LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2542, 1 June 1882, Page 4

LITERATURE.

WANTED—A SON-IN-LAW. By Arthur Lot. Fiction. (Continued.) < Oh, please, Mr Edwards,’ urged Mary. ‘Bother!’ exclaimed Mrs Edwards; ‘if hat’s all tho trouble, John, you will do what Mary asks.’ Of course tho editor then yielded. As Mary with an exulta-.t air left the editor’s office, Mrs Edwards halted long enough to whisper in her husband’s ear: < Piint two copies with that advertisement in.’ On the following day tho ‘ Clarion ’ for that week duly appeared. Captain Harlot and his daughter were together when the carrier brought the captain’s copy of the paper. It was with nervous anxiety that Mary patched her father run through the paper. She feared that some accident might have happened. It was a great relief to her to hear him utter the words : ‘ Ah, here it is!’ Then he eagerly peiused the advertisement. • Now, Mary,* said he, as he placed the paper on a table ; ‘ you are regularly on the market. I don’t see why matrimony should not be put on the same basis as any other business. We’ll see now how many bidders there’ll be for position of son-in law.’ Mary said nothing, but when her father left the room, she seized that piper, and put It in a place where no one except her father and herself could find It. Meanwhile, as soon as that edition of the ‘ Clarion’ had been printed, Mrs Edwards obtained possession of the second copy which contained Captain Hariot’s advertisement, and, having carefully marked the advertisement, she mailed the paper to her brother, Neil Stanton,who resided in New York City, and, at the same time, sent him a letter, of which the folloviog is a copy ; _ : ‘ Mv Dear Neil, —When yon last visited me, I understood that yon were very much in love with my friend, Mary Hariot; in fact, you said Ijhat you would have proposed if the condition of your business had not frightened yon. It may be that your business has not picked up ; but I advise you, if yon ever wish to marry Mary, to come right on here and propose to her. You will see by the advertieement In the * Clarion’ which I have marked that Hilary is in tho market, and she is nice enough and hmdsome enough to attract woers who are more speedy than yon. Yours affectionately, Maria, P.S. —Don’t let any one—not even Mary —know that 1 sent you the paper. M.

lll. —The Advertisement is Answered. Nell Stanton was the junior member of the firm of Johnson and 00,, dealers la hardware and cutlery, which had its office in Eeade street, near Broadway, in Now York. The letter from his sister was delivered early in the morning, and Nell found it on his desk when he entered his office. He. picked it up at once, and stood there at his desk and read it. He was a man of about thirty years of age, quite tall and not very stout. He was the blondest of blondes, his hair and moustache being almost golden in color. His features were well out, and his general appearance was that of a well-bred, active man of business. There was something pleasing about his manner and address even to strangers. He read his sister’s letter hurriedly, and an expreslon of astonishment came upon his face as he read. As soon as ho had finished it, he searched among the letters on his desk for a copy of the * Clarion,’ which his sister had forwarded to him, and having found it, he hastily tore ofl the wrapper and ran his eye down its columns until he came to the advertisement which his sister had marked. That he road eagerly and repeatedly, until there came a sort of flash in his eyes and almost a blush upon bit cheek. To him there was not a particle of humor in that advertisement. He supposed that every copy of that edition of the * Clarion’ contained it, and therefore it seemed to him a belittling of the woman he loved. He folded the paper up carefully, and, turning to one of the clerks, said ; ‘ Brown, will you See how soon I can leave by the Brie road f jr Northfield ?’ While the clerk was obtaining information, Neil finished folding the paper, and then put it in his breast pocket. Then Brown Informed him that a train left in fifteen minutes. ''

* Say to Mr Johnson,’ said Neil to the olerk, ‘ that I have gone to Northfield. If I am needed here, he can telegraph me.’ Then Neil left the office and hurried down to the foot of Chambers street, where the depot of the Erie road is located, Northfield is not very far from New York; bat to Neil the ride seemed a very long one. However, he finally reached his destination, and he hurried at once from the depot tc his sister’s hous3.

‘ Why, Neil,’ exclaimed Mrs Edwards ; ‘what a surprise t’ ‘ Didn’t you suppose your letter and that—that thing in the paper would bring me?’ asked Neil, somewhat bitterly. * Well, yes,’ said Mrs Edwards, with a smile; ‘ I did think so.’ ‘I shonld have thought,’ said Nell, sternly; ‘ that Edwards would have had more sense and more regard for my feelings than to pot such a thing in his paper.' ‘Oh,’ said Mrs Edwards, aroused at once to the defence of her husband, ‘I guess John has as much sense as other people.’ ‘ What did hs mean by publishing such a shamefnl'thlng ?’ ‘ You’d better ask those who prepared It and put it in the paper,’ responded Mrs Edwards, with a toss of her head.

* So I will,’ said Nell, as ho put his hat on his head again. * Yon might apply for the position,’ said Mrs Edwards, with a sort of hysterical hngh ; ‘before some else does.’ Nell had turned around to leave the room ; but, as his sister made that remark, he faced her again, and, having looked at her steadily for a moment, he said : * I thank you for that suggestion. I will apply for the position,” Without another word, Neil stalked hastily out of the house. For a moment his sister was dumbfounded, but then she recovered her senses and hastened after her brother. She was too late, however, for he had turned the corner.

