From T. S. Staines, Tredbury-court, Fleet-street, ment, which would enable him to retrieve his
London, to John Dane, Independent Office,
Northenville:
Come up at once. Meet me to-morrow, three P.M.,
Great Northern Hotel. Six or seven hundred
pounds in your way.
Don't delay an hour, or you
will lose all chance. Telegram reply to me at Great

Northern.

fortunes. It asserted that not only all the
Carmine party in London was both grieved and
astonished at the selection of a candidate for
this great town, but that the government was
determined to send down another man, who
would ere long issue his address to the electors,
for the premier did not like to see his party in
the House of Commons strengthened by mere
keep out of debtors' prisons. The letter wound
up by strongly advising the electors of Northen-
ville to wait, and not to pledge themselves to
Captain Streatham, for that another candidate
in the same interest would be amongst them in
a very few days.

Now, as the Independent was always published early on Wednesday morning, Monday"gay" men, who entered parliament in order to and Tuesday were, of all others, by far the most inconvenient days in the week for Dane to leave home. At first he determined he would not go, but then he thought that six or seven hundred pounds were not to be had every day. The work was well on, and he could easily get his reporter (provincial papers seldom have sub- "An enemy hath done this thing," was Mr. editors) to do all that remained to be done. Dane's remark when he arrived from London on The London letter would only come to hand the Wednesday evening, after remaining in by the first post next day, but that would merely London long enough to convince himself that have to be given over to the printer. One the telegram was a hoax, and that his friend leader was already in type, another he could Mr. Staines, of Tredbury-court, Fleet-street, write before the mail train passed through had never sent him any messages whatever. Northenville. But if he was to keep the appointment at three P.M., he must leave that evening. Moreover, Mr. Staines, of Tredburycourt, was a very old friend of his, and would certainly not have summoned him to town unless there was really need of his presence, and a chance of his gaining money. Still, he hesitated, and ended by sending a telegram to ask whether Wednesday would not do as well as Tuesday, and what the business was about. To this he merely got the brief reply: "Wed-ham's own party, it was a mine sprung in their nesday will be too late; you must come at once. And so, finishing off his work, he departed in all haste by that evening's train for London.

The Independent issued on Thursday an extra sheet, stating that what its London correspondent had said about the respected candidate of their party was not true, and that some intrigue had been carried out in order to get the editor away from his post for a few hours. But the mischief was already done. Even in the columns of the Mercury the letter would have been most damaging; but appearing as it did in the organ of Captain Streat

own camp, which did far more injury than any shot from their enemy could have effected. The captain was frantic, and at first nothing would persuade him that he was not the victim of a conspiracy got up by Mr. Dane himself. This idea he did not, however, long retain after he had learnt that the old and trusted correspondent of the Independent had gone abroad, and that Mr. Dane had been induced to leave his post the very first day that the new correspondent's letter was received at Northenville.

On the Wednesday morning that Mr. Dane was in town, there appeared the usual London letter in the Northenville Independent. The readers of that celebrated journal, as usual, turned first of all to what was always considered the most amusing and the most interesting part of the paper, but were not a little astonished to find that it contained nearly a column concerning the Honourable Captain Streatham, which was anything but flattering to that gallant candidate for parliamentary honours. It began by lamenting the fact that a mere guardsman, who was quite out at elbows, should be selected as a candidate to represent the important and rising town of Northenville. It gave a complete history of the money dealings of that handsome spendthrift during the last ten years, and at the same time let the public into certain secrets connected with his private life which were much more amusing than moral, and which would certainly not have been read aloud in any young ladies' school, even if tenanted exclusively by "girls of the period." It went on to say that having no other means of raising the wind, the honourable captain was now going to use Northenville. He would get the town to endorse his stamped paper, as it were, by sending "I have been very much astonished at a letter him to parliament, and would then discount his which has appeared in your contemporary, respectM.P.-ship by obtaining some colonial appoint-ing an honourable captain, who seeks to misrepre

