The Cecil Whig., 1886-06-05

DIR. Sunbury was at heart an invet,
crate matchmaker, as all truly benevo-
lent old persons are apt to be, and as
soon as he allowed his imagination to
| feast upon the idea of a match between
lhorburn and Priscilla, its manifest
fitness impressed itself so upon him
that ne would fain have got out a IL
cense, gone TO them, and commanded
them 10 stand up and be married i'm
mediately. He did, however, firmly
resolve to give Thorburn a hint; but
giving Thorburn hints was always a
matter of more or less difficulty with
everybody. AT last, however, the op-
portunity came, and DIR. Sunbury seized
it courageously. He had been spend
ing the evening with Mr.. Thorburn at
his lodgings, and the other clergyman
happening to mention, as DIR. Sunbury
wds taking his leave, that he thought of
getting lodgings elsewhere, DR.. Sun
bury remarked quite naturally that he
"had heard something regarding Mr..
Ihorburn and Miss Priscilla Mildmay
which perhaps accounted for the pro-
posed change" They were standing
at Mr.. Thorburn's door, and by the
bright moonlight DIR. Sunbury saw the
dark flush which overspread Mr.. Thor
burns somewhat saturnine face.
"-l assure you" he began; and
then, after pause, 81 am too DID,"
"Nonsense ' replied DR.. Sunbury.
'Priscilla is nearly twenty-four" (ah
doctor, you know she was only twenty
three month before last), "and you are
let me see-thirty-seven.'
"Thirty -nine,' conscientiously said
Mr.. Thorburn.
"Well, thirty-nine. You are enough
man of the world to see that age in
terposes no obstacle in the case. How
ever, l shall say no more. Good
night
"If l hadn't been going just then, l
don't think | could have said it," con-
fidentially remarked DR.. Sunbury to
DIR. Forman.
The little seed that DR.. Sunbury had
planted in Mr.. Thorburn's mind grew,
and waxed to be great tree. But all
the time he looked upon it as impos-
sible. Priscilla was but child, and
he was man grown old in sorrow, in
suffering, and labor. No, it could
never be. And having come to the
conclusion that he was in no danger
whatever, Mr.. Thorburn Jared just as
such presumptuous Samsons always do
met Priscilla under the most adverse
circumstances, running home from
shower, and in a manner the most un-
expected to himself proposed to her
just as they came in front of the West
Harrowby savings s-bank, which was also
the post-ofice and the principal apoth
ecary's shop. Priscilla's S behavior was
of piece with his own. The idea had
never been presented to her mind be-
fore, and it was matter that required
the utmost circumspection in deciding,
and yet by the time she reached her
own door she had accepted Mr.. Thor
burn, the rain meanwhile from his UNI
brella triCkllng in little rivers down her
back. There was neither time nor op-
portunity for love-making in the midst
OF pouring shower upon the pave
ment in front of the NIildmay mansion,
SO Mr.. Thorburn could only take her
little cold hand and say, "God bless
you, God bless you, my Priscilla !"
In due course of time the wedding
a very quiet one-came off, and Mr..
and Mrs. Thorburn were settled in
modest rectory in East Harrowby. The
Misses Mildmay had suggested
deed, urged-that Mr.. Thorburn should
establish his rectory in the more fash
ionable precinct of West Harrowby,
but Mr.. Thorburn demurred, on the
ground of its being clergyman's duty
to live in his parish.
They were as happy as the day was
long. Priscilla, under the new inhu
ence of happiness and good roast beef
and daily pint of porter, grew rosy.
and blossomed out into a regular
beauty, and MIR. Thorburn's face lost
that painful expression it had been
wont to wear when he strobe through
the streets on his parish work. And
time went by so fast-so fast they had
been married nearly three years, when
they felt as if their honeymoon was
just beginning.
| TO BE CONTINUED.