ties; I have done with you. Call at my cashier's desk for your salary in the morning; Mr. Carpez will pay you in full, and henceforth keep clear of me; not a word sir, leave these premises, audacious fool!"

"Oh! Papa! Papa!" moaned Laura. "Go to your Mother at once" was the stern rejoinder from the thoroughly irate parent. In vain Charles entreated for a hearing, go he must unvindicated. He sought his modest lodging with flaming face and a sullen brow; the following morning he drew his hard earned pay, packed up a few effects in a valise, held a brief interview with Mr. Shearer the village lawyer, then sped Westward by a flying Express train, before the news of his bitter discomfiture should filter into the highways and byways of the gossipy old village.

SITTING NO. 2.

(Chairs a continent asunder)

A letter from Charles Stevens to Laura Fairfax.

TUESDAY MORN, AUG. 10. SAN PAOLO, CALIFORNIA.

DEAR? MISS LAURA;

Will you condone, and even maybe rejoice at the affectionate query at the heading of this letter? For truly, my love, you are exceedingly dear to me; can my ignominious flight have turned you from me in weariness and disdain? What hopes do I not dare to entertain? will any future meeting annihilate the shadows of our parting? May we ever conclude that illstarred game, so rudely interrupted? Every move of which haunts my brain like the ghosts of dead ambitions. Had only your father been patient for a moment he would have learned from me what I have even concealed from you; he would have known how my cousin Rudge's sudden death had put me in possession of a competency; now what more could he desire with a son-inlaw, in addition endowed with a sound brain and good brawn? An evil premonition compresses my heart, perhaps he destines you for the partner of one more favored in his eyes. What a fool's quest to seek this Eden leaving my mate far behind; what avails the glories of this Summer sea and sky? the atmosphere bracing one like a rare cordial? the wanton luxury of this Western garden? where the sun imprints his last and most fervent kiss ere he plunges into the Pacific, leaving the soil glorified with the daintiest flower? Dearest girl, I have bought out a bee ranch. (You know how I used to look after old Mother Kemp's modest apiary in Yawnington?) I have millions of honey gatherers working for me, their industry shames me to emulate them; otherwise I should go distracted thinking of you. Shall Ine'er see you again? At least favor me with the poor consolation of finishing our

I shall never forgive you, no indeed, how can I? How dare you forsake me thus? come right back and finish the game; no sir; I vowed never to look upon your face again. I can't think what made Papa so cross to you; ever since you left us that sneering, flashy young Spaniard, Manuel Carpez has been constantly at the house; I do wonder Papa can trust him with the management of the books and cash accounts. I know he hates you by the sly, baleful gleam of his eyes when your name is mentioned. He professes to belong to a Grandee family, settled in this country on account of political troubles at home. His education was completed at Amherst, and he came here as you know just before you left Yawnington. His recommendations to Papa were aided by his eloquent tongue I am sure; he lords it over Papa's counting-house in the highest and mightiest fashion; but here he is, entering the room now, I nod to him; he smiles back with odious familiarity; good bye dear.

I triumphantly reply to your sweet missive with the glorious rush of new hopes flooding my bosom. Do not place any trust in Manuel Carpez; the evening before I left town I saw him enter Perrigo's Billiard Saloon in the company of one of the hardest characters in Yawnington; a man notorious for his double dealings, and more than suspected of embezzlement. Beware of Carpez! but I scorn to doubt your perfect good sense in this respect. I am doing finely, literally in clover, from the hearts of which my bees bring me a fortune. I will write you at length tomorrow dearest, my move is Q to K R 5th another check, which I cannot honor except by a cold, paper kiss.

Why this delay? I fear your interest in my behalf has waxed very cool. I have now written three times and no response, although you led me to expect a letter by your postal card. Do for heaven's sake send me a line even should it seal my misery by the announcement of my dismissal from your heart which I fear another one claims; it is better than the grinding Suspense of my present condition. have already twice advised you my move is KR takes your pawn; courtesy at least should compel a reply to this.

As I

Yours in bewilderment CHAS. STEVENS.

News from Yawnington.

