After All, Or Thrice Won.

The foreman of the office , who attended to outside work , the discharge of ships , etc ., was a long , lean , Yankee-looking- sort of fellow , with an attenuated heard , and he delighted in the name of Charper . Now , having' described all Mr . Phane ' s employes , we will proceed to chronicle the ei r ents of the morning on Avhich our chapter began . The silence was again broken , after an interval of about five minutes , hy the unmusical voice of Mr . Bulliker .

" Is that invoice ready yet ? " "No , sir , " from Arthur Humbleton . "Then it ought to be . " " I think not . " " But I say it ought , ancl you know so too . You must have it clone ; I can ' t wait any longer for it . " " Then you ' 11 have to dofor it isn ' t clone yetancl know it couldn ' t be

, , you by this time ; and I ' m not going to hurry myself . " " Well , try ancl have it clone before twelve , " coaxed Mr . Bulliker . " 1 may do . " "Don ' t you , " said Merrisslope . "Take my achace , Humberton , " said Recltaper , "don ' t you hurry to make any mistakes . "

" I ' m not going to , " answered Humberton . "Look here , if that invoice isn ' t done before twelve , I shall speak to Mr . Phane about you ; I 'm not going to be humbugged by a parcel of lads . " "Then I shan't do it , ancl you can talk to fift y Mr . Phane ' s for anything-1 care ; ancl just don ' t include me with Avith a parcel of lads . " " Nor me either" ejaculated Merrisslope and Recltaper in a breath

, . "But I say , just try to have it clone for me ; you know you will ruin me and my situation if you will drive things so late . " " Lose your situation ! Is it dependent upon my doing an invoice ? " "Well , well , but you ought to have it done you know , " urged Bulliker . "No , I don't knoAV it ; but I ' m well acquainted with an old humbug . " " Eh ? What ? " in Bnlliker ' s sharpest tones .

" Oh , nothing ! " answered Humberton . " Well done , Humberton , give it him strong , don't stand any cheek , " broke in Merrisslope , always ready to promote a little discord . "If you don't get on with your work I'll report you , Mr . Merrisslope , " shouted Bulliker .

" Report away ; do-ills ahead ! " laughed the incorrigible Merrisslope . A fearful frown was tbe only answer , ancl peace was restored . Notwithstanding the seemingly mild manner in which Mr . Bulliker took these retorts , they rankled in bis breast like poison , ancl he determined in his own sneaking manner to be revenged in some way . Arthur Humberton he bated worse than all the restlie was so sharpsihtecland could h his

; g , see throug most carefully-concealed motives , and he never failed to ply the sarcasm of his censorious tongue . This made him vow that if ever he had the chance he would be even with Mr . Humberton , Avhich was equal to savins' he would ruin him if he could .

Shortl y after he went out on a collecting expedition , ancl the office felt relieved . " What a fool old Bulliker is ! " remarked Merrisslope . "A bigger idiot than ever , " answered Humberton . "Well , for my part , I think he must be 'off his chump'to fret himself so much about nothing ; I couldn't bear to do as he does" chimed in Recltaper

, . Who could ? " continued Merrisslope ; " talk about' water wearing away a & tone , hut if it was a diamond , Bnlliker ' s constant ' vinegar , oil , and vitriol ' would wear it away in double-quick time . It ' s a foretaste of Dante ' s 'Inferno 'we get a roasting on one side ancl a freezing on the other , with a basting of hike-