The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-04-17
MISS MEDLAR'S MIDDLE.
Trouble Caused by Mixing Up a
Boat and a Girl.

Hector Brabazon, R. A, was not as the
letters after his name might induce people
to believe, distinguished artist. but simply
a Captain in the Royal Artillery, of good
family. comfortable prospects, pleasant
manners, decidedly good looks, and manly
bearing. He was quartered at the Northe
Fort, at Weymouth, where he managed to
get through u 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 a
remarkably steady young fellow, and car
ried a 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 a girl whose
love would make any man of self-respect
strive after a high standard of life
in order to be worthy of it. She
lived with her widowed mother
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-
ibreezes of the somewhat faded watering
place, whose praises he had found himself
unconsciously painting in the most bril-
liant colors. Apart from her natural desire
to be with her lover, Gwendolen was
passionately devoted to boating of every
description, and her Imagination fingered
long and happily on the prospect of many
sail, where herself and her lover were the
principal figuresin the picture, and mamma
well, no doubt dear mamma would soon
get used to it, or perhaps Hector would
provide useful chaperon. BrabaZon de-
termined that nothing on his part should
be wanting to make the visit as delightful
as possible, and he had during the winter
purchased a small cutteryacht the Lucy
of ten tons, with which he hoped to sur
prise Gwendolen when she and her mother
came down; and many a delightful cruise
did he anticipate, with his lady-lo hand
ling the tiller of his dainty little craft.
Now it also happend that there resided in
Weymouth a connection of Mrs. Brace
bridges. IA maiden lady of uncertain age
Miss Medlar, whose name cursously coin
cided with her principal characteristic, for
meddling with other peoples affairs was to
her as the breath of her nostrils. This
lady, of most pronounced views, had per-
sistently objected to the engagement of her
niece (she was only an aunt by marriage)
to Captain Brabazon. She had some little
personal knowledge of him, for il was her
custom to levy blackmail for all sorts of
purposes indiscriminately from any one to
whom she could obtain an introduction,
anu DfdDdIOuS acquaintance WIN Nib
Bracebridge had been instantly turned to
account by her for this purpose. Her de
mands were always made in person, eX.
perience teaching her that many will
boldly throw a letter aside who would
quail under the eye of the writer of it, and
Brabazon's obvious annoyance on one OF
two occasions when she had intruded heI
angular figure into his barrack-room on
such an errand, had set her strongly against
him. Still, he was always good for pound
or so rather, think, to got rid Of her thar
from any sympathy with her aims, and SC
the persecution was repeated at regular
intervals. But she detested him all the
same; in her mind and phrase he was .
man of Blood His modest pair of hunt
ers represented to her distorted imagn
alton an intimate connection with the turf
his shilling game of whist was 'fixeC
habit of gambling" and his slightly con
temptuous manner as he paid his money
into her hand made him "mocker a
religion .... ...
Walking, one wet and stormy night in thu
early part of the year, toward the County
Club, Brabazon suddenly found himself ap
preaching a small crowd which had gath