Chasing a Fortune.

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 63, 16 August 1884, Page 5

Chasing a Fortune.

Doth at school and at college Bernard Hooker had been one of the wildest and most dare-devil youths imaginable. He had been the terror of meek companions, the aversion of order-loving dominies, the triumphant outwitter, on more than one occasion, of even that great man, the proctor. But these halcyon days were paf=t. Any particular exuberance of spirits, in Bernard's present position, would have been as phenomenal and as incongruous with his &ur roundings as the presence of English hedgeblossoms in Eastern desert. He was chained to the oar of daily toil as tightly and a* hopelessly as any galley-slave. The sturdy symmetry of his figure, the humorous ca&t ol his frank and open countenance, the twinkle of his light-blue eyes, wereall that outwardly remained of the idiosyncrasies that had made him the idol of his comrades in class and or college walk. The pressure of adverse cir cum.stances had put an iron curb upon his vivacity, if it had not altogether crushed it He had looked forward to reading for the bar, with the prospect, if he displayed ability, of a capital start in his chosen pro f ession by reason of his father's position anc influence. Instead of this Bernard Hookei found himself, at the age of two-and-twenty merely an insignificant unit in the already over-crowded ranks of professional quill drivers. His father had become the dupe of ar unprincipled business partner, and had los everything. Even Edwin Hooker's hithertc fair fame had suffered, aspersion, for it liac been harel to persuade the great carelesf world that the villainy which had made the trading name of Hooker and Glenning i byword in the city, was the work o Archer Glenning alone. Yet it was so and the criminal trial which folio wee the crash told a tale of forged signa tures and stolen securities which set th< elder and victimised partner free, ane would certainly have relegated the junio to the keeping of prison-warders for a lonj term of years, had he remained to face tin storm. He had fled, and carried with hin Edwin Hooker's fortune. Thus it came about that the son wa earning his daily bread in the Fembur branch bank of Kenworth & Co. That h was located in the country, with open skie above him and pleasant fields around, wa the one mitigating circumstance of his har< and dreary lot. In other respects oven th average London bank clerk was better off. M Hollis, Messrs Ken worth's Fembury manage was an irascible little man, who believed, a firmly as an Egyptian taskmaster, in gettin the very utmost in the way of effort out c his subordinates. The bank hours migh nominally be from nine to five, but he ha a trick of piling on extras which materiall lengthened them. It would be, "These letters cannot fc left, Mr Styles," or, " This ledger require attention. Mr Hooker." To have refusec

