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To-Day's Short Story.I

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To-Day's Short Story. I FOR CORA'S SAKE. I ( Worth Western Hotel, Cottonport. Just back from Klondike. Done well. Sball avait to-morrow's match and ret am with you. BOB. Tims read aloud Tom Bn rrin«*ton from that paper of unmistakable hue which we recognise at a glance as a telegram. "Think of that! Bob back. He must have eeen to-morrow'a teams in the papers. Barrington in goal. eh ? Yee, what a strange coincidence! And done well'—'that means nuggets "Looky fellow! He goes off in a fit of desperation, and tries to lose himself in the wild North West, a.nd stumbles across a fortune, while I stay at home. and aan positively dependent upon a stray goal, more or less, to-morrow," cried Tom, crump- ling the telegram in nis hands. Would you ohajige places with him, Tom?" asked, the young wife—the only other person in the room—with a flush on her pale cheeks a.nd a depth of meaning in her tone which her husband, knew well how to interpret. Tom's sudden and not unnatural jealousy vanished a*3 qrticMy as it arose, and, taking his wife's thin hand tenderly, he said, looking into her eyes: "Do you regret, now you know what might have been?" Her only answer wad a deepened glow in her eyes, which met her husband's gaze unflinchingly, and a gentle pressure of the big. brown hand that was noted for fisting a ball almost as far as some could kick it, and Torn gathered his little one- year wife into his anna, a.nd, kiesing her fondly, whispered in her ear: "And you- you'd rather have a goal-keeper than a mdilionaare? Well! Well!—and I-I would father have my little Cora than all the gold of Klonodiknd I'm sorry for poor old Bob, for, if he has brought home a ahip- load of gold, he has brought home also—an empty heart." Oh," cried Cora, nestling closer, he'U sorely have got over that by this time!" No, no! that's not Bob. He'll never forget, worse luclt!" "Isn't it strange—this love? Here are twin brothers, a08 like as two peas, foolishly in love With the same girl, and she just, loves the one—this one—with all her heart, and doesn't love the other a bit, in that way, though she thinks him one of the best and truest men in the world—isn't it etrange?'' "Strange enough! Especially as the rejected one was always a more taking sort than his brother." "No fishing, sir! Now help me oo to the couch, there's a dear. You'll hurry back from Cotton-port to-morrow, won't you? a bit frightened at being left." Hurry back? Won't L just-if I go." You must go, Tom. It's very Unlikely that MilligEJi will play in goal ecain. and if you cotme off to-morrow—and you will—you are oeTtain of the place, and think what that means to us just now." "Think of it, darling? Since the I engineers' war commenced I've thought ot it night and day." Forgive me, love, I know you have, and nearly worried yourself to death about it." No, no. I'm all right, my lass. I shall go, of course, for your sake as well as my own, if you are well and cheerful." But these Uttle family matters have a way of arranging themselves a.nd dis- arranging everything else, and when Tom Barrington, the new goal-keeper from the iu-igbouring village of Riverside, whom the big Eastport League eiub were giving a trial, should have been joining the train with the rest of the team for Cottonport, he was holding his wife's-hand and fypeaking tender words to her, while he listened anxiously for the sound of wheels outside which should announce the arrival of the doctor. "You've mtesed your train?" whispered the pale lips. Yes, darling." How—how will they manage without you ?" Dorrt, worry, dear." Thus admonished, she lay back upon the bed and closed her eye; Then suddenly opening them, she said: "You must keep goal. It's the match of the season. They'll never forgive you if they drop from their place at the top of the table." "It <Saji't be helped, dear. Let it rest." "There's Bob, ask him—for my sake—to take your place. Bob? Keep goal for Yes, personate you—for my sake. Hell not disgrace us." The sound of whee-l9 end a double knock announced the arrival of the doctor, and, close upon his heels, a good, motherly soul of a nairse—and Tom was free. Cottonport was but of the question. The gaxme would be half through when he arrived, even, if he were now at Eaatport, four miles away, stepping into the train. His wife's suggestion—was it feasible? Bob could keep goal, there was no doubt about that; but the Cottonport team were fighting, aa it were, for dear life, to escape the ignominious test matches, and some of their forwards would not stick at a trifle. JOn, .e,Qther hand, it was of the utmost importance to the status and reputation of Tom Barrington that his citadel should be kept