The Opelousas courier., 1889-09-21
THREE AT ONCE.

~ W al all uO OlSCt CASI6lL4SN Lev
tie, her eyes full of CONSERVATION.
"To be sure, Ihave, answered Lucy, her
bright face beaming with merriment.
"Why not three as well as one2 1t will
come all to the same thing in the end"
"But, Lucy, dear, isn't it a shame to
go SO far?"
mot a bit. Not one of them cares a
pin for me. Didn't | tell you they would
all fat me like flies at treacle as o on
as they heard 1 was rich. Well, there's
Major Bowring. He was the first. oh,
deari / laugh whenever I think of it. I
laughed for a quarter of an hour after he
left me. Then came the Hon. Francis
Newlands, and after him Mr.. Sandman,
the cheese factor. So | simply took them
all, one after the other"
"But aren't you afraid2 Won't there
be complications, and-oh, Lucyl you
dreadful girl, what would you do if two
of them were to meet you at once?"
"I1l manage it all right" said Lucy,
carelessly, as she flung off her hat-the
prettiest little Partisan hat in the world
and sat on the sofa at her cousins
feet.
"The only one I can't bring down."
she went on, sis Godfrey Cunningham.
At one time I thought he was going to
be one of my logers, but for the last fort
night he has deserted me. He has always
been with you. Why are you blushing,
Hattie2 Do you think that he cares for
yous" she asked eagerly, as she looked
into her little cousins pale face, over
which a faint rose blush was stealing.
"You looked so pleased just now Tell
me, Hattie, is it trues"
Hattie turned half round and gazed
over the blue sunlit Firth, while the
blush deepened on her delicate white
face. She did not speak.
"You needn't say a word, Hattie; I
know. And if it does come, I wish you
joy, darling; for he's the only one of
them all that's worth a straw"
81 suppose auntie will want us to go
up to Glasgow with her tomorrow" said
Hattie after a pause.
eyes," said Lucy; ct told all my low
ers / shopE be away the whole of to-
morrow, but I've given them appoint
ments for Thursday; the Major on the
beach at half-past 10; the fine gentleman
in the lane that runs up the hill at half
past IL, and the cheeseman on the beach
vat half-past u. I'll take him on the
way home to lunch. I had no idea it
would be suchgood fun. I'm going to
run down to the postofice. Good-by,
little one.n
Left to herself, Harriet Graham al
lowed her book to fall into her lap, and
sat idly gazing out of the window at the
scene before her. There lay the Firth of
Clyde, shining clear blue in the summer
sun. dotted with white sails. Near at
hand we're the trim lawn, the white road
skirting the sea, and then ~theLeRhiter
beach. Except the twitter of Birds the
only sound Ia the air was the continual
murmur froAa the sea. For the Clyde is
unlike an English watering-place as a
Highland clachan is unlike a manufac-
turing town. The substantial Glaswe-
gian builds his sshouse at the salt water
or takes one furnished, and inhabits it
from June to September in peace and
quietness. There are thousands of those
houses, great and small teach in its
nook of leaves along the long winding
shores of the Firth and the lochs.
Mrs. Mackenzie, a distant connection
Of the girls, had takenone of these houses.
called tsBracken Brae,n near q village
called Drumsynie. and the two cousins,
both orphans, were her guests.
While Harriet was still gazing over the
blue water, Godfrey Cunningham was
slowly proceeding along the dusty road
on his way to Bracken Brae. Godfrey
was now the sole representative of one of
tie Oldest and poorest families in the
Southwest of Scotland. Godfrey held a
\ commission In a cavalry regiment, but he
was continually debating with himself
whether or not he was too old to change
his trade and Ego into business"
Like several Others, the Lieutenant had
come to Drumsynie, attracted by the re-
port OF Lucy Graham's wealth. The
money had come from an uncle of her
fathers, and people said that the sum
reached six figures. And Lucy Graham
was q rice girl; there was as little doubt
about that-tall, rather handsome, bright,
good-natured, and fond of fun. But
Godfrey could not keep his eyes off the
the little pale maiden who lived with Lucy
as friend and companion, under the
shadow Of her cousins wealth. Her gem
tie nature and sweet, expressive face had
fairly won the young soldiers heart, and
now he was seeking her with the inten-
ton of telling her that fact. For the
moment, poverty and care were forgot
ten.
Godfrey found the girl he loVedsitting
in the garden, hidden BY q great hedge
of fuchsias. For q while he was very
silent; he could not sslead up to the sub
ject By any avenueI he could think Of, and
10 ii last, apropos Of nothing, he burst
out with:
ssDo you think poverty is a very dread
full thing, Hiss Grahan2'
1T is sometimes hard to be poor = an
swered the girl, absently.
1T IS ahard and poor lifeI haveto offer
you; but il you thought you could share
il with me-Hattiel I love you. WIN
you marry mi, Hattiefo
fare you in earnest, Mr.. Cunning
nam e asked the girl, o. she TUNED her
large brown eyes full upon bis, and tried
I'd keep hsr Hips from qnivering.
ID am, indeed, \ he replied, al he met
h8gaze.
+ thonght-aE one tiIne-it was my
cousin you-you seemed to care for
Godfrey's dark faoe flushed is he an