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t t t t t l oeoitom coo" W +04,on ‘ + CHAPTER XXI. “She was perfectly right," says Ame- lia, still speaking quite quietly; “it is as- tonishing that I should not have seen it; and it was child-stealing; you were barely twenty-one, and 1â€"1 was not very young for a woman even thenâ€"I was twenty-three. I ought to have known better." For once in his life Burgoyne is absoâ€" lutely bereft of speech. It is always a difficult matter to rebut a charge of be- ing dead-sick of a woman without con- veying an insult in the very denial; and when there lies a horrid substratum of truth under the exaggeration of the ac- cusation, the difficulty becomes an im- possibility. “However, it might have been much think if I had overheard it only after I had married you, when I knew that there was nothing but death that could rid you of me. I thank God I have heard it in time." His throat is still too dry for him to speak; but he stretches out his arm to encircle her in a mute protest at. that thanksgiving over her own shipwreck; but, for the first time in her life, she eludes his caress. “Child-stealing,” she repeats, under her breath; “and yet”â€"with a touching impulse of apology and deprecationâ€" “you seemed old for your age, you seem" ed so much in earnest; I think you really were”â€"-a wistful pauseâ€"-“and after- wards, though I could not help seeing that I was not to you what you were tot me, yet I thoughtâ€"I hoped that if It waitedâ€"if I was patientâ€"if no one else, no one more worthy of you came datay in her halting speechâ€"“you might grow a little fond of me out of long habit; I never expected you to be more than a little fond of me I" He has entirely hidden his face in hisl hands, so that she is without that index' first brought against him, his guilty soul to guide her as to the effect produced by her words, and he continues completely silent. Whether, even after her“ rude awakening, she still, deep in her heart, cherishes some pate hope of a denial, an explaining away of the reported utter- ances, who shall say ‘3 It is with .a half- choked sigh that she goes on: . “But you could not; I am not. so un- just as not to know that you tried your best. Poor fellow! it must have been up- C Dr W m E fill OR, A SAD LIFE STORY WMWWOWMonGOE:E. . 'emotions are so strong that they make worse,” continues Miss Wilson; just\ be- i . . . , 5,, , 7 _ . _. it- determmalely turns her poor quivering tween Up anlllLl and Still \yistfuller face round so as to meet his gaze. o WWWm/oo o‘eos‘o She is looking straight before her at the landscape simmering in the climbing sun, the divine landscape new and young as it was before duomo and bell- tower sprang and towered heavenwards. Why should her gaze dwelt any more upon him? She has renounced him. her eyes must lain renounce him to’o. A.) he hears her words, as he watches her patient profile. the sole suffering thing in the universal morning joy, a great revulsion of feeling, a great com- passxon mixed with as large .a remorse pours in torrent over his heart. These him deceive even himself as to their na- ture. _It seems to him as‘if scales had suddenly fallen from his eyes, showing him how profoundly he prizes the now departing good, telling him that life can neither ask nor give anything better than the undemanding, selfless, boundless love about to withdraw its shelter from him. His arm steals round her waist, and not once does it flash across his mindâ€"as to his shame, be it spoken, it has often flashed beforeâ€"what a long way it has to steal! “Am. I sick of you, Amelia?” She makesmno effort to release herself. It does him no harm that she should once more rest within his clasp. But she still looks straight before her at lucent Eirenze and her olives, and says three tunes, accompanying each repetition of the word with a sorrowful little head- shake : “Yes! yes! yes!" [to will compel her to look at him, his own Amelia. Have not all her tender looks been his for eight long years? Ilc puts out his disengaged hand, and with “Am I sick of you, Amelia?” In the emotion of the moment, it ap- pears to him as if there were something almost ludicrously improbable and lying about that accusation, in which, when had admitted more than a grain of truth. I-fer faded eyes turned to his, like flow- ers to their sun; the veracity of his voice and of his eager grey orbsâ€"still softened from their habitual severity by the tears that had so lately wet themâ€"making such a hope, as,'five minutes ago, she had thought never again to cherish, leap into splendid life in her sick heart. “Is it possible?" she murmurs almost inaudibly, “do you meanâ€"that. you are hill work for you”â€"â€"with a first touch of no, ,., bitternessâ€"“laborhtg to love me, forl eight years; is it any wonder that