But another shot was in store for the supporters of Captain Streatham and his party. Their own paper, the Independent, with its damaging letter respecting their candidate, appeared on the Wednesday, and the following Saturday our paper, the Mercury, was published. The London correspondent of that paper was looked upon as an amusing writer, and as one who was particularly well informed on all social anecdotes and scandals connected with fashionable life in the metropolis. Of course, the first thing everybody did when they received the Mercury on the day I speak of was to turn and see whether its correspondent said any. thing about the great scandal of the day, at least so far as Northenville was concerned; and there was a paragraph on the subject, which although short, was cleverly put together with a view of injuring the enemy.

sent your town in parliament. How very bad must party, and in everything he proposed for the be a case which the advocates of its party cannot future government of the country he went at deny or even palliate. What I grieve for is the fact least a hundred yards beyond Captain Streatham. that all the London correspondent of your contem- His address-I wrote it myself for him-deporary has said about one of the candidates for Nor-nounced our party in the most unmeasured thenville is but too true, and, I am sorry to say, terms, but at the same time spoke very bitterly but too well known to all men who mix in London of "bloated aristocrats" who, because they or society; but still I deprecate this opening up of private scandals, which can do no possible good by exposure, and must hurt the feelings of friends and relatives greatly. Why the Independent should damage the interests of its own candidate by raking up tales which, although true, would be better buried in oblivion, is more than I can imagine. Of course, Captain Streatham's chance of getting in for Northenville is now gone for ever."

An open attack upon the gallant captain from our columns would have done his cause good rather than otherwise. A covert hint that what had been said of him was true, but that our correspondent did not approve of this mode of showing up a man's private affairs, was a masterpiece of policy. But I had not yet played my last trump card.

their relations have interests in the county, attempt like wolves in sheep's clothing to get into the fold, and call themselves Carmine, when they are neither more nor less than a bad Mauve. Better far, said this unflinching friend of the people, better far to vote for a real outstanding Mauve like Mr. Mellam, than for a half and half aristocrat like Captain Streatham.

"Divide and conquer" was my policy. I saw that Mr. Mellam's only chance was to divide the opposite party; and by causing them to split their votes, we had every chance of winning. O'Rind was delighted at the chance of getting into parliament, small although that chance was. I offered to pay all his expenses, provided he would keep the thing quiet, and made good to him tenfold more than he had lost by having to give up the London correspondence of the Northenville Independent. He entered fully into the spirit of the affair, and began his canvassing in earnest. Had he been brought forward at the commencement of the battle, we should have gained little or nothing by his help. But as it was, coming as he did immediately after the letter which damaged Captain Streatham's chance so much, a number of people promised him their votes. He had a way of

The other side tried very hard indeed to find out who had dealt them such a blow as getting command of the London correspondence of their paper for the day, and whisking the editor off to London at the same time. But it was of no use. They suspected us all-they of course suspected me-but no trace could they find. And indeed Mr. Dane, unwittingly, did his best to hinder the discovery. The first thing he did after reading the damaging London letter in his own paper, was to write and tell Dan O'Rind that before leaving town he ought to have made over the London correspondence of the Northen-canvassing and talking people over, which did ville Independent to some person who was not merely competent to conduct it, but who would not have put himself to do the enemy's work in their political camp. "The injury you have done the paper," continued Mr. Dane in his letter, "is irreparable, and I should not be doing my duty to my supporters in this town if I suffered you to retain any longer the position of our London correspondent. I therefore beg to enclose a cheque for the money due to you, and to state that any further communications from yourself or any of your friends will not be used."

