her with all my heart ’

‘Rather an unfortunate ending to your long speech, and not suggestive of much hope of carrying out your good designs. Do you imagine Mr Manley has any suspicion of this matter. ‘ No. He cannot have the slightest.’ ‘I fancy he has.’ ‘ What! Mr Turner, forgive my being so warm-tempered —I will be a calm as possible If any dastardly creature, if .any despicable person, man or woman—but no, no, lam wrong—do tell me, my kind, good friend, why do you surmise ’ ‘There, pray let it rest. I quite understand. You will not, on any aco; unt, seek to deepen the present mischief f r mischief it is, you know, Willie—but will do your utmost to efface it ?’ ‘ Mr Turner, look here, this is the principle reason why I am doing all I can to in dace the bank to give mo an appointment just vacant in India. My application is to come before the direct >rs to morrow. Mr Manley, as you know, has been in the country for mouths. T have written to him, begging him to support my request ; if he does it is sure to be granted, but ’ Well, why do you hesitate ?’ ‘ Why, though Mr Manley is my very kind frimd, he is such an odd tempered, impulsive man, that I never can rely upon him in ary particular manner. If he should refuse me in this, I shad not hesitate to tell him frankly that it will be a proceeding so inconsiderate, showing such a thorough want of real interest in my welfare—such a complete ca lonaness ’

‘ Mercy on me, Willie—spare mo another outburst! Lee us wait events.’ Tnese soon r-vealed themselves. The speakers wore in Willie Stansfield’s lodgings when the ah' ve conversation took place, and Mr Turner was leaving when the postman brought a letter, Stans Held read it and then flung it into the corner of the room. ‘ I thought as much !’ he exclaimed in a fury. ‘Of course he refuses, Head it, Mr Turner. Just tell me whit you think of that. Mr Manley pretends to be my friend. He once told roe that be assured my father, when he was dying, that he would never lose sight of me. And what does he do ? He gets me a trumpery berth in a bank, and invites me now and then to his house ; but the moment I ask him a real favor, which would cost him nothing, but which worod give me something like a chance in life, he turns away. Oh, I hate such hypocrites! f will write and tell him so.’ ‘ I wish it had been otherwise,’said Mr Turner, ‘ and I own I do not altogether understand it,’ he added, as though some special thought perplexed him; ‘ but Willie. I cannot hear of your writing to Mr Manley as you propose—it would be both foolish and wrong.’

* Maybe, but I shall do it.’ ‘ Then you quarrel with me also, Stansfield ’

‘ I shall bo very sorry, but my miud is made up ’ • So is mine, and if you send this letter you will not see me again for a long time ’

And Mr Turner left. Then ♦he letter was written, and a vastly stupid letter it was, of course. In fact, Willie Stansfield was slightly demented at this time. Hia love affair, hia desire to act honourably to hia patron, and even to go abroad as a help to himself to do so ; then Mr Mauley throwing him back, aa it %vere, into the meshes from which he desired to escape ; and finally, hia general discontent at his present life and t-ie p ejects of his future all these things brought about a degree of mental effervescence hardly consistent with perfect sanry be did not stop at writing the letter to Mr Mauley. Re roust needs go head over heels into mis'-hief, into almost ruin it seemed indeed. He saw the secretary of the bank, and spoke in such unmeasured terms, that the secretary plainly told him the Hoard would not imnrobably think he had better 7 eave the oomp my. That afternoon Stansfield went home in a worse state of mind than ever.

It was two days after that Mr Turner, hearing Mr Manley had come to London, ■'l ent to see him at his club, 'i hey were well known to each other.

* I am glad to see you, Turner,’ said Mr Manley, ‘ more especially because you perhaps can throw some light on the move-

me..t of that stupid boy .'stausli Id, Wb r ■ s he run off to ?

' Run otf! Really I don’t know I haven’t Been him for a coup'e of days. In fact. I quarrelled wbh him over a threat of his writing to you, in what T saw woiild he a most unjustifiable strain, about you not supporting his wish to he sent to India.” ‘ Unjuatiffab’e ! The letter name, sure enough, and was simply abominable One would think I had done him some deadly injury. Now just see how vexing this affair is to me. I confided to you that it had crossed my mind there was some feeling between this lad and my daughter Laura. When Stansfie’d’s letter arrived asking me to suppo-t him fo> the Indian appointment. Laura and I were at breakfast, and after reading it I said, ‘ Laura you will be glad to hear young is just off to India. He wants to make In’s fortune in a hurry. It is a good berth he i« gomg to, and the only drawback is that both the previous occupants died of yellow but Willie may be more lucky.’ Well, after I had witnessed the effect of my little speech, I had no doubt how matters stood, and I thought, * Well, I supp so I ought to be very angry I ought t > denounce these two yourig people, and threaten them with my bitterest anger if they should for an instant think of one another again. But for once in my life I will take time to consider. The wot Id would speak out finely if it knew what is in my mind at this moment. What do I care for the world ? But at all eveuts Master Willie must not go to India, and 1 will write and tell him so. Yet I must he cautious I do not let him see what is in the back ground, and which may never get to the front. I must simply decline to aid him. and he will well know I have his interest at heart.’ (7V) he continued.)