you, failed? and I was so thick-skinned I did not see itâ€"â€"the ‘h‘ide of a hippopota-mus’ de‘eedl There could not be a juster com- parison; and now all I can do is to beg your pardon forhaving spoilt eight of your best yearsâ€"your best yea~rs”â€"with slow iteration; “but come”â€"â€"more light- lyâ€"â€"“you have some very good ones left too; you are still quite young; for a man you are quite ydung; the harm I have done you is not irreparable; I think"â€" with an accent of reproachâ€"“you might case my mind ly telling me that the harm I have done you is not irrepar- ablelil , Thus apep‘aled to, it is impossible for him any l'dnger to maintain his attitude ,(Lf disguise and concealment, His hands must needs be withdrawn from before his face; and as he turns that face to- wards her, she perceives with astonishâ€" tne'nt, almost consternation, that there is ’an undoubted tear in each of his hard grey eyes. “And what about the harm I have done to you?" he asks under his breath, as if having no confidence in his voice; “what about the eight best years of your life?" A look of affection so high and tender and selfless, as to seem to remove her love out of the category of the mortal and the transitory, dawns and grows in her wan face. “Do not fret about them,” she answers soothingly, “they were-they always will have beenâ€"the eight best years of my me- They Vel’e [1111 05 {£0061 and plea- same question and receiving the sam . a. 5' o- o They go down the hill, past thecol- tages, and the incurious peasants, hand in hand, her soul running over with a deep joy; and his occupied by an un- familiar calm, that. is yet backed by an ache of remorse, and byâ€"what else? That “else” he himself neither could nor would define. He spends the whole of that day with Amelia, both lunching and dining 'with her and her family; a course which calls forth expressions of unaffected surprise, not at all tinctured )vith maliceâ€"unless it be in the case of Sybilla, who has. never been partial to himâ€"«from each of them. "We have been thinking that Jim was going to jilt you, Amelia t” Cecilia has said with graceful badinage; nor, strange to say, has she been at all offended when Jim has retorted, with equal grace and- much superior ill-nature, that on such a subject no one could speak with more authority than she. The large white stars are making the lnightly sky almost as gorgeous as the day’s departed majesty had done, ere Jim finds himself back at his hotel. His intention of quietly retreating to his own room is traversed by Byng, who, having evidently been on the watch for him, springs up the stairs, three steps at a time, after him. “Where have you been all day?” he in- quires impatiently. “At the Anglo-Americain. you are not tired of always asking th sant things. Do not forgetâ€"I would not answer to 1m for worlds have you forgetâ€"d shall never (OYSBL “DEWâ€"MIN they 11” Came to me'rcceive the same answer,” replies the other, with a forced laughâ€"“but stop a At her words. most innocent-as they are bitt”â€"»(s.ceing a, decided quiet-toning of ir of any intention of producing such an speed in his men effect, a not flush of shame rises to his “firm; mother 15 as forehead, as his memory presents to him been asking for you all the afternoon; you before she through you t” the successive eras into which these eight She wants to speak to “I am not so sure that I should always I good years had divided themselves; six $09.35* months of headlong boyish passion. six , months of cooling fever; and seven years ' matter-ofâ€" . m of careless, intermittent, course, half tenderness. “Through me?” he repeats, with an 110- 01,1 aunt, the one who cent of the deepest self-abasement; “you Plus had a second stroke do not mean to be ironical, dear; you were never such a thing in your life; you decomus shape of gray e naturally assume on such occasionsâ€" knew what a sweep you make me feel “it. is no case of great grief; the poor old when you say the sort of thing you have wom just saidtâ€"and so it is all to come to an ier last attack; but mother thinks that Good as these eight years she ought to be there, atâ€"at the end; to 0f look after things, and so forth.” There is an alertness, a something that . expresses the reverse of regret in the “*3 “3- tone employed by Mrs; Byng’s son in unless the faint this detailed account of the causes of nor could not be it you tried; end, is it? have been, you have had enough them? You do not want any more like them?" She says neither yes nor no. mains unanswered, smile in her weary eyes and about her imminent departure, which, thoughts had not. already sprung in that Burgoyne droopcd mouth can count for a reply. “And all because you have heard some direction, would have set, thinking as to the mode in which the young man before him is likely to em- fool say that I was tired of you?” The light smile spreads a little wider, and invades her pale cheeks. but if you l\ “Goes ‘2" "Worse than tired! sick! sick to death!” W111 restore to him. _‘ I wonder . 