The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1886-04-14
MISS. MEDLAR'S MUDDLE.
Trouble Caused by Mixing Up a
Boat and Girl

Hector Brabazon, r. A., was not, as tho
letters after his name might induce people
to believe, q distinguished artist but simply
a Captain in tho Royal Artillery, of good
family, comfortable prospects, pleasant
manners, decidedly good looks, and manly
boaring. He was Quartered at the Northe
Fort, at Weymouth, where he managed to
get through certain amount of not very
onerous duty with considerable quantity
Of hunting, yachting, fishing, billiards, and
whist. But in spite Of the temptations
consequent upon such position, he was
remarkably steady young follow, and car
ried very level head, all things con-
sidered, upon his very square and powerful
shoulders. Perhaps it is fair to say that
much Of his steadiness was due to the fact
Of his being engaged to be married; and
Gwendolen Bracebridge was girl whose
love would make any man of self-respcct
strive after q high standard of life
II lived order with to ser woraZ rZo~ed Of it. moSss sss
at bennington, and Brabazon was
looking eagerly forward to the coming
summer, when he had persuaded Mrs.
Bracebridge to promise that she would
bring Gwendolen down to enjoy the sea-
place, whose praises he had found himself
1nconsciously painting in the most bril-
liant colors. Apart from her natural desire
to be with her lover, Gwendolen was
description, and her imagination fingered
long and happily on the prospect Of many
a sail, where herself and her lover were the
principal figures in the picture, and mamma
well, no doubt dear mamma would soon
get gu;ss used to t, i, or - perhaps Hector would
termined that nothing on his rart should
be wanting to make the visit as delightful
Is possible, and he had during the winter
purchased a small cutter-yacht, the Lucy,
prise Gwendolen when she and her mother
came down and many . delightful cruise
did he anticipate, with his lady-love hand
ling the tiller Of his dainty little craft.
Now it also happend that there resided in
Weymouth q connection Of Mrs Brace
BRIDGES, maiden lady Of uncertain age
a Miss Med!af, whose name curiously coin
cided with her principal characteristic, for
meddling with other peoples affairs was to
her as the breath Of her .nostrils. This
sistentiy objected to the engagement Of her
niece (she was only an aunt by m&rrisge)
to Captain Brabaz0n. She had some little
personal knowledge OF him, for II was her
custom to levy blackmail for all sorts Of
purposes indiscriminately from any one to
whom she could obtain an introduction,
and Brabaxon's acquaintance with Mrs
Bracebridge had been instantly turned to
account by her for this purpose. Her de-
mands were always made in person, OK.
boldly throw . letter aside who would
quail under the eye Of the writer Of 1t, and
Brabaxon's obvious annoyance ON one or
two oocasions whom shs had intruded her
angular figure into his barrack-room ON
suoh an erTsnd, had set her strongly against
or 90; rather, think. to get rid of her than
from any sympathy with her aims, and 70
the persecution was repeated ct regular
intervals But she detested him al the
same; in her mind and phrase he was .
imam OF blood" His modest pair Of hunt
alton AN intimate connection with the turf !;
his shilling game of whist was 8 ss0xed
habit of gambling" and his slightly con-
tsmptu0us manner as he paid his money
into her hand made him ''mocker st
religion"
Walking, one wet and stormy night In the
early part of the year, toward the County
Club, Brabazon suddenly found himself ap-
preaching small crowd which had gath
cred round some central object, and which
Eas pressing and sqressing toward IN that =
meeting, in spite of emphatic cries of
s'Stand backi" He saw scme of his own
gunners among the on-lookers, and from
Them he learned thata poor young girl
zone of them play -actors-had slipped on
severely. Brabsson's heart was easily
touched; his habit Of command prompted
him to take the lead; and, RccOrdirgly, he
II was who got the poor girl carried to .
neiRhboring chemtst's; he 1t waS who sent
for : doctof; and, finding that ahs was suf;
frecsSss q ths thish. he ~ heE cceysysd
and, siweyS t6or6ugh q whatever he an
dsr1ook, Esarangvd With her landlady-a