l* even expostulated, v<as to court instant ismissal, for Mr Hollis was as passionate ; 3 he was haughty, and know himcelf to bo ' lvested with plenary power within the ■ ank precincts. There was no resource but J ) obey. It was a bright May morning, fragrant in i io Fembury lanes with the scent of oarly lid flowers, and vocal with melody of birds. \ b was market day in the little country • 3wn, and the clink of gold in consequence j equontly resounded on the bank counter. s a rule, Bernard Hooker paid little or no ttention to the fitful procession of clients « lat passed the door on his right. 110 was * 3t cashier, and the burden of his own ! uties was sufficient for his oEtentimes , r eary shoulders. But as tho surly oilicc lock announced tho quarter before tho mcheon interval, the sound of a voice ho ixrely knew mingled with its dull bass. in instinctive tremor ran through every bro of tho young man's body. He looked uirply up. What ho saw for tho moment uzzled him, and seemed to refute tho \ 7 idence of his ears. The voice was emphatically that of Archer llenning ; the outward presentment of tho peaker was that of an absoluto stranger. sut a closer scrutiny and the recollection f tho fact that the accomplished swindler 'as of necessity a fugitivo explained the henomonon. Edwin Hooker's absconding artner was of a truth thero in the flesh beoro Bernard's eyes, but so cunningly disguised that tho cleverest Scotland Yard doective might have been pardonod for a •hinder. "" The shapely moustache and leavy beard had both vanished ; tho light üburn locks of the " Huo and Cry " decription wero now raven black ; tho vory yebrows had discarded nature, and applied or protection to tho artist in flesh and hair inting. In carriage and attire tho revolution was squally striking and equally complete. The ;tutcly ? upright gait of the Lombard-street ncrchant was exchanged for a stooping hamblo that would have provoked the ridi:ulo of many a clodhopper. The trim ircs&SLinvariably on the model of tho latent node in past days— was superseded by a lybrid mako-up of turf and stablo costumo. And yet Bernard was sure of his man. That crisp, metallic utterance was in itself i well-nigh sufficient clue. It awakened )ittcr reminiscences with the enunciation of ivery syllable. "Will you be good enough to cash this :hcquc, please ?" The cash was shovelled out on the gleaming mahogany, and an instant later had found a new resting place in tho stranger's purse, lie turned, and for a second caught the half-stupificd glance of thu young clerk The effect was magical — a scared, terrorstricken expression leaped into the furtive, shifty eyes, and overy vestige of colour forsook tho sallow cheeks. Bernard Hooker ;vas recognised in his turn. With the sharp click of the closing door, Bernard's senses returned to him. Here, when least expected, was the opportunity of recovering lost hopes. Tho rumour that the scoundrel had sailed for South America was plainly false. lie was still -within reach of British justice, and, if captured, might be com polled to disgorge his plunder, or at lca^c such portion of it as was yet un.squandcrcd. He must bo followed, tracked, and that instantly ' The fatuity that had brought him on some casual errand to Fembury and to Messrs Kcnworth's bank must be translated, by immediate enterprise, into a manifestation of that Nemesis which, by the logic of the story-book.--, treads inevitably on the heels of wrong. A decision was reached in far less time than it takes to recount the fact. Bernard seized hi:-, hat, and with a muttered incoherent apology, pushed hia way past his scandalised superior, and literally lav down the .stone steps into the street. "What is the meaning? Is the fellow mad ?" gasped Mr Hollis, a portentous frown gathering upon hi* brow. It was certainly mysterious behaviour, and the fellow-clerk, to whom thi* query was presumably addressed, was taken nearly as much aback as his chief. He had no explanation to ofler. Careless of the consternation which his abrupt proceedings had occasioned, Bernard's steps were towards the railway station. This was clearly the aim of the pursued. To be thirty seconds too late is, under all circumstances, abundantly annoying. This was Bernard Hooker's lot on the present occasion. lie reached the plat f 01 mof the Fembuiy station jiiht in time to see the up-train steam into the yaAvning gulf of the north tunnel, and to know that in one of thai train's compartments sat, in regained security, his fathers foe and his own. There was nothing to do but to confess failuie, and to return, after dining, to the drudgery of the bank desk. Ho did not even know the alias of the rogue, and, after all, his evidence of identity, if sufficient for himself, might fail to com mcc another. It would be useless to appeal to the local police force for these reasons. "An impudent and a madcap freak, M Hooker, whatever may be your excuse, : growled Mr Hollis. "If you want to lcavi the office in a hurry again, to overtake any body — anybody, sir ! — bo good enough ti ask leave." Bernard was compelled to promise tha ho would. For the rest of the afternoon h> went on his way with the tedious column of figures in a state of mental agitation an< chagrin unparalleled since the day on wind he had first learned that his parent's bank ruptcy was unavoidable. " Those scraps of paper, Mr Styles, ha< better ornament the waste-basket than th floor." The manager's accents were harsh an querulous ; his temper seemed to have bee soured for tho day by Bernard Hooker escapade. " I have not dropped them, sir," replie the inculpated junior, resenting as much i\ he dared the implied charge of untidiness "One fell from your own desk, and th other was left behind by the gentlema whom Mr Hooker tried to catch." Bernard's ears tingled anew. What the last-mentioned fragment should bes upon its surface some clue to the villain assumed name or whereabouts ! By eas strategy he gained possession of the slij and found it to be half an envelope, wit the letters " Joyn " on one side, and th postmark "Ickford" on the other. Thi might or might not lead to a discovory. In the solitude of his own apartmeni that evening Bernai-d Hooker searched oi the name of Ickford on a Bradshaws ma] He found it to be that of a small town in tt north of England. "Whatever the consequence, I'll ru down there and make inquiries ; if I wii tho game will be worth the candle," 1 soliloquised. And the next day a note in the bar letter-box accounted — though hardly sati factorily to the critical judgment of In Hollis — for the second clerk's absence. At Ickford the trail was unmistakab struck. Skilful investigation showed tin a Mr Joynson — whose outward man a peared to tally precisely with Bornard sketch-description— had been staying at tl chief hotel for several weeks, and hadpos< as an individual of position and wealt Alas ! it showed also that he had decampi with both bag and baggage a few hou hfifnrA "Rpirnn.rrl'H arrival.

