The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-04-15
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 AZ the Northe
Fort, at Weymouth, where he managed to
set through a certain amount of not very
onerouS duty with a considerable quantity
of hunting, yachting, fishing, billiards, and
whist But in spite OF the temptations
consequent upon such a position, he was a
remarkably steady young fellow, and car
ried very level head, al thing, con-
sidered, upon his very square aHi powerful
shoulders. Perhaps it Is fair 10 say tiAt
much Of his steadineSS was due II tie fact
of his being engaged to be married: and
Gwendoleu Bracebr;dge was 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. Gwenlolen WAS
paSSionately devoted to boating of every
description, and her imagination fingered
lOngand happily on the prospect of many
n sail, where herself and her lover were the
principal figures in the picture, and mamma
well, no doubt dear mamma would soon
get used TO 1t. or perhaps Hector would
provide useful chaperOn. Bra DaZOn 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 cuJter-yacht, the Lucy
of ten tons, with which he hoped to sur
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 connection of Mrs. Brace
bridges, maiden lady of uncertain age
a Miss Medlar 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
lady, of most pronounced views, had per
sistently objected TO the engagement of her
niece (She was only an aunt by marriagel
10 Captain BrabGzon. She had some little
personal knowledge OF him. for il was her
custom to levy blackmail for all sorts of
purposes Unfortunately from any one to
whom she could obtain an introduction
and Brabazou'S acquaintance with Mrs
iBracebridge had been instantly turned TO
account by her for this purpose. Her de-
mandS were always made in person. ex-
perieuce teaching her that many will
boldly throw a letter aside who would
quail under the eye of the writer of it and
Braeazon's obvious annoy on one or
Two occasions when she had intrudsd her
angular figure into his barrack-room on
such an eTTand. had set her strongly against
him. Still, he was always good for pound
or so; rather, l think, TO get rid of her than
from any sympathy with her aims, and so
the persecution was repeated ct regular
intervals. But she deteSted him all the
same; in her mind and phrase he was a
IMAM of blood His modest pair of hunt
erS represented to her distorted imagin-
alton an intimate connection with the turf:
MS shilling game of whist was fixed
habit of gambling" and his slightly con-
temptuouS manner as he paid his money
into her hand made him a ''mocker at
religion"
Walking, one wet and stormy night in the
early part of the Year, toward the County
Club, Brabazon suddenly found himself APP
preaching small crowd which had gath
cred round some central object, and which
Has pressing and squeezing toward that
object with all the insistence of such a
meeting, in spite of emphatic cries of
<'Stand back ~ He saw some of his own
gunners among the onlookerS, and from
them he learned that poor young girl
lone Of them play-actorS'' slipped on
the wet pavement and had injured herself
severely. BrabazOn's heart was easily
touched: his habit of command prompted
him to take the lead; and, accordingly. he
il was who got the poor girl carried to a
neighboTing chemists; he it was who sent
for a doctor; and, finding that she was suf-
fering from a compound and comminuted
fracture of the thigh, he had her conveyed
to her poor lodgings near the Backwater,
and, always thorough in whatever he I'M
dertook, he arranged with her landiady-a