This letter-knowing both the handwriting and the postmark-I of course opened in O'Rind's chambers in Costs-court. I kept it by me for a day or two until my plans were fully matured, and then forwarded it to O'Rind at Vienna, enclosing him a draft for fifty pounds, begging him to give up all further research for the present, and to come home at once.

him infinite credit. At talking about children, noticing all the little boys and girls in the place, making boon companions of any one and every one who could be of the slightest use to him, he was almost as good as Captain Streatham himself. The Northenville Independent was of course furious. The Carmine party, it declared, was throwing away its best chance of representing Northenville. To divide that party, and split up the votes, was utter madness, and was playing the game of the Mauves. The Mercury abused Captain Streatham and Mr. O'Rind alike, but of course saw that they were playing our game, and paving the road for our success. O'Rind had no local print in which to advocate his own election, but his old colleagues in the Evening Damager were faithful to him, and every morning that paper used to arrive from London containing something or other in praise of the "only real independent candidate for the town of Northenville."

Three or four days before the nomination of candidates was to take place, the good people There was one person mixed up with this of Northenville were astonished by the appear- election who certainly bore me no kindly feelance of an address from a third gentleman who ing; that was Lady Vance. She firmly believed offered himself as a candidate for the honour of and I won't say that she was not right-that representing Northernville in parliament. had it not been for my management of Mr. These addresses were signed "D. O'Rind," and | Mellam's business, her brother would, as he were dated from "Costs-court, Middle Temple, used to say himself, have won the race in a London." The writer professed to come for- canter. Her ladyship was far too old a hand ward on the purest principles of the Carmine at electioneering work not to see through the

On Tuesday the nomination was to take place. Coming events cast their shadows before. I felt that there was something wrong in the plot, or rather that the counterplot was working against me, but I never dreamed of the nature of the blow.

On Monday afternoon I had strolled down into the coffee-room of the hotel used as our head quarters, to get some luncheon. The waiter put the Times, which had just come, into my hand, and the first paragraph that caught my eye was the following from the Observer of the previous day :

"We understand that D. O'Rind, Esq., of the Middle Temple, has been appointed Puisne Judge for the colony of Tansgoria. Mr. O'Rind was called to the Bar about fifteen years ago, and goes the home circuit. He has lately been talked about as a candidate for Northenville, but will, of course, now retire from the contest."

No wonder that Lady Vance looked triumphantly at me the next time we met.

movements of her enemies, although she had not perhaps always the foresight to prevent them. The correspondence about her brother, and the bringing Mr. O'Rind forward as a candidate, she saw through quite clearly, and felt certain from whom these ideas had come. "You have checkmated us, I fear," she said to me in a shop where I met her. "No, my lady," I replied, "we can only as yet say check to your queen." She took the reply and the compliment together very kindly, laughed, and said that she had still a move to make on behalf of her brother, of which I should hear presently. The next day, much to my surprise, I saw Sir Charles Vance ride into Northenville, and go straight up to the lodgings where O'Rind was living. For Sir Charles to call upon any one of lower rank than himself would have been thought a marvel in the place. But for him to pay this attention to an utter stranger, a poor barrister who made his living by his pen, and had had the impudence to oppose Sir Charles's brother-in-law, was a miracle which was the talk of the town that night. Sir Charles, although a very kind hearted, was a most haughty man. His family was one of the oldest in England, and, as he used to boast, his estates had come down from father to IN the roadstead, the Lovely Helena from son for nearly six hundred years, without a Buenos Ayres; the Magician from Costa Rica; break. He was wealthy, was proud of his the Moonshine from Trinidad; Queen Marposition, proud of being one of the leading guerite from the Havannah; the Europe and man amongst the gentlemen of the county, the Rothschild from New York; together with which he had represented ever since he was of a fleet of smaller craft, all standing toward the age. A well read man, but taking great plea-wide mouth of the Seine, in a brisk, invigorating, sure in all the usual pursuits of an English cheering breeze, in the month of August! The gentleman, he was fastidious in the acquaint- stages of the signalling stations are crowded, ances he made, although his hospitality was un- seaward, with bronzed port authorities; and bounded. His place, Llanholme Court, situated over their heads is a maze of cordage displaying about six miles from Northenville, was a splen- every variety of signal. The pier head is did old residence, and was kept up in a princely thronged with friends of sailors who are comstyle. Sir Charles lived at it from July to Eastering home; with rough gamins who would be every year, the intervening months being better off afloat than loafing and begging in always spent at his house in Berkeley-square. most unsavoury rags; with Paris dandies in As I said before, to see the baronet ride into town and call upon Mr. O'Rind was not only a marvel; it showed that the Streatham party were really afraid of this new enemy which I bad brought into the field.

