The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1884-07-03

waiting, had slipped away under the
protecting chains round the side AMI
began to play with little dog that was
vaguely roaming about. The young
lady did not miss him, and when Crofton
happened to turn he saw the child, in
trying to avoid sudden bound of the
dog, scramble and fall over tho pier in
to the river. The child yelled. the
girl shrieked. and tho dog barked
for sympathy, but Crofton, Who
fortunately had plenty of presence
OF mind and was good, strong swimmer,
Owed quickly into the water, caught up
the child in . couple Of strokes, and in
very short time had restored his drip
ping burden to the young lady. She
was of course most greatful to him for
having saved the life of her little broth
or (for so the child turned out to bel.
and, as Orofton put them in a cab,
she asked him to call on them at home
aid give her parents an opportunity of
personally thanking him. Crofton at
first pooh-poohed tho idea of being
THUS made hero of, but there was a
pleading look in her pretty eyes which
quite overcame his scruples; and having
ascertained that her father was q Mr..
West, and lived at No. 1876 Cavendish
square, he promised to call there the
following afternoon. And as there was
still no sign of Miss Barnard, and as he
was dripping wet, ne hailed q passing
cab and returned to his hotel.
The next day according to his prom
Use, he called at No. 1876 Cavendish
square, and was received most kindly
by Miss West, his acquaintance of yes,
terday, and her mother, an old lady,
who thanked him most volubly for hav-
ing saved dear Bertie's life, who, she
added, was none the worse for the duck
ing, and was at that moment in bed,
with mustard plaster on his chest and
a basin of Cruel by his side (probably
thinking the drowning would have been
infinitely preferable to the doctoring.)
Of course Crofton was invited to STAY
to dinner, so as to meet Mr.. West, who
did not return from business till after
3. About that time he arrived, and a
fine CHEEKY fellow he was, and right
heartily did he welcome his new &C.
quaintance. After dinner, as he and
Harry were discussing q bottle of 81
port, VIZ. West found out from the sim
pie hearted fellow that he was native of
Australia, and that, though he was happy
enough during term time with his COL
lege chums, he found it very dull dur
ing the vacation, having but few re-
lations and friends in the old country
and so Mr.. West, liking the honest,
manly lad, and feeling, of course, in
tensely grateful to him for having saved
his child from drowning, invited him to
spend month with him at his shooting
in Scotland. Crofton, being passion
ately devoted to sport, snapped at the
offer; and SO it was arranged that he
should 80 up to Mr.. Vests shooting
lodge, in Cromarty, on the 18th of Au-
gust. To this day he swears that the
month he spent at Balbriggan Lodge
was the happiest time of his ife-good
sport, nice men in the house, and, all !
far best of all, the society of Lillian
West. At first it struck him that she
looked upon him for some reason or
other as rather q puppy,
which considerably surprised him,
for whatever his faults mi ht be, conceit
was certainly not one of them. But as
time went on, and she had plenty of op-
portunity of:;seeing what a: modest, sterl-
ing fellow he was (besiies being the
best shot of the party) the feeling seemed
to pass away and soon gave place to a
sincere regard. Sunday afternoon
ramb]es through tho heather, cozy
chats in the cleaning after dinner, les
sons; in the mysteries of "gobang" and
chess have brought less susceptible
hearts than those of Harry Grofton and
Lillian West, and the day before he was
returning to England he pluckcd up
courage, proposed, and to his delight
was accepted. The next morning, how
ever, just before starting home, Lillian
came up to him and said:
Harry, dear, before you go I want
you to forgive me for the silly joke I
played you about that advertisement"
Advertisement" said he, "what adj
vertisement?"
"Why, the one, of course, you put in
the Morning Advertiser"
Crofton looked very mystified, and
again shook his head.
ooh, come now, Harry" replied Lii
ian, lit is not a bit of use your trying
to deceive me; do you mean to say YOU
didn't put the advertisement in the
Morning Advertiser?" and so saying she
drew from her card case small news
paper cutting and handed it to Crofton.
It ran as follows:
Wanted Wife.-The advertiser who
is strikingly handsome, very accom-
plished, and extremely rich, wishes to
meet with young lady with view to
matrimony. She must be good looking,
amiable, and accomplished. Applicants
must forward their photograph and adj
dress.-H. c., Isl St. Giles, Oxford.
Never saw it before in my life," said
Crofton.
"And you never wrote this?" con-
tinued Miss West, handing tho letter
from H. G. to Miss L. Bernard, ap-
pointing the place and time of meeting.
"Most certainly not; it's not bit like
my handwriting. Couldn't write so we'll
if tried for a month.
''Well, Harry, you must at least own
that this is your photograph"
Good gracious, yes!" replied Crof-
ton; "that's mine, sure enough; but
who on earth could have sent it, and
why to you of all people"
ooh" said Lillian, I'm afraid you
will think me very silly, but when I
read that advertisement Ilonged, sim
ply yearned-for I'm very curious, Har-
ry, and you'll soon find QUITO see in
the flesh the human being who could he
so >consummately conceited as to frame
an advertisement like that; and so re-
piled to it, directing my letter from the
postoffice at Piccadilly Circus, and sign
ing myself by fictitious name. I also
sent the photograph of a pretty little
maia I once had, and next day received
the photograph and letter you have just
seen. So, with BERTHE as my compan-
ion, feeling sure that the advertiser
couldn't possibly mistake me for the or
iginal of Parkers photograph, I went
to the Westminster landing pier at tho
appointed time. Imagine my delight,
then, when I saw you, the original of
the photograph, stalking up and down