YAWNINGTON, JAN. 1

MR. CHAS. STEVENS, DEAR SIR:

You must please excuse the liberty I take in writing to you, but you will see by the signature at the foot of this note that I am Miss Fairfax's oldest friend. Lottie Thirlow. How could you be so unbeliev ing as to think my dear Laura had given you up? Poor martyr she suffers enough without these unworthy suspicions on your part. As to loving another, she hates him (that is Manuel Carpez), whom her father cruelly insists she shall wed. Mr. F's infatuation for this Spaniard is awful; nothing too good for him. Now I suppose you want to know the reason why your

letters have remained unauswered? You don't deserve a mite of information, but to clear away the cobwebs from your mind you must needs learn that, that old tyrant of a father has intercepted poor Laura's letters every time she wrote to you since the postal card, which I think he must have seen. Laura dare write no more to you, as her father keeps a dragon's watch over her, likewise ordering her mother to keep her indoors as much as possible, therefore I send you this from dictation. Laura and I have studied that absurd chess game together nearly every time I was at the house; we have agreed to move King's Kt to R 3rd this time; send future letters to my address 17 Friedland Av. Dutifully yours,

LOTTIE THIRLOW.

From California.

SAN PAOLO, JAN. 26.

DEAR MISS THIRLOW:

In the long repentant letter I last sent to Laura under your cover, I forgot all about the game; my move is Q B to King's third. God bless you for a good friend to my darling. I shall come East this Spring and woe to Carpez if I cross his path. Does he know my present location?

Yours in great haste
CHARLES STEVENS.

Laura once more.

YAWNINGTON, APRIL 2.

DEAREST CHARLES:

I am so unhappy, no so glad, what shall I say? Papa is ruined which is the cause of my sorrow; that villian Carpez has disappeared therefore am I joyful; long be fore he went he had purloined from Papa as we have now found out to our sorrow. Last Tuesday morning we were notified from the Boston Bank that our account was overdrawn there, Carpez had been in only the day before with a heavy deposit in bonds and greenbacks, his absence at the office in the morning of the notification troubled father at first, but soon in spite of his entire trust in the dishonest cashier he grew seriously alarmed; no news of Carpez all day, detectives are in all directions in pursuit. I do hope he will be caught. Meanwhile all our funds are gone and papa has grown gray with grief and mortification; what shall we do? I cannot write more now, good bye dear Charles. Oh! the game! it seems a perfect mockery now to send you my move, such an illstarred game was never played, but I will bravely play it out at all hazards so P to Q 3rd I am afraid I do not play very brilliantly. Good bye again, when shall I see you? you said you would come in the Spring and here it is.

Your loving Laura.

End of the correspondence.
SAN PAOLO, MAY 4.
MR. PERCY FAIRFAX, SIR:

The momentous character of the information I here communicate to you, will certainly excuse to our common pride the present act of my addressing you. Your fallen estate moreover has considerably lessened any feelings of animosity on my part; therefore, dear Sir prepare yourself for welcome news. The fact is I have an unwelcome visitor at my ranch whom you will no doubt be very glad to see, he is no other than your quondam favorite Manuel Carpez. The details of his capture I will briefly relate. A few evenings since I entered the banking establishment of this place to deposit a few mining shares, when whom should I jostle at the door but the festive Carpez who was leaving the place in a mighty hurry busily preOccupied in counting over a bundle of bank bills, at the moment of collision he lifted his head with a wild imprecation which died on his lips as he recognized me; recovering his presence of mind however he dashed past me and decended the stairs three at a time. I must here confess that but lately I received information of recent events in Yawnington from Miss Fairfax which has been confirmed by the

daily papers. Without loosing time I hurried in pursuit of the villain, emerging from the building in hot haste, before could even glance round I felt the stinging impact of a bullet in my shoulder, the cunning coward had awaited my onset in the vestibule of the lower landing. As we habitually carry arms in this section of the country. I had drawn my revolver to prepare for emergencies, whilst speeding down stairs. Carpez raised his weapon a second time, I stooped as his finger touched the trigger narrowly escaping a second ball at the same time letting drive myself; he fell in an unseemly heap pierced in the throat; by this time the bank officials had arrived on the scene. I explained just enough to convince them that what they wittnessed was only an old quarrel well settled, then I fainted from loss of blood. On coming to I found both myself and Carpez in the Bank parlor, a Surgeon was bending over my enemy, whose wound he pronounced severe, but not fatal. had previously extracted the ball from my shoulder. The bank people having kept the supposed quarrel from the notice of the police; I directed my man to be sent for, and we were both conveyed to my farm in the outskirts. My left arm is in a sling as I write this. Carpez is confined to his bed, he is as ugly as a bear. A fine fortune I have found in his pockets mind you, which of course you must come at once and identify A few words more and i have done. You are aware of my affection for your daughter; it has intensified by my absence from her. Can I rely at last on your favor and consent to our

He

union? If so bring her with you so that we can conclude the game you interrupted in so lively a fashion in a becoming state of happiness.

