The Home of the Wolvere^ie and Beaver. 1 1 



be — Gertrude Gresham faded from this world six 

 weeks after the birth of her son Paul, and in her 

 grave lay buried all the hopes of her sorrowing 

 husband. True, he loved the child, loved him 

 tenderly, and spared no time nor trouble in the 

 guidance of his infancy ; but still there was a void 

 within Robert Gresham's breast, a vacancy that 

 paternal affection alone was insufficient to fill up. 

 " You are young, rich, and of good family, why 

 don't you marry again, Gresham ?" his friends 

 would ask with some impatience, when they saw 

 the little interest he manifested in worldly matters ; 

 but the pained look of the poor widower touched 

 even the least feeling of them, and they were fain 

 to let him pursue his quiet path, playing with his 

 boy, busied with his books, but oftener still, seeking 

 the most solitary corner of his park, and there 

 brooding silently over her he had loved and lost. 

 At last a letter came from his Demerara agent, 

 announcing a yield of surpassing richness, and Mr. 

 Gresham found himself with a large sum of money 

 on his hands that he hardly knew how to dis- 

 pose of On the morrow therefore he went to 

 London and looked up his old schoolfellow, Tom 

 Waring, now a shining light on the Stock Exchange, 

 " Never mind the three per cents," said the broker, 

 "try a venture with it, old fellow. If you don't 



