, 1874-03-21
THE MAJORS MISTAKE.
CHAPTER I,


Tho MINOR had 1ust laid n covering Of snow
white 1ather on thnt tract Of chin which was still
sacred from tho incurstons Of Ills luxuriant
board. As ho gave won't to thia remarkable roso-
luton ho inadvertently wounded himsoli with la
razor, 80 as to compo1 resort to towo1 and cold
sponginy, which put an ond to llts reflections for
time.
MAI. CARBOHYDRATES
was an activo cloanly ybuilt man, rather below tho
average hoIght lie Ind m eyo 1iko hawks,
beautiful hair and whlskora, and no other ntrlk-
Ing feature. Ills hands ind foot woro small and
tluo]y formed, and front tooth, which nature
Ind taken from him, had boon exauiaitoly Bu,,-
pliol by tho hand Of art. -.
Tho grcnt foaturo in tho Majors character
was determination; when he said n thing lo
meant 1t. In tho Or1moa, II Maj. Marjoribanks
lad Baid TINT post should DO carrlod, ita fall
was looked upon as oortain. Zorlina, tho AIator's
vicious little mare. knew 1t WAS usoloss to try
anil rofuso II onco llor mastor put her hoa i
straight for an obstacle. Liko tho 1ato Drr.
AsBhetou Smith, he would quietly ssrido for
fall III tho leap woro impraotioablo without ono;
md no ono knew how to fall doftly better than
tho b[aIor. 1
But n lifo spont, as 1t wore, In a a11ccesson OF
pitched battles, doea not pass without leaving
marks Of wear md toas,, md tho h1njor after
his third bottle Of hair-dyo, began to take vorv
serloua views OF life. Short mud decisive woro
his nominations, and with characteristic prompt
nesB he
DETERMINED ON MARRIAGE
as lis next achievement, For this rurpoBo ho
ao1eotod young lady Of romarlsablo woaith and nd
considerable personal nttraotiona and devoted
himself to tho sacrifice like accondIrhgonia-
bnrring the Gox.
Perhnps Il was tho very difficulty Of tho
f1,nff
to tho attnck. Diana Hartford had alrondy ro-
fused two Daronots, q banker, and four minor
doitios, before tho Majors appearance in the
tiod. and still continued to ricc across country
with us much enthusiasm as If lor whole life
was to be devoted to that occupation. People
began to- say that Bho would noyor mnrry.
"Tho right man had not spoken" was tho gen
eral opinion; aud the Major, as l1o gnawed Ills
1nollstaches, resolved, with an inward oatl, that
| no would prove himself that man or perish In
tho attampt.
Not TINT tho Major wns wholly devoid Of that
impractical machine callod a heart. Down in
iitslo yilia nfnr country vi!lago lived q little
the Major'a soutimonta1ity. Oh. Major, Major
wore not all your hocks and herds sufficient, that
| you must neels make this innocent owe-latnb a
captive 10 your bow and spear
but lot us do the Major justice. In this mat
| tor ho was
NOT ALTOGETHER FREE AGENT.
| From the moment ho mot Patty Nosoneath he
llad felt himsof fascinated BY lor in spite OF oil
bis nttomptb to persuade himself to tho contrary.
| That quiet, almost tiu1id, little provincial
beauty, with n gonofal phisticatednoss' Of
| tone and manner, should have any power to ot,-
| Chant tie Major Of D Thousand fights seemed to
him too ridiculous an idoa to be entertained for
| moment: It did not occur to him that 1t was,
| porlaps, this very difference from the women he
had boon accustomed to tlirt with that constituted
| ler charm.
Roviowing tho matter Tint morning in tie eoli-
| tuao Of his chamber, tho Major looked back Oh
| this love.pnssago with thankful sonse Of os.
capo. II was tioyish ncar maling fool of my
self that timo" said tho Major to himself, as lo
tied lis oravat.
| But though tho ATajor congratulated himself
On boing 80 safely OF with tho old 1ovo, ho was
far from feeling 80 comfortable with regard to
his proBpecla with the new. He WAS too old
campaignor to advance his main body without
| throwing out akirnislora and outposts, or mako
d atop in an atlaire do cmnr without foo!ing his
| way. It waB this aunlty. anckod by tho Majors
raal talenta and powers, TINT made him 80 irwin
| cbe. Women nevor suspected him Of wighiue
to engage ther affections until they found it was
too lutte: And when once the gatcs wore openod,
no ono know how to rotnin O position in tile con-
| quered city botter than the Minor.
But Miss 1larford's henri
SEEMED TO be 1MpnEdNADAE
even to this experienced. bcsioger. The Major,
who neVor committed tho error OF oyerrating his
advantages. confessed to himself that ho hud
| done all lie knew. Had ho not ridden rs no man,
no. loroosslonaly @ accustomed @ to risk l1s mock,
n1os ea tG"I to"1 @ au u na nos Got up private
tnoatllcAls ltne MAJOR IN "used up" Was roaliy
worth aoetng), and even writton Q sparkling
eotnenletta, "a agreed 6y every one but the Major
nso'i No 70 ps m oua at n9I SUPERIOR to Robert
sou nau nc not sung thoso tonor Songs Of Ills
| tnat "odla nave onarmed the aayagonous
oms at M oeats anu haa he not thrown around
al h1s achleSoments 1 ' halo OF respectful
sentamoilo. aa "No shali gay, ~ care not for
M .nen. " eSGSps ;p ,somacm a. tnoy are pleasing to
| yon iho Ma1or coula nl1d no tault with him
sell or Win hls q exerllons. Ho had ATTACKED the
aonress a ~!nlh all tno paraphernalla OF sappng
Gha mhng, 2S2ags atld parallels, and still tho
nng Of l!befty lloatod mIntookingly above the TN
| conqnofoa Das1ions. Ihoro was put ono hope.
aorl3i!l '! noe' no tnnaessea i 10 Mmaell-and IT
s vas WIZ sollous taouea aototnlned spirit that
inc Mn1or IesoiYea s,:a On an attach by storm. He
pro.!oulca4 LUIS sesou.l1n m tue !neInorabto
Woras Wncn commenced thls stofy' Dash lt!'
m,o Ar, II IL ,,ad s1eE lEn i;a LIFE. NE,
| Ihe oia)or naii taaao up nla nand.
torhals, haa the Ma1or M Known Il who It was that
arrscu as guest 70 Ailss h harrora on tho proyi-