It did not do, of course, for me to be seen much with Mr. O'Rind, nor to profess more than a mere passing acquaintanceship with him. I was not a little curious to know what had passed at Sir Charles's visit, but had to put off all inquiries until the next evening, when I walked over to his lodging. And my surprise was not small when I was told by the servant, who opened the door, that Mr. O'Rind had gone to dine, and was to sleep and pass the next day at Llanholme Court-Sir Charles Vance's place. I felt that Lady Vance had made a move upon the board which would diminish our chance of winning the game, but what that move was I could not yet imagine.

It was on the Friday that O'Rind went to Llanholme. He was to remain there all the Saturday and Sunday, and return on Monday.

THE SAILORS' SHOW ON THE SEINE.

stage-nautical costume accompanied by ladies in the latest out-of-town fashions, who give a sharp little scream at every wave that laps the stone front of the noble port. Struggling with the broken sea, a little steamer comes puffing across from Trouville, laden with a tumbled throng of fashionable people, very sea-sick. Great bustle on the jetty. Three baskets are slung up to the signalling post, and the ships that were standing bravely in, tack off with much plunging and clatter, and screaming from the shrouds. A hundred telescopes are projected seaward. A confident little skipper's clerk, who has been zealously misinforming a select group of Parisians during the last half hour, confidently opines that the Pereire, from New York, is in the roadstead. A black hull breaks through the haze. The fleet of sailing vessels have made way for her, and the Napoleon Jerome, Imperial yacht, enters the port. Then the fleet tacks about, and a line of three-masted vessels glides home to the docks. Flags of many nations pass the signalling station. Far away as the base of the hills, far as the eye

The very place for a Sailors' Show, or maritime exhibition of all nations! All the materials are at hand. Samples of the sailors of all nations are on the spot. Ships of all nations are in the docks. But this was not the idea of the authors of an international maritime exhibi-tural implements, a fire escape, a saddle, a tion. There must be presidents and vice-presi- bridle, and a harmonium or two. Jack, refined, dents, commissioners and deputy commissioners, sublimated, by our later civilisation, has taken jurors, and supplementary jurors. There must to the fine arts, and must have a chef d'œuvre be a vast plan; an inaugural hymn; a comme- or two in his cabin. Hence his show would be morative ode; an apposite chorus. The flag wretchedly imcomplete without a fine art and the big drum must be provided for. There annexe. He doats on flowers, and has bemust be groups, and sections, and classes, and come no mean authority on the relative values sub-classes, concessions and royalties. Accord- of animal and vegetable manures. The carriage ingly, a building is designed in humble imita- department of the Sailors' Show is, perhaps, its tion of that which occupied the Champ de strongest feature. After a running visit to the Mars in Paris, last year. There are circles Sailors' Show in a box, the visitor cannot fail within circles, a central garden, an international to be startled by the multitude of misconcepclub, a park spangled with varieties of highly tions in regard to maritime habits, and wants, painted buildings and grottos; of course, a and customs, which he has gathered, perhaps colossal orchestra and a fairy-like coup d'œil." too carelessly, from Sailors' Shows in port, and The main entrance on the Boulevard Imperial, upon the open sea. Jack includes a very noble

aquarium, in the show he has boxed up by the tion in the future. The Scotch and Irish daily mouth of the Seine: in which the ladies and newspapers have already inaugurated the new children may be daily horrified by the contor- era, and are accomplishing marvels in their own tions of living samples of Hugo's pieuvre, and way. They are striving, and with very conlobsters in their black habit as they live. siderable success, to collect the latest current But with all his airs about agricultural imple-news of each day, for publication in next mornments, we cannot congratulate Jack on hav- ing's issue. London being the great centre of ing become a first-rate landscape gardener all intelligence is of course made the head yet. He has had all the local grandees in their scarfs; civilisation has been duly toasted in petit bleu; a gentleman from Jersey has cemented the alliance between the two great nations of the earth, with an oration of the smallest wafer power; and what with bands of music, a widely diffused taste for seeing anything and everything, magnificent phrases, and reduced fares, the Sailors' Show may pull through to the satisfaction of the speculative gentlemen who have governed it.

