Literature.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 261, 8 November 1904, Page 4

Literature.

•JOHN SUTHERLAND'S REVOLT.

L (Continued.) L' Less than afterwards t Ethel came tack bat looking radiant mjHe John I* and 'Scdooi' to welcome her. ISiV« —J : sssrsSia i ' mj. story and her , daughter ■ Ki'T-ce that adisaster of - GiandoVside, tragically, t her daughter, andwealn*; m choked with emotion. My poo' ; Sn » is indeed a mournful '■ home-coming for you '• "But what is the matter mam--5 ina 9 " she insisted. ' Has anj•v thine happened to John ! t " Ethel," said Mrs. Granderside, „ solemny, " the very worst has happened John has come home intoxi cated in a cab, with a wound on his » head received in a drunken braw , .. and in all probability we shall heai i to-morrow morning that he has been t. dismissed from his post in the bank. " Mamma ! I don't believe a ] word of it! " said Ethel, impetu- £ v. ously- " Mv dear child." said her mamma L: sympathetically. "you are, of course r perfectly right to stand up for your ■ • husband. But, alas, it is too true, !•- for I have the - conn—ion from M Sif own l'.ps." . ■' , But where jshe? L«t me go to . hun 1 " cried Ethel, trying to resist >• the inclination to burst into tours. « At present he is. asleep in bed, ' Bard Mrs. Granderside, solemny; £ " and .I do no;t think he had better '' Ijq disturbed until he has slept off the effects of his dissipation." So Ethel had to content herself s with just a peep at her husband W. slumbering: peacefully with a banis dagetf head. And in order not to disv turb him, she decided at her mother's {,•■ suggestion, to sleep in the spare room. u ; , /The next morning before she was a 1 dressed, a telegram was brought ,up ■* to her bedroom addressed Suther•a' lapd." Under the circumstances she decided to open it. What she read ■*> * - fcfaiffrmflfl her worst fears. It ran : »• dq not come io the bank to-tlay-The managng director will call on >■ yon early this morning." It wtus ■' , 1 signed by the secretary of the Unif versa! and Provincial Banking Compaay. '• Oh, this is dreadful ! " she exv' 'Claimed. And with the telegram in r , hei' hand, she went to inquire into A-, the condition of her husbamd. She i 1 found him awake, and fairly cheerjj 1 , ful, considering his bandaged head, f which still seemed tooause him a certain amount of pain. t , " Well, Ethel," he said, as she entered the room, " I suppose you , , ha,w heard, of my misfortunes from your mother ? " ■V. . " Yes, dear," sho saiid, gently, " and; .this telegram says that the i-'tol&'tiiis ,morning. Oh, John! Do '■ you think you will lose your place i. at thc blank ? " i ■ "I think' it's not impossible tfrat Little Paddlington may have to find ' a new'Baiik manager. But you'll !■:. stick to me just the same, eh, little

f- .woman ? " , "Of course I will, John," she re.pjiaid, tearfully. "But, oh, it's very ■di'efedfiJl ! And somehow you don't seem to feel a bit ashamed of yourself." And she went downstairs to sse afioiit getting breakfast for the cul- ' wtSoon after ten o'clock tlve card of * tho managing director was brought ■ up ; and, with a 'beating heart, Mrs Sutherland went down to interview Mm; v "Good morning, madam," said the managing director, who was *■ ■ faultlessly attired in a frock-coat, 1 . and held , a glossy top-hat in his hands. " I presume that you have already heard of the details of your husband's adventure yestenday ? " < " &h, yes!" said Ethel hastily, s "It was very dreadful, wasn't it ?" The director smTlad indulgently. Of course," ne said, pleasantly, "it may seem dreadful from a wife's point of view ; but so far as we are concertied it was eminently satisfacs tory." .:/ - " I—l don't quite understand," faltered Ethel. " Quite so, madam. No doubt your husband has tended to underestimate the heroism of his exploit , yesterday." Ethel looked still more bewildered. " You see, Mrs. Sutherland, what

~ actually happened waa this. Your 1 .. husband had returned from bis lunch and the clerks had gone out jto get theirs, and some were absent !i on other dutiefc, so that it happened jtttet, /or tho moment, he was all alone in the bank; The robber, who must have been well acquainted with the baulk's arrangements, walked straight in, with a revolver in his band, jumped ovar tie counter, and demanded the keys of the safe. " Oh \ " exclaimed Ethel, in astonishment. " Your Husband," continued the director, " with the utmost coolness, seized a heavy ruler, whereupon his assailant fired—" Here Ethpl shivered. " But, fortunately, the revolver Hailed to go off." Ethel breathed again', "At'tlhe ' same time your husband brought down the ruler so heavily on Ins assailant's right hand that he (dropped the pistol, tand then, closing • iwith him, he had no difficulty in holding hijn down until assistance came, and the would-be robber was secured. . Unfortunately, however, in the scuffle Mr. Sutherland's head was damaged, - though not, I hope, very seriously." All this time Ethel was far too much astonished to say a word, and the director went on : " And now, Mrs. Sutherland, if your husband is well enough, I should (Hie to see him, in order to thank him personally lor the very signal service tteit he has rendered to the bank ; tor it happens that yesterday, as the thief was doubtless aware, the sale contained some exceptionally valuable securities." Scarcely knowing what she was going, Etnel led the great man upstairs, amd took him into the room ■. nrhere her husband lay with his head still bandaged. "Well, Mr Sutherland," said the director, cheerily, I have tome to expresss to you the bank's appreciation of your heroic conduct vestor|ia,y. And it will hardly be a " surprise to you if 1 tell you that we propose to let our gratitude take a tangible form. Perhaps you can guess Vhat that wall be? " ■" I hintdd to my wife this morning, sir, that I thought perhaps Little Peddlington would be looking for a new brini-manager.'' " Exactly, Mr. Sutherland, exactly ! We arc proposing to offer you the post of manager of one of our Loudon branches, which will mean.more than double the salary you have been receiving iat Little Paddlington." Sutherland murmured his thanks, and in a short time the director bowed himself out, explaining that he did not wish to tire the patient. Ethel, meanwhile, was full of contrition for having so misjudged her heroic husband^ '' My darling," said her husband, tenderly, " it wasn't your fault in the least, if you listened to the fairytale invented by your dear mamma, F-hirh I hadn't really the strength to contradict when she first sprang i t upon mo," But Mrs. Granderside, when she was told aibout the director's visit, . was careful to .explain that she had Icnown all along that dear John had

wot done anything at all discreditable, and that she had really only been having a hit of fun. Her sou-in-iuw agreed that this was a perfectly satisfactory explanation of the whole incident, only lie went on to point out to her that he I would uery shortly have to 'be leaving; Little Pedfllington, and he wi«hiod to make It perfectly clear to her I that hia London house would not be I large enough to provide accommodation ior a mother-m-law.

Ami Mi's. Granderside, while protewting that they were treating her in a most heartless manner, bad the sense to perceive that her son-in-law meant what he said on this occasion. He and his wife both foe! that a broken head was a very cheap price to pay for a doubled salary and a final emancipation from the nagging tyranny of strong-minded Mrs. Granderside.