* What a fool I have been!’ ejaculated Mrs Edwards.

Now Mrs Edwards had intended to explain to her brother all the circumstances connected with the advertisement, and to let him know that it had appeared in only two copies of the paper, one of which he held, and the other of which was in the possession of Mary Hariot, and to plan some way of making Captain Hariot pay for his ridiculous m.taoil of getting a son-in-law. Unfor* tunately, Nell had immediately attacked her husband, and, as her temper was quite as warm as her brother’s, Mrs Edwards bad sprung to the defence of her husband, without bearing in mind that her brother did not know anything about what had happened in the office of the ‘Clarion.’ Neil Stanton walked down the street with a quick, nervous stride. His face looked stern and hard. He really loved Mary Hariot, and had loved her for a long time. He had not, in so many words, proposed to her; but ha thought that she understood that he loved her, and would ask for her hand, and he certainly had flattered himself that she cared somewhat for him. This putting up the band of the woman he loved for public competition seemed not only to soil and degrade her, but to Insult him and to make sport of his love. He could not believe that the thing had been done without the knowledge and consent of Mary, and although he still loved her ho felt that she had made light of his love, Neil was not, therefore, in a very pleasant frame of mind when he entered Captain Harlot’s house. He was ushered into the sitting room where Mary Harlot's was. She sprang from her chair at once, and, with a blush cn her face and a smile on her lips, advanced toward him.

‘ Why, Neil,’ she exclaimed, ‘how unexpected.. She had learned to call him Neil at his slater’s house. Neil’s features did not for one moment relax.

* Doubtless.’ said ho in a sarcastic way. •What has happened?’ asked Mary, in open-eyed astonishment. Bho was not accustomed to auoh a rooeption from Neil, and she did not in tho least understand his aotione or words.

‘ We’ll sea what has happened,’ said he sternly. ‘la Captain Harlot at home 7 ’ ‘Yea,’said Mary slowly, still staring ftt him in astonishment, • Can I see him 7* * Father ? ’ she asked, as IE she had scarcely understood him, ‘ Yes.’ *1 will call him,’ said she, slowly. Then, while her face still showed the surprise which she felt, she moved slowly across the room and passed through the door Neil stood perfectly still whore she had left him, and when Captain Harlot entorod the room ha found the jorng man standing there. The captain entered the room briskly, followed by Mary, who came in more slowly. ‘How do you do, Mr Stanton?’ said Captain Harlot, as he advanced, holding out bis hand. He, of course, was well acquainted with Neil. Mary watohdd |eagerly Neil; but the young man did not in the least unbend. He took the hand which the captain held out to him; but the act was done in a cold and formal way, and not with Noil’s usual courtesy. ‘ Mary said yon wanted to see mo,’remarked the captain. ‘Yes,’ said Neil, sternly; ‘I called for that purpose.’ ‘ Ah. ’ said the captain, cheerfully ; ‘ what can Ido for you ?’ ‘ I want to apply for the position for a person to fill which you have advertised.’ ‘ What!’ said Mary, while the color flashed Into her face and her heart sprang into her throat. ‘ I wish to apply for a situation for which yon have advertised here for aspirants. ’ Neil pulled the paper from his pocket and held it toward Captain Hariot. Mary moved hastily toward him, seized the paper whioh ho held in his hand, and glanced at tho advertisement.

Then she looked up at the top shelf of a bock-oaae, whoso glass doors enabled her to see that her copy of the ‘ Clarion ’ was still where she had put it. Her hand fell to her side, and the paper dropped to the floor, while she leaned against tho table lor support.. Nell stooped down, picked up tho paper, and once more held it oat to the captain. IV.—The Refusal. * Well,’ said Captain Hariot with a smile ; ‘ yon arc the first applicant, ’ 'Nell bowed gravely. * I told yon, Mary, that advertising was tho thing. Here yon see, the advertisement has been promptly answered.’ Mary did not say a word. Her cheeks were burning with shame, for she believed now that, either through mistake or intentionally, Mr Edwards, the editor, had put the advertisement in every copy of the ‘ Clarion.’ Certainly there was more than one copy whioh contained it. The thought that she was thus held up for ridicule filled her with horror. ‘So,’ said the captain, turning again to Neil; ‘yon apply for the position of my son-in-law ?’ ‘Yes,’ said Neil, firmly, not for a moment allowing the hard, stern expression to pass from bis countenance. ‘1 suppose you can comply with tho terms of tho advertisement ?’ asked tho captain. ‘I hope so,'said Neil. ‘ We’ll see,’ oantlnned the captain ; ‘ You are of good family 7’ ‘ -You know my people ’ ‘Yes,’ said the captain; ‘You are well educated?’ ‘l’m a graduate of Harvard.’ ‘ I suppose,’ said the captain : ‘ we must consider that your diploma settles that question. You are over twenty-five years of age 7’ ' Twenty-eight. ’ * Medium height ?’ * Five feet nine. ’ Passably good-looking—hum—well, we’ll pass that,’ said the captain; ‘ Good-tempered and polite—hum—yon don’t look that now ; but I have found yon so heretofore. Financially capable of caring for a family ? ’ *My income,’ said Neil : ‘ was three thousand last year, and it is not diminishing.’ ‘Well,’ said the captain: ‘yon seem to fill tho bid.’ (To he continued )