Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1878-06-04
NUMBER 81.

side.n Theiyoung lady thanked him, nc
coach again started forward. and Capt.
Rats fell into the seat beside her Here
was the supreme moment With pro.
fuse apology, the captain drew bis knees
together, slipped into respectfully dag
onal position, 80 as to oppose the narrow
est point of contact with her, and care
fully busted his knees and her dress
softly with his handkerchief. The shyest
nymph would scarcely have been startled,
the coldest and most antiqusted OF duen-
mas would not have been discomposed by
the submissive respect Of the captain.
The young lady, who evidently was
neither, turned q pair of large gray eyes
on her neighbor and sat expectant. But
how the captain improved his chances
must reter the reader TO his own account
OF the interview, delivered gravely the
same evening TO his brother guardians:
when saw we was in for ii, boys
he said, rubbing his knees upward softly
81 kinder measured the gal afore / COM
menced, to see what sort Of hand she
might hold. But you couldn't hev told
anything by her looks. And short OF
asking her downright sassy question.
you couldn't get word out OF her about
her own business, or what she war up TO.
And then-well." continued the Captain,
with languid smileoi conscious success,
II calkilated that this was one O. them
peculiar cases thai wanted ssiil and SCI
ence. and jist applied 'em, sid in course
] Won. That's all. Yes" said the Cap
tair with yswn O. stided indifference,
tits sll right now, boys. everything ex-
planned"
"But how ?" queriod the others eagerly.
WELL" said the Captain. lazily. II
sorter slipped into general conversation
about the opety, the fashions and po'try.
and sich. Speskin' o. literatoor. | told
her of yarn I'd read the other day In g.
magazine. and then, kinder keerless and
easy, iist up and told her the whole
story about her father and us and her.
SELF, giving her the name o Sersphina.
calling you and Horton Oscar and
'Roderigo.' and Fleet Gustavus. and my
self 'Rodentio,' which ia Latin for Rats
Well, il do say it myself, it wasn't no
sloueh OF story fur was kinder clipper
and fresh. aud the other passengers was
jist about as much interested az she was.
Then / sorter looked in her eye, you
know, this way" and Capt. Rats here
achieved q peculiarly Jesuitical leer, land
said that | allowed it wasn't true, and
asked her what she thought about II as q
true story. And she said II might DO
true and il might not, but it was quite
interesting. Them's her very words
gentlemen"
well, 90 on, said the Colonel, eager
ly.
That's all!n
"All! all ~ shrieked The guardians to-
ge,her. Didn't she say anything else ?
Didn't you"
Mary, 'said the Captain. coolly. "But
it's al right, boys. You'll see."
Horton seized Captain Rats by one
shoulder and the Colonel grapplsd the
other. For few seconds they shook him
iuriously.
Where is she now. you blank, blank
mule. Answer usP'
why. reckon, she's over at the Un-
ion Hotel with Fleet, forgot TO say that
be happened accidental to be there when
the stage kem in. She seemed to be
kinder easy and na,'ral with him and /"
"But before Captain Rats had finished
his speech the two men rose furiously
and dashed out of the room bareheaded.
And even as the Captain sat there. mute
and astounded, yet with his usual vague
smile OF acquiesoence lingering around
his mouth, Horton returned, shook his
6st fercely at the Captain seized dis hat
and vanished. In another moment the
Colonel also re-eutered hastily, grasped
his hat, kicked Captain Rats and dashed
out again.
As the door slammed on the last OF his
fellow guardians, Captain Rstslrose slow
ly, emptied MS glass thoughlfally, placed
ono knee on chair, and rubbed it,in 81
leDce. Presently o moro decided smile
came in MS eye, and crept % bis mouth
rs his lips slowly fashioned this astOuud-
lug reflection:
"Thsrs so-tha9s u! Fleet was alters
kinder soft on the gal Like as uot-like
as not-he's up aud wri. to her on the sly"