quarters. Three Irish and four Scotch newspapers have each what is called a "special wire "-that is, a telegraph wire between London and Dublin, or London and Glasgow, as the case may be, the exclusive use of which the newspaper commands from seven o'clock in the evening until three o'clock next morning. The telegraph companies merely let or "farm the wires for a certain amount, and, beyond providing clerks to work the instruments, take no further charge or responsibility. The work of collecting the news devolves solely upon the newspaper proprietor, and this part of the undertaking is alike the most troublesome and the most expensive. London is daily and nightly swept for rumours and offences, and the utmost diligence is displayed to collect everything of interest that transpires.

We confess, as nautical students, to a decided preference for the Sailors' Show out of the box, which encompasses the "Maritime International Exhibition." At the risk of being set down as dunderheaded, the chiel who has taken these notes remains fast in his belief that the International Maritime Exhibition which is spread over spacious highways around the docks of the There is a little staff of officials employed on Liverpool of France is a much truer, much more the work. Reporters, sub-editors, leader writers, instructive, and much more honest one, than special correspondents, have each their own that Bazaar crowned with the eagle and the defined departments; and what information tricolor which is planted by the dusty Boule- they collect and transcribe is nightly devard Imperial, in the interests of shop-keep-spatched to its destination for the delectation ing, rather than of navigation, past, present, or of next day's readers. Whilst parliament is future. The commissioners who talk about sitting, the chief portion of the material is prohelping forward civilisation, and include bull-cured at Westminster. During important defights in their programme, are not trusty guides bates, the speeches of the great men are reported to our dull British mind, even when they come backed by an approving nod of Alexandre Dumas père. Whom Heaven preserve!

A SPECIAL WIRE.

in full and sent off the same night; it has sometimes happened when Mr. Gladstone or Mr. Disraeli has been delivering a long oration, that the compositors in Edinburgh and Glasgow were putting into type the first portion whilst the last was being spoken. On one or two occasions when Earl Russell's reform bill of 1866 was trembling in the balance, the Edinburgh editors attended the House of Commons, wrote their leaders, and sent them down by wire to the capital of Scotland.

IN the department of electric telegraphy, as in many other things, the Americans have long been in advance of us. They spend more money, and use the wires much more lavishly for the transmission of intelligence to the newspapers, The principal Scotch and Irish journals may than we do. The New York journals are spe- thus be said to be reported, sub-edited, and cially remarkable for their enterprise in this sometimes edited, in the metropolis, so far as respect, and they frequently accomplish achieve- regards the most important part of their intelliments which leave the journalists of this coun- gence. The labour, care, and anxiety, expended try far behind. This is specially the case on the accomplishment of this object are much during the sittings of congress. Day after day greater than is ordinarily supposed. And whilst the session lasts, ten or twelve closely everything is done at full speed: the econopacked newspaper columns are transmitted be-mising of time being as vital and important as tween Washington and New York. These in- the economy of space on board a ship of war. clude the speeches of the principal speakers in Half an hour often decides success or faithe debates, the political letters of the special correspondents, and all the accidents, crimes, gossip, and general news, which can be colfected.

Although the English press has been excelled by the American in this respect, there has of late been such an united move in the direction of employing the telegraph more freely and frequently, as to promise something like a revolu

lure. Towards the small hours of the morning it is a race between time and the telegraph. The critical period is between midnight and two o'clock in the morning. A good deal of the most valuable of the day's intelligence arrives at the instrument room during those two hours, and then is the time to see the clerk upon his mettle. Perhaps the Prime Minister has made a great speech at half past ten o'clock, at the