" Foiled a second time !" groaned that Dungman, in bitterness of spirit. "The jamp has smelt danger, and probably will ak© for South America, or some other safe " iding-place, in earnost now." With hopes sinking rapidly below zoro rain, Bernard took ticket for London. He ould put a professional detective on the < •ack, and then return to Fombury. If Mr lollis dismissed him for his pains, ho must ' ist re-commenco his weary fight with for- s me in some other arena. " Why, Bernard ! This is an agreoable ' uprise indeed ! I was wondering not ' aove a day or two ago what had become of ] iy ancient ally. So many pranks as wove eon guilty of together ! Ha, ha !" ] The spoaker was Frank Allerton, Ber- < ard's dearest college chum, and a young j orthern squire, whose sister Amy , but lis was a romantic dream which had faded lto an absurdity in the thick gloom of ] nvironing disaster, recall it ? The new-comer had joined the train at otchloy Junction, and, like Bernard, was J ound for the motrojwlis. As the friends j r ero alouo in tlio compartmonl, Bernard's tory was soon told. ■ " And you are hunting the rascal down ?" ' " I have attemptod it, and he has beaten le." ; " What sort of a fellow is he— in personal ppearanco, I mean ?" For the fourth or fifth time Bernard ran libly over the salient characteristics of hat figure which Fate, rather than any onscious montal effort, had photographed 3 minutely upon his memory. " It is he exactly ?" cried Frank Allerton ath an almost ludicrous combination of mazemont, disgust, and wrath mirrot'cd pon his countenance. "Why, the feMow as been living at Beckham, within a stono's hrow of our o\\ n manor-house, for eight r nine months, Mr Joynson — " Yes, tlial id the name he is using." "Ts reputed in the village to bo worth lalf-a-million of money — more or less. 110 8 the resource of all the amateur mondiants in the district, and, n'giuinga&a well-o-do bachelor, he lias even daied to make icrtain proposals for my sister's hand. Amy efuscd his oiler, solely on tho ground of lispaiity of years." Not solely on that ground, Bernard took cave to hope, in despite of his friend's dognatism. But he had no word to answer at he moment. Ami there was excuse for his iemporary bewilderment in tho presence of 10 strange and unlooked-for a revelation, .n the hour of his darkest despair the fair iromiso of contingent victory had come. " What a reckless and daring hypocrite ;ho man must be !" Frank continued. "I'll ulmit I never liked him from tho first, but ie had no idea of such a S'svord of Damocles 3eing suspended over his head. Amy has lad a lucky escape, and she will think so." At last Bernard regained his power of i utterance. I "I'll go on to London now," he said, "apply for a warrant, and acquaint my father with the facts ; and then, in company with a polico-oilicer, seek out Mr Joynson at home." This programme was fulfilled, and success crowned the enterpiise. A few weeks later commercial circles were discussing everyw here a new ru use eelebre, and the strange chain of events- — as unfolded in the speech of counbol for the prosecution — by "which not only had a notorious swindler been onmeshed it> the net of the law, but stolen bonds had found their way back into the coders of the rightful owners. But not tho least happy result to Bernard Hooker \sas that he learned from Amy Allerton \s own sweet lips that at lea^t one reason bejond that of ago had existed for hcricfusal of Archer Glenning's suit. She had already bestowed her heart upon her brother's friend. Her hand soon followed. And now Bernard Hooker — a rising and popular barrister — sometimes tells his wife with a smile that on a certain memorable May day he chased a fortune in two senses.