0. they passed the wine the wrong way 9 round the table at the Maclvors. I was d’s upward movements) king for you; she has “Yes, she is off at. seven o‘clock to- orrow morningwback to England; she had a telegram today to say that her. brought her up,- l\‘ol”-â€"secing Jim begin to arrange his features in that c sympathy which an has been quite silly ever since is good . . I “Except the Fat Boy in ‘Ptckwmk,’ I never heard of any one who had a bet- ptoy the liberty that his parent's absence I offered to go with berg” says Byngl perhaps disoerning a portion at least of lllS companions disapprobation. “And she refused?” Byng looks down, and begins to kick stairsâ€"idly with one foot. “Mother is so unselfish that it is al- ways difficult to make out what she real- ty wishes; butâ€"but I do not quite see of what. use I should be to her if I did go.” There is a moment‘s pause; then Burâ€" goyne speaks, in a dry, hortalory elder brother‘s voice: “It you take my advice you will go home." The disinterested counsel of wise elder brothers is not always taken in the spi- rit it merits; and yet there is no trace of docile and unquestioning achiescence in Byng’s monosyllabicâ€" “Why?” “Because, if you stay here, I think you Will most likely get into mischief.” The young man's usually good-humor- e:l eyes give out a blue spark that looks rather like fight. “The same kind of mischief that you have been getting into during the past week?” he inquires slowly. The acquaintance with his movements evrdenced by this last sentence, no less than the fight they throw upon his own motives, stagger Jim, to the extent of making him accept the sneer in total Silence. Is not it a richly deserved one? But the sweet-natured 'Byng is already repenting it; and there is something con- ciliatory and almost entreating in the spirit of his last remark: “I do not know what has happened to my mother,” he says, lowering his voice; "there IS no one less of a mauvaise the case of â€"" he breaks off and be- gins his sentence afresh; “she has been warning me against them again; I can‘t find that she has any reason to go upon; but she has taken a violent prejudice against her. She says that it is one of her instincts; and youâ€"you have done nothing towards setting her right?” Perhaps it may be that his potamus hide” has not served to render him any dearer to Jim; but there is cerâ€" tainly no great. suavin in his reply: “Why should litâ€"it is no concern of mine.” “No concern of yours, to stand by and see an angel’s white robe besmirched by the foul mire of slander?” cries Byng in- dignantly, and lapsing into that high- llown mood which never fails to make his more work-a-day companion “soc blood." “When I come across such a disagree- able sight it will be time enough to de- cide whether I will interfere or not. At present I have not met with anything of the kind,” returns he, resolutely putting an end to thendiatogue by knocking at Mrs. 'Byng’s portal, within which he is at once admitted. V The door of the bedroom communica- ting with the salon is open, and through it he sees the lady he has come to visit standing surrounded by gaping dress- baskets, strewn raiment, and scattered papers; all the uncomfortable litter that speaks of an imminent departure.- She joins him at once, and, shutting the door behind her, sits down with a lagged air. “I hear,” he beginsâ€"“Willy tells incâ€"l, am very sorry to hearâ€"â€"-â€"” “Oh, there is no great cause for sor- row,” rejoins she quickly, as if anxious to disclaim a grief which might be sup- posed to check or limit her conversation â€"-“poor dear old auntielâ€"the people who love her best could not wish to keep her in the state she has. been in for the last year; oh, dear!”â€"~sighingâ€"â€"“how very dismal the drags of life arel do not you hope, Jim, that we shall die before we come to be ‘happy releases’ ‘2" “I do indeed,” replies he gravely; “I expect to be sickâ€"dead-sick of life long before I reach that stage of it." ' He looks at her resentfully as she speaks, but she has so‘entirely forgotten her own application of the accented ad- jectives to his feelings for Amelia, that she replies only by a rather puzzled but perfectly innocent glance. “I never was so unwilling to leave any place in my life,” she goes on presently, pursuing her own train of thought; “I do not know how to describe itâ€"a sort of presei'itimenl." He smiles. “And yet I do not think there are any lowls in the: Piazza to hoot under your windows!” ‘ l “Perhaps not,” rejoins she, with some warmth; “but what is still more unlucky than that happened to me last night; on thorns t’.’ “And you think that. the wine going the wrong way round the table gave your aunt a stroke?” inquired Jim, with an ritating air of asking for information. Mrs. Byng rcddens slightly. “I think nothing of the kind; I draw ho inference; I only state a fact: it is a thing to send the wine round the wrong way: if you had not: spent your life among grizzly bears and known it very unlucky ‘cannibals you world have too t” Mountains,” corrects Jim their talk on a more friendly fooling. “I am not at all happy about Willy”, “N0 ‘2” the bannistcrsâ€"they are still on the'l tangue than she, as you know; but m . Young friend’s reported metaphor of the “hippo- “There are no cannibals in the Rocky' quietly; and then they both laugh, and recommence *Mfl-flfi THE DQMENEON BANK. .Proceedings of the Thirty-Sixth Annual .IGeneral" Fleeting of the Stockholders. THE THIRTY-SIXTH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE DOMINION . BAIVK was held at the Banking Ilousc of the Institution, Toronto, on Wednes-- day, January 30th, 1.007. Among those present. were noticed:â€" Licut.-Col. Sir Henry Peltatt, Dr. Andrew Smith, Dr. C. O’Beilty, Messrs.- W' 13- NWWGWS. James Carruthers, Wm. Ross, \V‘. R. Brock, J. J. Foy, A. Elfinm‘fll? G§1ery J‘. J. Dixon, L. If. Baldwin. W. Glenney (Oshawa), Aemitius Bald-s Allulholian‘du‘}; “st C- I'lal‘Vey, W. J. Dixon, J. G. Ramsey, .W. _Crocker, R. mm) W T’ R' Le‘ldlcyv W. C. Crowthcr, Jas. Matthews, Davxd lxidd (Hamil-- Co :1 L- - amsay, R- M. Gray, J. '1‘. Small, Samuel, J. A. Proctor, w.% 0 eev 6- N- REJHOIdS, W. G. Cassefs, Wm. Davies, r. J. Phillips, Iâ€"I. Gorv gig: dl‘iifickenlie, JL Gordan Jones, R. J. Christie, 1-1. B. l-Iodgins, s. Noxon, Ira » n 151, Davtd Smith, A. W. Austin, H. W. A. Foster, Cawthra Mulock, F. 1‘). Benjamin, Jas. Scott, F. If. Gooch. A. R. Boswell, J. F. Kavanagh, A.. FOUIdS, E. C. Burton, Victor Cawthra. w. Mulock, jr., F. J. Stewart, A. II. camlribell' jl'v J- 13- TI‘GCS, A. 3611, Richard Brown, C. A. Bogart, and others- ‘Vd‘s moved by Mr‘- L. Baldwin, seconded by Mr. F. D. Benjamin, that: “S”?- ‘T’gD- A’lfllthews do take the chair, and that M. c. A. Bogart do act as . ecre aiy. Messrs. AB. Boswell and W. G. Cassels were appointed SCI'UUneeTS- The Secretary read the Report of the Directors to the Shareholders, and Tagginth the Annual Statement of the affairs of the Bank, which is as fol- To the Shareholders: The Directors beg to present the following Statement of the result of the“ husmess of the Bank for the year ending 3lst December, 1906:~â€" Balance of Profit and Loss Account, 30th December, 1905 .. .. I rent for- the year ending. 315t December, 1906, after deducting charg- es of management, etc., and making provision for bad and doubt- . . . $249,437 97» ful debts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 539,360 364 . . $738,798 33» DlVldeDd 3 per cent., paid 2nd April, 1006 . £90,000 00 Dividend 3 per cent., paid 3rd July, 1905 . .00,000 00 Dividend 3 per cent., paid 1st October, 1006 . . $1.000 00 Diwdend 3 per cent., payable 2nd J anuary, 1907 . 902000 00 r ‘ â€".â€"â€"â€"-$360,000 00 transferred to Reserve Fund . . . . . . 400,000 00 760,000 on" Balance of Profit and Loss carried forward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RESERVE FUND. Balance at credit of account, 30th December, 1005 ...-...$3,500,000 00: transferred from Profit and Loss Account .. . . . . . . . . . 400,000 (20 $3,900,000 00- ‘ With great regret we-have to record the sudden death in May last of Mr.. 'fheodore G. Brough, the late General Manager, whoghad been in the service of’ the Bank continuously since 1875. He was the Ch‘~ Executive Officer for seven- years, during which short time he accomplishrd m 'h for the development and welfare of the Institution. MI‘- 0 A. Bogert, Manager of the Montreal Branch for_cight years, and: who entered the Bank more than twenty-five years ago, was appointed to sue- ceed him. On account of the continued expansion of the business of the Bank, your Directors have decided that it is an opportune time to issue the remaining one million dollars of authorized Capital Stock; and, having in view future require- ments which may reasonably be expected, have approved of a by-law to be- submitted for your consideration at the Annual Meeting, which provides for a. further increase in the Capital Stock to the extent of one million dollars. This, will make the total authorized Capital five million dollars. You will also be asked to consider a by-law increasing the number of Direcv' tors from-seven lonine which it is thought to be advisable owingto the diversity of our interests throughout Canada, and the gradual extension of our operations- During the twelve months just closed Branches of the Bank were established at the following points, and, when expedient, desirable sites were