intact. The club found itself, for the first time, at the to-p of the League table, and the man who could keep it there was a made man. Fortune had not been too kind to Tom, except that it had setrut him a wife in a million, but that fact alone was am all-sufficient reason for a bold stroke. "Ill do it!" muttered Tom, as a muffled wail of anguish was borne from above; I'll do it, and risk it "and off he rushed to the post-office aad despatched the fol- lowing wire: Cora, ill. Personate me between sticks. For her sake, she says. Reply—TOM. Anxiously he waited. Now that he had done it he was desirous that it should succeed. What if his brother were not at bis hotel? He might have gone out, not to joburn until he had seen the match. Wouldn't he marvel, in that case, when the Eafttport team turned out to do battle with only ten men, and had to make shift with one of their number in goal? The reply is here, sir," said the telegraph girl, and Tom, almost rudely, snatched it from her hand and read; Will do itr-for Cora's sake.—BOB. Bob Barrington, late of Dawson City. Klondike—that gold-field on an ice-field— had finished his toatft and coffee two hours ago. but had only burned his chair towards the fire in his privaAe room at the North "Western, Cottonport, and had. sat gazing into the embers ever since. He had returned to the old country rich beyond the dreama of avarice. Fifteen months before he was in the same city-but tat in the same hotel, by any means—with a steerage ticket for New York. He had a keavy heart and a light pocket then. Both Were heavy now. He had heard, while still within the bounds of civilisation, of the marriage of kis brother Tom to Cora Campbell, and. Heaven knows, did not begrudge his brother his happiness, but he knew that he himself ertist feel a lifelong lack. There had never been any open rivalry between the brothers. Cora knew, but Tom Aid not until she had promised to be his wife, that Bob Bajringtoji had bestowed his love where it oould not be requited. Bob and Tom had one painful interview, during which the former broke down, and tabbed as only a man does when he ie broken-hearted, and was "comforted" in a lame, hopeless style by his affectionate rival, who, poor fellow, saw no way out of the imrpasse. Then Bob announced his intention of going to America. Now he Was back again-rioh, unhappy, but the Kune good fellow he always was, for he Was bnilt that way. His thoughts were in Riverside, to which be and his brother had removed six months frior to his departure, and where they had act Cora. Ought he to go back. Why Aould be. not? Besides, he had WIred to ?y be would, and he hoped to see Tom ? very day. He looked forward to the Me match m the afternoon as a pleasant 4r.e?ion for hi? thoughts—none too .t. He wondered how Tom wou?ld Xofme off. He did not doubt his ability.  Be was him1f no novice, and he knew was his master. A tap a.t the door and the entry off a waiter with a telegram on a salver woke him from his reverie. He took it, tore it open, a.nd read: "Cora ill. Personate mo between sticks. For her soke, she says. Beply.—1Tom." This gold-digger had a refreshi.ng way of making up his mind quickly. He walked 1ely, but instantly, to the hotel poet office, and wired a short message agreeing to the request.. Having thus ruthlessly out the panrter, he began to cast around for ways and means. The difficulties were many and various. He viewed himself in the glass. He had been accustomed, from his earliest boyhood, to the fact- that unless he and his brother were seen together it was prac- tically impossible to tell which was which. That was an old joke; but the glance in the mirror revealed one little matter that needed attention. Shaving in Itewson Oity I wits paid for in gold-dust, and it was cl:1ea,-per-fa.t" cheaper—to leave Na-ture to take her course, hence the well-grown, but! neatly trimmed, beard which adorned hisj chin, the like of which he knew Tom did not cultivate. To the barber then he repaired, a-nd, with a. comprehensive gesture, said, "Ail off"; andi ail off it was in a brace of shakes. He nearly started when, as he .walked towards the. my—he saw hie own reflection. It might have been. Tom himself coming to meet him. I can do it," he muttered, as he hastened to luncheon, end no one need be the wiser." There was consternation in the East port camp when, at the last moment, the new goal-keeper did not arive. Nothing remained but to proceed to Cottonport without him; and thus it was that, with heavy hearts but light steps, ten men only bounded upon the field, in the famous colours of the Eastport team. Scarcely had they left the dreeeing- room, when a. stranger entered and announced himself to the attendant as Barsinigton, the new Eastport goalkeeper— was there a spare rig-out, as, in his haste, he had neglected to bring his own? No sooner asked for than supplied!