Another Fenian Outrage:

ANOTHER FENIAN OUTRAGE :

g . ffiiilc of % nntrs . ( Reprinted from , tlie South . Durham & Cleveland Mercury . ) BY BRO . | gs & EMRA HOLMES , 31 ° , ., ETC ., Autlior of " Mabel , " " Ernest Blake , " " Hopelessly , " " The Patli of Life : an Allegory , " " Waiting for Her , " & c ; and . SUB-E-U OK " UNIVERSAL MASONIC CAL . _ _ . "

CHAPTER HI . — -CONTINUED . " MR . _ OKKSTElt AGAIN . " "Oh , I don't know . I . think he ' s one of those unfortunatefellows ' who are more sinned against than sinning . Give a dog a bad name , you know the adage—it's musty enough . Well but , you must

admit , Frank , that when fellows get into the papers in this way , things look serious , " and Madge handed to his friend that day's copy of the Marion Gazelle , and pointed to a paragraph which , began-with the words heading this chapter : — " MR . FORESTER AGAIN . —Marton County Police Court . —

Petty Sessions . —Friday . —( Before Sir Eustace de la Wray , Bart ., Chairman ; T . Hogarth , T . W . Waldron , and E . Exminth , Esqrs . )— Assault : Marmaduke Forester , clerk in the Marton and County Bank , a young gentleman of -rood connections , who has before figured in our police reports , was charged by Thos . Cooke , landlord of the Vulture Hotel , -with

an assault , on the 26 th of March . Ihe evidence was somewhat , contradictory as to the exact nature of the assault , but it appeared that complainant ordered defendant out of the hotel , as he faid he was taking up too much of the time of the people in the house , and preventing them doing their work . He also said something disparaging of defendant with

regard to his attentions to a certain lady of the house . Defendant thereupon seized complainant , who is a big powerful man , by the collar , and , after a desperate struggle knocked him down . There was no evidence to show that defendant was the worse for liquor at the time . —Defendant , who was represented by Mr . Frank Ashburn , admitted the

assault , but said it was committed under great provocation . — The Chairman remarked that no doubt great provocation had been given , but people had no right to take the law in their own hands ; and , considering the position of defendant , the Bench had determined to make an example of him .-Fined £ 5 and costs , or one month's imprisonment . "

"That httle niueudo about the girl ; what a shame to put that in ! Yes it is a shame ; all I can say is , ' An enemy hath done this . ' The fact is it was all about Miss Robertson , Mayduke ' s friend . It appears that Cooke got au inkling of Forester ' s intentions towards her ( indeed I believe the fellow

has told jjeople ojienly that he meant to marry her ); —and , fearing he to lose hev services , which I am told are invaluable , for she ' s a clever girl , and manages his accounts wonderfully , he thought to fasten a quarrel on Forester , who you know is good-nature itself , and so hojied to disgust him with the house

and make him leave it . He ' s rather a bully is Cooke , and flattered himself he could soon cow our friend ( no pun intended ) , but the result showed that Forester , who has some good stuff at bottom , was more than a match for him . However , I am told Miss Robertson is leaving to-morrow , and lots

of fellows are going to see her off by train by way of showing their sympathy—one friend among the number , no doubt " " AVell , it ' s a bad business any way . What right has the fellow to make himself so confoundedly notorious ?"

" There s the rub . I say , old fellow , give us a bit of your tobacco ; I know you've got some good cavendish . These cigars tire awfully bad . " " Help yourself , Madge , you'll find my tobaccocutter iu the corner there , just on the right of the bookcase . "

"Thanks—all right . " The two friends sat smoking for some minutes , looking abstractedly into the fire . Madge broke the silence . " Well , say what you will—a man who calls himself a gentleman has no right to go courting barmaids , even if he docs

intend to do the jn-ojier thing ' " Matter of opinion , my dear fellow ; I knew a man once who got spooney on an actress , and was going to marry her—only she jilted him . " Madge winces aa he remembers a certain episode in his history , and comes to the conclusion that he

had better change the subject . " By the way , " Frank says , " I beg your pardon for not asking before , how is Mrs . Raymond r "Oh ! she ' s very well , thanks —she went awny yesterday lo see some friends in thc country , but she'll be back to-ni ght by the last train ; and , now

I think of it , I had about forgotten what I came specially to sec you about to-night . Will you dine with us to-morrow ? it ' s my wife ' s birthday . You can go to your high church service at St . Matthew ' s , you know , mid then up afterwards : we don ' t dine till two . " '

