, 1880-01-26
Gold and Gilt.
CHAPTER 1.
IN EARLY SPRING.

IN EARLY SPRING.
She was very pretty girl, and she
knew it, and did her best in an inno-
cent sort of way, to let other people
know it and she could not help think
ing, as she walked along the Feltham
road, that keeping company with Tom
Dawlish-who was just plain, honest,
hard W orking young fellow-was rather
waste of time, and that marrying him
would be altogether throwing herself
away.
Her reflections came to an end at the
door of Messrs. Bradbury's Office, and
she walked in, wholly intent on the
bill she had to pay. A smart-looking
young man received the money and
when the receipt was made out, and she
turned to go, she found that the shower
which had threatened for some time
was comiIg g down with vengeance.
'Oh, dear - she said, "aud I've no
umbrella"
"Wait here few minutes miss it
will soon be over" said the smart young
man and then, having accepted his
offer of shelter, Mary found herself
after minute or two thinking that he
was g a very nice-looking young gen
tleman," las she after described him to
the cook,) and that he had beautiful
hair-it was SO nicely curled--and he
had little dark mustache, and wore
such pretty blue necktie /; oh he was
very nice looking indeed.
"Are you Mrs. Poole's sister ?" he
asked, after few minutes converse
tion. Mary flushed as she replied
truthfully-for she was far too good a
girl even to equivocate- she was
not such distinguished individual,
but only the housemaid and chamber
maid combined. And then he asked
what her name was and with another
blush she told him that it was Clara,
but Mrs. Poole said it was too fine q
name for servant, and so called her
Mary.
..I shall call you Clara" he said
"shall 1 ?" he added with an appealing
glance. Mary felt her heart beat fast
er something seemed to tell her that
her destiny had come, and she had no
words to say, so he followed up his
successful sally with another one Do
walk?
Sometimes" she said softly.
Will you go for walk with me
next time?'
"It wouldn't be right you are quite
strange, you see," she answered slowly.
"Oh we'll soon get over that, you
know. Perhaps you are engaged tho'?"
Mary's inconvenient heart gave a
thump, for here was a good practical
question, which showed that he meant
business. e., matrimony.
"No, I'm not but I'm wanted to be. !"
Not very lucid answer; but he un
derstood it.
s'Who to 2" he asked coaxingly.
"Well. perhaps I oughtn't to say his
1ane," she answered slowly !; for in
this, the most important moment of her
life, as she felt it to be, words seemed
altogether to fail her.
"What is hep"
He's-he's carpenter" Mary nev-
er felt the truth more difficult to tell in
all her life.
"a carpenter !'' he said, in telling
tone of injury, not unmixed with scorn.
"Well, OF course, if am not better
than carpenter"
"Oh you are you are, sir" said
Mary, in her excitement putting out
her hand, and resting it for just a mo-
ment on his sleeve.
Mary lost her heart to the smart
young man with the blue tie and the
well-oiled hair. He never said any
thing more definite than he said that
first day but he was always ready to
take her out, and most particular about
her dress and the result was that all
her little hoard of savings went in more
or less ill-chosen inery, and Tom Daw-
lisn was forgotten. There was only one
thing she refused to do, and that was,
she would not give up her Saturday
afternoon to him. She had always had
to take little Frankly Poole out for a
long walk on that day, it being his half
holiday, and she would never consent
to his being allowed to run about wild
in Kensington Gardens, as Alfred Hill
tfor so the smart young man was called)
suggested, while she walked about with
her fine sweetheart.
"He is such wild little fellow !;
nobody knows what he might do if he
had the chance"
"Ah you don't care for me-" said