—and the cheer that greeted the eleventh and missing man was the greatest of all, for it was heartily joined by his elated comrades, who could scarcely believe their eyes. However. thero was no time for questioning, and Barrington—Bob of that ilk—volunteered no information, but planted himself between the up rights, and fell to wonderiLg how a man two years out of practice would sshape. The whetie ■soucd-ed. and lkyb soon had a taste of tho Oottoniport quality, for the game had hardly commenced when the ball came sailing in from a well-directed lateral shot, and, taking the under side of the crowbar, would have been in the net in a. twinkling had not the gold-digger caught it on the end of his fingers, and just tipped it over. Cries of Corner! corner!" exo-,e, mingled with cheers, and a corner-kick it wad. All the players clustered about the goal- mouth, and awaited the ball, ready wit.h head or foot to help it through or keep it out. The tension on Bobs nerves was terrible. He had faced the icy terrors of the Chilcoot Pass and the rigours of a winter on the Yukon with much greater eWaa.ii-imity. Here it comes! And, instantly, right into the midst of the posse drops the ball. and cannons from head to head, and from toe to toe, in the wild etru-ggle for the mastery, and a rapturous úhoer bursts from the throng as the ball, despite the efforts ot the opposing eleven, shoots into the net, aifd the first goal falls to Cottonport. But, stay. Why does the goalkeeper wave his anna in frantic protect, and the referee make his way among the excited players and, after some alternation, point import tively in front of the goal? "A goal kick!" "No goal!" cry the elated and the depressed alike, and it soon transpires that Hattock, the Cotuon- port centre-forward, a man of unsavoury reputation for shady tactics, deliberately, in the medee, fisted" the ball through the goal. Awat rushes the field to be ready for the kick-off. Hattock sends a.n evil look at the nevV goalkeeper, hii accuser, of which that gentlama-n takes no heed, but, with a mighty kick, sends the ball hurtling into the centre of the fray. Tho^, ding-dong goe3 the game, this way and that—Bob now kicking, smiting, breasting out, shots-, now flapping his arms to warm his fingers, cold after ten minntes' respite, while Jhis vis-a-vis is catching it hot. And thus half time comes with hono-urs ea-sy-uo goals. The interval was a trying tirpe for Bob. j He bussed himself, washing and rubbing down, and managed to keep himself fairly in the background. The eager questions ot his new comrades he answered in mono- syllables; bnt. as no one seemed to suspect his identity, he became more at ease. The ends were Changed, a.nd so was the state of the game. Five minutes had not elapsed ere Ea.sst.port had notched two goals. Not without a struggle, however, would Cottonport yield, and Bob found the next quarter of an. hour the warmest in his experience; but, through it'all, with every nerve on the stretch, and every sinew taut, 1 coime like a refrain from another life, For Cora's aake—for Cora's sake," and seemed to g-ive him superhuman energy, so that he kept his fortress intact. To the othar end fared the fight, and, not to be denied, Eastport returned again amd again to the attack, relief only coming with the addition of a third goal. Most of the Cottonport men accepted the inevitable, while yet fighting gamely on, but otbo man, there wa-i to whom Bob's suooesw was. gal 1 and wormwood. This was Hattock, the centre. There was a gleam in his eyes, a-ad a oting in his charges, which told of viciouswess, and when the ball eame dropping insidiously towards Bob's goal, Hatto-ck sprang upon him wi-th all his weight, and felled him heavily, his head striking the corner of the goal-po&t. Blood streamed forth, and he was borne seQfiO- less to the dressing-room. The room was cleared. The doctor administered restoratives, but h.is face was very grave. Bob opened his eyes &nd muttered; CoTa-ilom-it's cold—ugh! KI()!Ildike'ø a cold country!" Then a gleam of intelligence came and a faint smile illuminated hia pale features, The doctor bent over him once more, and this time his face put on a more hopeful look. With care I think he may pull through," said he; "his constitution will save hian." And so it did. Bob's magnificent physique kept death from scoring a goal at his expense. The Cottonport Club, to its lasting honour, not content with dismissing- Hattock. paid 9500 compensation. Bob maintained, aa he waa only a substitute, that this money rightly belonged to Tom, and insisted upon his acceptance of it, threatening, if a word of protest were raisod, to return forthwith to Klondike.

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