It, (that is the game), has continued between us by correspondence, will you do me the favor of informing Miss Laura that my present move is Q Kt to K 2nd; excuse the radiant cheek of my request at the same time. My dutiful regards to Mrs. Fairfax; may I soon call her mother? Yours very faithfully, CHARLES STEVENS.

A voice from the benevolent corner is now heard: "It will never do Charles for me to go home alone, even if I do leave Laura and her Mother under such good guardianship." "Oh! Papa, you know dear? Carpez will be going your way." Cries a merry maid from one of the sparkling corners. "Come Charles I have moved Q to K 2nd" she continues. "I think you found a pocket Mr. Fairfax," queries Charles as he takes the Kt P with his King. "Ha! Ha!" laughs the old gentleman seeing the point. "It was a complete pocket-manual and fully lined at that."

"Why Papa, how can you have the heart to make puns on the incomparable Carpez?' queries Laura slyly moving her QB to K 3rd. "Why trust your newly discovered wealth to the hazrardous keeping of Eastern confidential clerks? Come out here and hire a colony of honest bees." This from Charles who makes the curious move of QR to K B 1st. "Do Papa" chimes in Laura, "come here and keep bees like a good old patriarch when you have

seen your big bee Carpez, put in his little cell." "There sir," to Charles, "I move my B to K B 2nd." Quick came the response of "Q takes K Kt CHECK"; thereat the two sparkling corners blushed alarmingly; the benevolent corner turned his head and coughed, whilst strange to say the sparkles met and snapped to the imminent danger of overturning the table. "Ahem!" from the apex of the triangle, "I think I shall have to consider your advice; my heart is with you both, my body is too old to be alienated from it on the other side of the Continent; my sakes! Charles, she has taken your Queen with her King". Charles looked so roguish that the old gentleman stepped clear out of the triangle to exam ine the workings of a glass hive near by; Charles meantime edged round towards the young lady with another check on his lips, this time K R to Kt 4th. Nothing daunted, Miss Laura pushed the hair from her eyes and daintily deposited her K on his R 4th. "The prettiest factory ever conceived" cries Mr. fairfax returning from the hive, "but I am afraid the bees are not alone in collecting honey," this smart saying accompanied by a comical lowering of his chin and a pursing of his lips. Not a word from the younger man as he moves his Q Kt to Kt 3rd.

Laura

with demure triumph takes the KR with her King. "Shall I bring out a lantern" remarks the old gentleman as a hint of the approaching dusk. As he speaks Charles moves his R to K B 5th with the appeal of "Patience a moment Sir" "Ah! so I thought" he adds as Laura moves her P to KR 3rd. In three moves I win my

White mates in 3 moves with Q Kt.

A few more words will finish this Chess threaded story. Just after the honey crops Mr. and Mrs. Fairfax permanently settled in San Paolo, having disposed advantageously of their business and homestead in Yawnington whose dullness was barely relieved by the new, brick, Town House built that year. Mrs. F. is very busy preparing Laura's trousseau! whilst the happy Stevens meditating marriage at Christmas has devised the following conceit for his wedding cards, as a memorial of his magnificent victory.

WHITE,
Vazquez.

1. P to K 4
2. P to K B 4
3. PK 5

4. P to Q 4

5. P to K R4

6. P to B 3

7. P to Q 3 8. P to R 5 9. R PXP 10. Q to R 5 11. Kt to B3 12. PXK P 13. PXP 14. B to K 3 (b 15. BXKt 16. K to Q 1 17. R to QB1 18. R to K1 19. K to K 2 20. K to B 2 21. K to Kt 1 22. B to Kt 3 23. RX R 24. R to B7 25. Q to R 2 26. QXKt 27. K to R 1

White resigns.

BLACK.

Reina.

1. P to K 3

2.

P to Q 4 3. P to K B 3 (α 4. P to QB 4 5. Q Kt to B 3 6. Q to Kt 3 7. P to K Kt 3 8. QB PXP 9. P to KR 3 10. B to Kt 2

11. B PXP 12. B to Q 2 13. KtXQ P 14. Kt to B 7+ 15. QXB+ 16. Kt to K 2 (c 17. R to QB 1 18. Q to K B 5 19. 0-0 20. Kt to B 4 21. Kt to K 6 22. RX R 23. KtXP (d 24. Q to Kt 6 25. QXKt 26. Q to K 6+ 27. Q to K 8+ (e