Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1885-06-18
Miscellaneous.
mo, at Home" 4"

Capt. forteseue danced for the best part
Of one happy evening With the pretticsi glrl
Of the season. And the gallant captain fell
des perstcl, in love with her lie went
home in the bright m.s,iness of an early
summer morning IN a high fever OF ex-
element, for he believed thai Miss Brace
g'rdle viewed MIN with considerable favor.
The next afternoon he went to call on
her. She seemed 10 him even mere beauti-
iul IN the daylight, and IN a simple dress /;
he became momentarliy more and more IN
love. And now he iancI.d that not only
Miss BraoegIrdle, bat her mother. regarded
him With kindly eyes. In that case. he had
but to go in and win. He resolved so to
do, and left the house so full Of his passion
and his thoughts that he iorgot-hs UNI
brelia lhis was no unusual circumstance
Captain Fortescue was given 10 forgetting
his umbrella, and leaving 1t III a hanson
cab or any other convenient place. Thus it
happened that thls which he had now left
was the only one he possessed. The next
day be knew Miss BracegIrdie was going to
an afternoon fete at the Botanical gardens.
He intended to meet her there. But il was
sho~ery, thunderous weather, and he felt
that to visi, the Botanical gardens without
an umbrella would be dangerous and diff
cult. Besides All umbrella is often admira-
bI, useful during the progress of love
affair.
He had learned by accident tha, the
BracegirdIes were gong out shopping in
the morning. He determined, therefore, to
cali and ask the housemald To give HIM has
umbrella. This seemed exceedingly simple +;
but luck was against Capt. Fortescue. The
maid who had admitted him on the night
before had this morning departed in four
wheeled cab, with two boxes on the top OF
ii, her month" being up" \ new maid
had taken her plaoe-one of a less smiling
disposition than the last.
Il called here Yesterday afternoon" SAID
the captain, land left my umbrella viii YOU
let me have 1t ~
Something in the sternness of the ewes
which were upon him made him falter be-
fore he had said the last word of his re-
quest; it suddenly occurred to him that he
might find it little difficult to prove that
the umbrella in question was indeed his
own.
"No, thank you,' said the maid; live
had enough OF that at my last place. I'm not
Soiik " Stk iutO any liOuOit ItIt- Deter
take to An honest trade, young man" With
which piece of advice she shut the door IN
Captain Foriescue's face, leaving that officer
astonished, quenched, and crestfallen He
went straightway and bought new UNI
brella. Armed with this, and admirably at
tired in other respects, he went 10 the Botan-
ical gardens. where ne met Miss Brace
girdle, who seemed more beautiful, more
charming, and more gracious than ever.
As soon seemed at all decent, he called
again feeling very contented with himself
and bis fate. But when he asked whether
Mrs. Bracegirde was at home, the stern
maid eyed him for silent awful instant, and
his spirits fell strangely.
'.She is not" said the maid, and shut the
door with an abruptness that gave him a
singularly disconsolate feeling.
When, about an hour later, the ladies
came in, and the maid brought them some
tea, she said to Mrs. Bracegirdle If YOU
please, ma'am, that young man has been
here again who came one day with the um-
brela dodge. He asked if you were at
home-of course he knew you were not
and suppose he had some plan for getting
into the house, but shut the door in his
face and would not listen"
That's right, Elza," said Mrs. Brace
girdle. "Never give them chance to get
inside the hall. There's been too much of
that stealing of coats and umbrellas in this
neighborbood; it never would happen With
a sensible housemaid. Master Harry leaves
his things hanging in the hail, so that il
would be quite easy TO carry off coat or
umbrella if YOU left the man there alone
only for minute. If he is so impudept as
to come again, the moment you see who it
is shut the door,"
The next afternoon was Mrs. Bracegir-
dies day sat home" Capt. Fortescue had
not intended to 60 then; he wanted the
lovely Miss Bracegirdle to himself, not sur
rounded by crowd of admirers. But as he
had not been able to see her the day before
he determined to brave the crowd. and he
content il he got but one smile all his own.
And SO be presented himself once more at
Mrs. Bracegirdle's door, this time knowing
her to be within. But when it was opened.
and he confidently framed the phrase, not as
query, but an assertion, MRS. Bracegirdie
at home ?" and proposed Immediately to en-
ter, the maid said shortly, .sNo she is not
and quickly shut the door upon him.
No words can describe his feelings. He
stared hlankly at the handsome door, we'll
shut and firm, that suddenly had closed up
H. s~I L