After All, Or Thrice Won.

AFTER ALL , OR THRICE WON .

BY BRO . HENRY CAWERT APPLEBY , Author of "A Queer Courtship , " " The Fatal Picture , " etc . CHAPTER I . The insolence of office . —Hamlet .

BANG ! clatter ! rattle ! went a ruler over the shabby , worm-eaten desks of the office of Phane and Co ., commission agents and stock-brokers , Bishopsgate Street , London . It was hurled at the woolly head of Tweedle , the "junior , " to remind that energetic youth of his work and accelerate his movements . After the ruler came tbe snarling voice of Mr . Bulliker , the head clerk , cashierand book-keeper in one .

, " Now then , why don't yon bring me that paper , you young rascal , and leave off playing with the cat ? There ' s plenty of work to do in the office , and no time for frittering . " Tweedle apologetically brought tbe required article to his much-feared master , and slunk into the background , and Mr . Bulliker was for the time appeased . This individual was one who attempted to exercise supreme

control over the rest of the office , but in a manner that was extremel y irksome to the feelings of all concerned . He kept a special supply of rulers for tbe unfortunate head of Tweedle , but it was very rarely that one of them reached its ' mark ; either Tweedle was remarkably active in eluding the missiles , or the cashier ' s aim AA'as very untrue . But , be that as it may , the fact remained that the junior was seldom struck , though he was always in terror lest he should be . The rulers were carefully removed in the cashier ' s absence , but somehoAV or other they found their way back when occasion required .

Mr . James Bulliker was a man of about forty-five , tall and thin , with a ferocious beard and moustache of a dingy red colour , and large heaA r y eyebrows of the same hue . The latter ornaments ( query in his case ) formed the chief characteristic of his otherwise meaningless face , and overhung his little ferretting red eyes so as almost to obscure them . These eyebroAvs were capable of a considerable amount of expression , ancl could be eleA'ated or depressed to an alarming extent to anyone not accustomed to such Aagorons proceedingsHe

. was continuall y eating hard ship-biscuits , of which he kept a good store at the office . His papers and books were knoAvn b y the consequent crumbs . He was a hard-worker , and could not bear to see other folks idle , and for this reason bis master , Robert Phane , implicitly trusted him . His character for honesty had never been shaken ; he scorned deception , and was considered immaculate in that particular . But for all this , he was almost universall y hated ; his

manner was so overbearing and pompous to bis inferiors that they could not possibly do otherwise than dislike him . Some , more sensible than the rest , treated him Avith the contempt his efforts deserved . He bad three methods of coercion , and never by any chance added any new ones , though he rung as many chano-es as possible on those he hacl . Tbe first was the bullying dodge , tbe second tbe persuasive oneancl thirdland lastlhe threatenedHe was never afraid of

, y y . intruding or pushing himself forward in tbe most ridiculous manner , except with Robert Phane , Esq ., before whom he was all humilit y ancl acquiescence . His manner was such as to frighten strangers into submission ; but those who knew him well , retaliated his overbearing conduct , and tbe bombastic bark be commenced with became a miserable pleading whine . Add to this that his