The Press., 1889-07-04
LOVES ,CONspIRAToRs.

LOVES CONSPlRATOHS.
 George Cracroft had been established for abont two years as & partner in Hicks brewery at Tubworth (where the celebrated Tubworth ales come from when he wrote the following letter to his old nursery play fellow and companion, Miss Daisy Lights foot:
 My Dear Daisy-I ann awfully glad to hear that you are coming down with Kate to our Hunt ball next week. write, first, for the purpose of telling you so second, in order to make Q request in connection with your visit, which am afraid you may think rather impudent, but which hope you will forgive when you hear all the circumstances.
 You have heard me mention Minnie Jackman, the professional beauty of Tub worth. I am sure that you will not have misunderstood any references that may have made to the young lady. Because you know am not marrying man. l re- gret to say, however, that Q misunderstand- ling on this point has arisen down here. I must, I suppose, have given some ground for it, but I assure you was quite struck all of heap when, day or two since, Papa J. called on me and inquired my re- lations regarding his daughter.
 When had recovered sufficient breath, I, of course, assured him that had no in- tentions of any kind, whereupon he burst into torrent of incohefent abuse, declar- ing that I had trified with an innocent girls affections, deserved horsewhipping, and so on. In this extremity, Daisy, II am sorry to say that dissembled. For want of anything better to urge in self-defence, and in order to convince the old boy that \ it was no use bullying me, told him that I had never expected that any little atten. ton I might have paid to Miss J. would be misunderstood, since was engaged al ready, and had always believed the fact te be generally known.
 | Don't be hard on me; the fib has been amply punished. Papa J. was silenced fol the moment, but of course, he went away and told everybody. As the result, I have had all Tubworth congratulating me, anG inquiring the lady's name. Mrs. Hicki has, of course, been moro troublesome thar lany one, and last night, after she had near fly badgered my life out, told her in de spair that you were the lucky damsel.
 For the moment quite forgot that yot were coming down here with Kate nex lweek. Now that have remembered it, isee only two alternatives. The first is X confess the deception to Mrs. H., in whicl case am sure that shall have to tell her which means telling all Tubworth, how deceived old Jackman. The second is t Ipersuade you to help me through the mes I by coming down in the character of m, .'intended."
 Will you do it /? It's an impudent thini
 to suggest, know. I wouldn't suggest If did not see myself, in the other alter , native, drifting into a marriage with tn ] fair Minnie, which I am sure that no tru
 friend could desire for me. However,
 won't press it against your will. Do wha
 you like, but forgive me for taking sucl
 liberties with your name, and believe me Yours eyer, GEORGE CRAoRoFT.
 An impudent suggestion it certainl . was, but George and Daisy had alway
 been such fast friends that the impudenc
 of it did not strike Miss Lightfoot ver
 forcibly. On the contrary, being Q livel z young lady, with keen sense of fun, sh
 took to the idea rather kindly.
 "It would be fun, she sad to herself
 laughing, as she glanced over the lette ! again. must go and talk to Kate abou h Now, if there was one person who ougt Il to have warned Miss Lightfoot of the in tRas Miss Kate Oracroft, in whose hons s tDaisy had received the letter. Not onl }, was Miss Cracroft old enough to have a
 most in loco parentis to Daisy ever sint the girl had been left motherless ten yea before, but she was herself looked up to h
 all her friends as model of prudence an B. circumspection.
 Unfortunately, however, a real engag 8, ment between George and Daisy was tf
 one thing which Kate had been hoping
 seeever since the pair had reached a ma V riageable age and the wild scheme whie
 they had now got into their heads presen er ed itself to her as likely step toward tl
 result for which she was looking.
 c. Besides this Miss Cracroft knew h.
 brother to be desperate flirt and quite
 responsible for his actions when there W,
 g good looking girl in the case. This mat
 her seriously alarmed at what she read b tween the lines of Georges letter and @ tricated from the Jackman entanglemen Accordingly her opposition to George lscheme was of very hollow kind, and tl limpetuous Miss Lightfoot soon blew it the winds.
 CHAPTER HIN AN AWFUL PICKLE. In this way it came about that Mi Daisy Lightfoot arrived at Tubworth the character of George Oracroft's intende wife. She! and Miss Cracroft stayed wit Mrs. Hicks, the wife of Georges partner and not Mrs. Hicks alone, but all her frient who had an opportunity of observing were agreeably struck at the evidence mutual attachment afforded by the beha