The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-04-20


Crackle! cracklc! went the newspa-
per. Chillingticld glanced guilty at
his friend.
"No, she's not; that isl think, per-
haps, a younger person. You did
not say how old you were, Miss Hail."
ono, I didn't" said Miss Zerinah.
"And I don't mean to. I don't think
you'll suit, young man. No gentleman
what is that other person rafting his
newspaper so forever thinks of asking
impcrtinent questions about a lady's age.
Good morning, SIR"
Miss Zerinah went out, closing the
door behind her with a bang.
Mrs. Hawkcsbury, the next candidate,
was a c~lairvoyant and sp~iritualist.
81 think I could amusc the old lady
with foretclllng the future" said she.
THAT was the way I did at my three
last situations"
"Thrcc" repeated Mr.. C~hillingfcld.
Zones, my dear fellow, don't rustic that
paper SO vehcmently. Gan instantaneous
silence cnsucd, and Jones stifed a giggle
behind the columns of the Mercury.)
"Did you say three? How did you hap
pen to leave those situations9"
"The visitation of Providence, sir"
said Mrs. Hawkcsbury. "Thcy all died
the respected ladies whom it was once
my duty and my pleasure to-"
ffnl. - r ~,
afraid my Aunt Polly might die, too.
Clairvoyance and second sight mightn't
agree with her"
"sir," said the lady, 'syou are spiritu-
ally blind"
Every likely" said Mr.. Chillingaeld.
''But 1 prefer to remain So"
The next was too deaf, the next too
feshy, the third was unwilling to live
with any lady who did not keep a man
servant, the fourth wanted too high Il
salary-so on, al in1initum, until the
newspaper was fairly cracked to pieces.
Until, ut length, there was, SO to speak,
a cite" between the last two candidates.
Ruth Coke was just nineteen; pretty rs
a swcctpca blossom, and ready to under
takc any description of service, to escape
from n ~stcp-mother and nine turbulent
half-brothcrs and sisters. Helen Howard
was a quecnly young woman of five and
twenty, who read like Mrs. Scott Siddons,
sang delicious Scotch ballads, and frank
ly owned that she needed a home!
Mr.. Jones coughcd himself purple in
the face over both of them.
"You couldn't do better, Reginald"
said he, ethan to take"
(Which once"
''Both!"
"Do talk common-scnscw
'"But they arc both splendid girls"
"Granted--but you must remember
that have only got one Aunt Polly! A
choice must DC made"
"Toss up a copper"
"You irrcvcrcnt villain"
"Draw cuts, then Look! I write
Helen on one, Ruth on the other.
Presto! Change! Now draw! Ruth has
the day"
So Mr.. Reginald Chillingfeld took
Ruth Coke homo with him to the domi-
ciliary abode of his Aunt Polly by even
ing train, leaving Helen Howard very
sad and quiet.
"You arc disappointed" said he. 81
wish could have engaged you both"
eyes," said Helen; II am disappoint-
cd, I confess. Life is very hard and
stern to me-"
Reginald ~Chillingield thought over
her words. They haunted him-and not
only her words, but the garnct-brown
shadows of her eyes. And just a week
aftcrward he went back to Chenille.
eyes, Miss Howard is at home" said
the shabby maid-of-all-work, at the third
bo~arding-housc where Miss Howard
lived. "Walk in"
And Mr.. Chillingfeld walked in, to
find Miss Howard tete-a-tete with Mr..
Jones.
sIIallo!" cried Jones. "Who would
ever have thought of seeing your
81 might say the same" iaughingly
rctorted Chillingficld, as he took Miss
Towards hand. "But I have news for
you, Miss Helcn.'
IL have heard of an excellent situation
near my aunt's-an invalid lady, whose
husband"
"Hang the invalid lady and her hus-
intcrposed Jones, 81 was just
going to write you about it, old boy.
We're engaged. We are to be married