LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1919, 19 April 1880, Page 3

LITERATURE.

HABXBY'S CHANCSS. Prior to the great financial crash of 1837, Joshua Martin was deemed the most prosperous merchant in the then frontier city of St. Joseph, Wisconsin. He was noted for his sterling integrity and stainless character, and, if he revelled in wealth, he did not parade it before the eyes of the people. He came to fit. Joseph in 1831, and at once began to ama«s a fortune. Those who pretended to know said that the merchant operated in castprn stocks, and that the bulk of his wealth was staked among the bulls and bears of New York. Tho memorable crash of that decade which embraced the dates above written rained Joshua Martin. He had staked everything in Eastern securities, and he suddenly fo&nd himrelf a comparative beggar. * Poor man ! He could save nothing from the wreck, and he sat among the rains of his fortunes, like Marius among those of Carthage. Forced to relinquish the imposing residence which, in his eagerness to delve deeper into stock, he had mortgaged away, he was obliged to remove his family, consisting of a wife and one daughter, to an humble dwelling ; and from the date of that removal the Martins were no more mentioned in the fashionable society of " St. Jo." The troubles of the bankrupt's family did not end hero. The blow killed the merchant. Though a strong man he coald not bear up under his loss. If a few thousands had been taken from him at intervals, he might have recovered and regained bis lost position; but tho destruction of tens of thousands at one sweep of the waves overwhelmed him. He sank rapidly, and died, leaving his family to brcffet the waves of the world, and to do the best they could among those who had once knelt at their feet, but who now did not deign to recognise them on the streets. When a rich man suddenly becomes poor the grave is the best place for him. It is a house of refuge, where he is safe from the scorn of those whose equal and superior socially he once was. Mother and daughter took quite readily to their new life. They sold much of the gorgeous furniture which had ornamented their late home, but kept the piano and a few other pieces which Maumec loved. Maumee Martin had grown to bewitching womanhood during her life in St. Joseph, and her accomplishments rivalled her basuty. After the death of her father—after her transformation into the child of a despised bankrupt—she did not shrink from the duties that fell to her lot. She must live ; she must earn her daily bread ; and a week after the otiangeof life, wefiudMaumee Martin plying the sempstress, needle, or giv. ing lessons in music to a few children, whose parents sent them to her because Bhe taught cheaper than regular perceptors. By-and-by the house which, they occupied was sold over their heads ; but the owner—a midd'e'-aged but somewhat handsome man—assured them that they should not be turned out. The new owner was a stranger in St. Joseph, but immediately after purchasing the property above mentioned he opened a commission store, and at once drew a thriving patronage about him. Andreas Harley, for such was his name, came often to the house of the Martins, and reports went abroad to the effect that he intended to wed the bankrupt's widow. 'My chances are decidly good,' said the merchant one evening, as he bent over the counting-room desk ; ' the girl appears coy, bat she will come about in time. People shink that I am after the widow, bat I never had a thought in that direction. That girl's a beauty. She must become Mrs Harley ; she shall. Yes,' after a long pause, and as he turned slowly from the desk, ' Harley, your chances are good—decidedly good. You own their home, and in the depth of winter you can turn thorn out, if tfaumee becomes otubb.-.rn and says " No ! " ' He was the sole occupant of the countingroom, but as he crossed the threshold and turned to lock the door, he heard a footstep and voice down the dark aisle.

"Hold a moment, Mr Harley. Re-open the counting-room door, please. I wish a few words with yon.' He did not reply, but stepped into the cosy counting-room closely followed by Philip Lae.

* Well ? ' ha inquired, turning suddenly upon the handsome young clerk; ' speak quickly, Lee ; I must be going.' 'All I dtsiie to say is that some of the funds of the house have mysteriously disappeared.' 'What?' cried the merchant; 'say that again, boy.' The young man ropeated his words, and added, ' One afternoon, while you were absent, I placed 950 dollars in the safe, and the following morniag 45 dollars were misting.' ' You have committed an error in counting, posaibly.' 'lf I cannot count money correctly when it is before my ejes, I deserve to be thrown out of employ mont,' said the youth, in an insultod air. ' Several times during {your absence have I noticed the peculations of some unknown person.' ' Who had access to the safe ?'

'I held the keys, sir,' answered Philip, quickly; ' I have not missed them for a single moment. But the safe has been opaned by keys.' Andreas Barley dropped his head in deep thought, while the clerk stepped to his desk, and summed up various columns of figures on the back of an envelope which he drew from an inner pocket. " Three hundred dollars havo been purloined within four weeks,' said Lee, turning from his desk. 'lt staggers me,' returned Harley, ' but we will watch the thief, and if we catch him he shall have his reward.' The merchant began buttoning his great coat, and the clerk walked from the room. An3reas Harley heard him clo3e and lcck the outside door of the store, and then stepped toward the desk, his dark eyes fixed upon an o'ject which lay thereon. It was an envelope upon which Philip Lee bad been figuring. 'l'll look at his figures/ he murmured; but at the Bame moment he turned the envelope and stared at the superscription. It ws3 merely ' Philip Lee, Present,' but the chirography startled the merchant. Those delicately-formed letters he had encountered before. And after closing the counting .room door, he half fearfully drew the letter from its For a moment his eyes remained fixed upon the brief communication, when he started from the desk, while something like an oath fell from his lips.

'So, Miss Maunee Martin,' he cried, hurltr.g tho letter to the floor, and gazing angrily at it, 'you possess a lover besiden Andreao Flar!ey. Girl—woman —I will not submit to this. If you prefer tho employe to the employer you must hunt another home. But, by heavcae, you shall not wed him aa ho stands before the world aow. He has held the keys of the safe. He h.v> robbed it. The' crimo shall be fastened upon hi a. Barley's chances do not look ko bright now ; but 1 fancy that a little sternness will bring tho girl to terms. She's a beggar now, almost. Does sne want to marry another V Then he picked the letter up, read it again, and placed it on the desk where the youth had left it. Tiio contents of the

missive did rot amount, to much. It was a reply merely to one which, during business: hours, Philip Lee had sent her ; hut the apnellation of ' l>ear Philip' had ojiencd a mine of information to Andreas Harley. He had never encountered his clerk at the home of the Martins. Ihey had spoken of him bat once or twice, and then casually ; and he had fuspected nothing until the latter was thrown in his way. Several days of quiet preceded the bursting of the storm. Clerk and employer encountered es.cn ether often, but no unusual words p-ssed between them. It was evident that Andreas Ha>-ley was displeased at something, but he took care to conceal his displeasure as much as possible.