" Thanks : very glad . " " Good night , then , I must toddle . I suppose it will be about train time , " and so saying , Mr . Madge Raymond let himself out at the door , after exchanging a pleasant word with the landlady , whom he met in the passage . About tho middle of April , Frank received a

Another Fenian Outrage:

letter from his cousin , Sir Eustace de la Wray , which ran thus : — Worsley Hall , 16 th April , 1866 . My Dear Frank , —Lady Worsley desires me to say that she will be glad to sec you to dinner to-morrow ; at six .. We are alone . I want to talk to you about thc Irish business . My agent

writes me from Killarney that there is a rumour of a Fenian outbreak there , and he has been evicting a lot of the tenants who are suspects . 1 dont want any injustice to be done to my people , and I think I shall have to ask you to go over and put matters straight , if you can . At any rate , come up to dinner . Eemember , six sharp . —Your affectionate cousin , EUSTACE DE LA WRAY .

Sir Eustace de la Wray had only recently come into the baronetage and property of . £ 6 , 000 a-year , which he inherited-from a distant kinsman . He had formerly been in the Guards , but gave up the army when he married Miss de Verdon . He was a singularly handsome man , admirably proportioned ,

with regular features , a yellow-brown beard and moustache ( which he wore very long ) . Standing six feet two in his stocking feet , he was as jsrincely a looking man as you could wish to see—wonderfully fascinating manners , many accomplishments , the very jiersonation of good nature , Sir Eustace

was par excellence the popular man of his day . Lady de la Wray was a woman of perfect breeding , and jiossessed of fascinations which had struck many a one besides her husband . As , however , she will not figure much in this little story , it would be irrelevant to do more than introduce the reader .

Of course Frank went to Worsley , which was only six miles from Marton . After dinner , having settled the Irish business ( the firm boing tlie Tiaronet _ local agents ) , the conversation tinned on the case of assault which had been before the magistrates , and Frank detailed the circumstances of the case .

" Isn't this Mr . Forester a tall thin young fellow , a sort of animated lamjj-post f' the Baronet asks . "Yes , that's the man , with sandy beard and whiskers , " replied Frank . " He had no beard when I saw him , which was yesterday . I had driven into Marton , and happened

to stojD just opposite Brown the barber s shop , m the High-street , when this fellow came out He had a moustache , which he had got stuck out with bandoline , a la Empereur de France , and he wore an imperial . I should not have known him again , but the policeman Forbes , to whom I was giving some

instructions , told me that he had just found out that that was the gentleman who had been before the magistrates for the assault on Mr . Cooke , the landlord of the Vulture . " " Ah , " said Frank , drily , " The Greek Tau or Nile Cross "

" What do you me ? n ?" "Oh , only a joke of ours . " "By the way , Frank , have you heard anything of this ? " and Sir Eustice handed to Frank a cojiy of the last week's Marlon Gazette , in which occurred the following : —

FENIANISM IN MARTON . —AVe have reason tobehevethnt the Fenians are in strong force in Marton . Certain circumstances haws recently come to our notice which lead us to warn the public . So long ago as thc 17 th March last , St . Patrick ' s Day , a body of men were seen to enter about midnight , the old mill in thc Dravcot-road , formerly in the

-possession of Mr . West . Considerable noise was beard at intervals for about an hour or more , lights were observed about the place , and at about half-past one or two o ' clock several men emerged , each of whom was armed with defensive weapons ; our informant believes they were swords , and one or two of the number wore green sashes ( the well know ;* .

badge of the Fenians ) . One of the parties has since been identified , and wc regret to learn that he and his intimates are supposed to be members of respectable society . Wc have only to add that the parlies are watched , and we warn them that any breach of the peace , no matter how trifling , will be

promptly put down . A woman was seen walking up and down the main streets yesterday afternoon , singing Fenian songs , copies of which were bought up rapidly by the bystanders . Let the Volunteers bo prepared , and the Annourv watched !

As Frank finished reading , he burst out into a hearty fit of laughter , which seemed to strike Sir Eustace with astonishment . " What the deuce is it all about ? " he asked . Frank briefly described young Forester ' s introduction into Masonry ; and the Baronet , who was a

Freemason , joined heartily in the laugh as the various questions put to the ' eandidate , and the ceremonies gone through , were detailed for his amusement . " Aud you mean to tell me that the young fellow went through it all V " He did , indeed . "

"And believed in it \" "Took it nil for gospel . " " How did you manage the phantom business ?" "Oh , easily enough . We got a lot of masks , rubbed the eyes with phosphorus , fastened these on

sticks , and each fellow held one over his head , which was covered with a sheet . The effect in the gloom was fine , I can tell you . " " How about the flames 1 " "Oh , we covered his head and face with a worsted night-cap , and Spark who had got a tin of jiowdered resin , threw it into the air , and some one held a