suitable offices erectedzâ€"ln the Province of Ontario, at Chatham, Dresden, Peter- purchased and borough, Tilbury. Windsor, and in Toronto, at the corners of Avenue Road and Davenport Road and Queen street and Bioadview avenue; Alberta, at Calgary and Edmonton, and at Regina, Sask. In addition we have to inform you that in December last t in the Province of he private bank- ing business of Messrs. John Curry & Company, at Windsor, was acquxred unâ€" (ter' terms advantageous to the Shareholders, which transaction included the pur. chase of a .commodious building, well situated in this important centre. Itwas found necessary to provide larger premises for our North End Branch, Winnipeg, and for this purpose a valuable property has been secured. The Directors, following their usual custom. examined the Securities and’ Cash Reserves of the Bank as on December 31st, 1006, and found them to be correct; they also verified the Head Office Balance Sheet, including all accounts kept with Foreign Agents. Every Office of the Bank has been carefully twelve months. and each Branch has been visited by since his appointment in May last. The Report was adopted. E. B. OSLEB, President. By-laws were passed increasing the num and providing for an increase make the total authorized Capital of the Bank $5,000,030. The thanks of the Sharchol dent and Directors for their I ager and other Officers of the Bank for the eflicrent spective duties. 3 . The following gentlemen were elected Directors for the Messrs. A. W. Austin, W. R. Brock. James Carruthers, R. J. Christie, T. Eaton J. J. Foy, K.C.. M.t...â€"‘l.,\\"ilmot D. Matthews, A. M. Nanton and E. B. Osler,M.P At. a subsequent meeting of the Directors, Mr. I . President, and Mr. Wilmot D. Matthews, Viceâ€"PreSident, for the ensuing term GENERAL STATEKENT. « LIABILITIES. Notes in Circulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..._. ........$2,601,9860£t: Deposits not. hearing interest . . . . . . . . . .. ...$a,3 4,018 53 Deposits hearing interest (including interest accrued to date) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .‘.31.,512,137 9t â€"â€"â€"â€"-â€"â€"â€"36,87G,156 47‘ Deposits by other Banks in Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193,340 1’6 Balance due to London Agents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,729,802 98- ']‘otal Liabilities to the Public. . .. . . . . . . . . “$414919” 31 Capital Stock paid up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000t000 00» . . . . . . . ...$3,000,000 00 Reserve Fund Balance of Pmtlts carried forward . . . . . . a; . . . . . . . . 205198 3?. Swidend No, 07. payable 2nd January, 1904 .. .. . 90.l.00 I’crmer Dividends unclaimed .. . I. 107 2:) Reserved for Embangc, etc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . chili-Ii 7t leservcd [or rebate on Bills Discounted . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112,983 1:) â€" 4,203,033 47“ $40,094,379 2%- ASSET S. W . .. $t.'.l10,13,l l1 Specie Dominion G Deposit, with Note Circulation . . . . . . .. ,. 1 (.Ntes of and (Ltticqucs on other Banks ,_ H u H Balances due from other Banks '111 Canada .. , 10 Baianccs due from other Banks elsewhere than in Can- ada and the United Kingdom . . . . . . .. overnnicnt Demand Notes .. 3.405.530 00 Dominion Goyprnn‘ient ror Security of 1,121,390 09 t 559.013.3227 (37 tSrcuritics . . . . . . . .. .. 239,302 85 “It is not his health so muchâ€"his color t P‘,0V.mcml amcmnmn , and his appetite not bad.” ‘ ter." 'thing odd about him!“ “Indeed t” as odd?" (To be continued). â€"â€">r-â€"- “But he is not himself; there is some- “l-Iave not you noticed it yourself ?â€"â€"do even if his not you think that there is something odd about him? Does not he strike you Never judge the keenness of a woman's intellect by the sharpness of her tor-guc. l (‘Zanadian Municipal Securities and Britisl’ or 'F«:.~re':gn _ or Colonial Public Securities other than Canadian. (306,130 '79 Runway and other Bonds, Debentures and Stocks . . gnomes (,7 Loans on Call secuer by Stocks and Debentures . 3,703,134 :30 ,..___â€"-..... ‘ ..$32.915,267 '70 ,’ '- Bills Discountch and Advances Current” I n ‘ Overdue Debts (estimated loss provided for) .. , ,1 .->.~:2(),5m [,0 ,, Bankihemises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : .. .. 950,000 our » i a Other Assets not included under foregomg hea 5 7,133 70 $49,694,379 28 '. inspected during the past. the General Manager her of Directors from seven to nine,. of $1,000,000 in the Capital Stock, Which will - ders were tendered to the President, Vice-Presiâ€" services during the year, and to the General Man- performance of their re« ensuing year 2â€"- , . B. Osler,M.P.,was elected essayist u... 33 .893 $217 81) - c. A. BIOâ€"CERT, Toronto, 3tst December, 1000. General Manager.- l a u t y" T; .-,