Another Fenian Outrage:

piece of lighted paper , which sent it / into a blaze ae it fell . The thing is harmless enough . " " Well , Frank , " the Baroiiet said , as he wished him good night , " I shall be really obliged to yon for going to Ireland'for me at a moment's notice . You'll start to-morrow . " " I will start by the first train in the morning . Good night , Sir Eustace . "

CHAPTER IV . THE LOVERS . —" ANOTHER FENIAN OUTRAGE . " Barton-le-Bar is a small watering-place on the East coast of England , situated about three miles to

the southwaid of the town ol Hartsea . It is a pleasant little village in summer , but very bleak and exjiosed in the winter months . The Barton Station , on the N . E . Railway , lies away from the village about a mile , and tbe road between it and the little watering-place is dignified with the name

of " The Lovers' Walk" It is the 4 th of May , and a lovely evening . A bright spring day it has been , full ¦ of cheerfulness ancl p leasant sunshine . The new moon is shining over head , her slender crescent being hid awhile by swiftly-flying clouds that hurry

on their journey towards the sea . The sun has sunk beneath the horizon , leaving behind him crimson bars of glory to mark where he has set . The angry flush which grows upon the sky casts its bright glow upon a pair of lovers wandering down the Lane arm in arm . '

ran- is she as thc dreams young poets weave , Bright eyes and dainty lips and tresses curly , In outward loveliness a child of Eve , But cold as nymph of Lurley . That description of the Maid of Cologne , from Hood ' s sad poem , very well describes the woman ;

but , as for the outward presentment of the man , it is enough to say that he was tall and very thinnot bad-looking , but yet wanting something to make him handsome . There was a womanly irresolution about the mouth , —a certain pallor about the face , which seemed to speak of feeble health or dissipation ,

an awkwardness of gait which took from the appearance of the man . Yet- was there nothing vicious in the face ; and , as he bent down over the pretty girl who was walking by his side , and seemed to be pleading witli her , an expression of kindly earnestness came into the great blue eye , which made you think there was some goodnessin the countenance

alter all . As the reader will probably have conjectured , the young pair are none other than Marmaduke Forester and Miss Maggie Robertson . It has been hinted that Miss Robertson left the Vulture immediately after the fracas related in the last chapter , and she was now staying with her aunt , who kept a lodging-house at Barton-le-Bar . Yomi- Forester had had a row at the bank with

the manager , who was au ill-conditioned fellow , and afterwards went mad , and , as a consequence of his insubordination , was called upon to resign his situation . He was now going to visit his relations in the South of Ireland , but had determined , us his uncle had thoughtfully remitted the . £ 100 a few

days jirevious , to see jn-etty Maggie Robertson before he started . Of course she was pleased at this attention , and , though he had as yet made no declaration , she knew in her heart of hearts it would not be far to seek . That she was prepared to accept him , there can bo no doubt ; nor can the reader

blame her for so doing . She had been brought up in a hard school : Her father , who had been in a sujierior station in life , had come to an early grave through his intemperate habits , and had left hid widow and two daughters utterly unprovided for . Mrs . Robertson , jioor creature , eked out a

miserable livelihood by teaching the pianoforte ill a second-rate town in the West of England . Mag-ie had taken the place of a barmaid , jiartly because shewould be paid much higher than if she went out a * a governess , and so would be better able to keep her younger sister at school , and jiartly because she was

quite ignoi ant affile position and temptations incident to such a situation . At first , she had laughed at poor Forester , who was the butt o f the young fellows who frequented the bar ( a ve ' ry favourite place of meeting every day at noon ) , just as the rest laughed ; but her woman ' s instinct soon discovered

that , under that queer exterior , that eccentric manner , there was a depth which no one dreamed of except herself . She saw that he was an affectionate , warm-hearted ne ' er-do-well , and she thought it no unworthy tisk to try and recall our hero to his better self . That she succeeded in touching his

toosuscoptible heart , there can be no doubt ; and , knowing that , one cannot blame her for hoping , by an honourable marriage , to remove herself from her trials ( to her they were not temptations ) of hotel life . And on that bright spring evening , as she

walked with him down to the train , he unburthened himself to her ; told her how he had left the bank , and how everyone seemed turning against him ; aud then suddenly blurted out , in impassioned words which grew moro eloquent as he went on and waxed in earnestness , all of his love for her . ( To be continued ,