The morning call., 1891-12-16
TWO "BEAUX"
TO HER STRING.


denee of George Graham Esq, stockbroker.
Not very pretentious place-rather of the
bijou order, in fact; well back from the
road the front lawn being trinity kept, ana
ornamented with beds of flowers, which
were MI Grahsm's special pride. He and
his wife. with a couple of maid-servants,
formed the entire household, and having no
children, the worthy stockbroker devoted
the time which would otherwise have been
occupied in teaching the young idea how to
shoot to the cultivation of geranlums,
fuchsas, and gayly Towering ANNALS.
This hobby was not without its sorrow as
well as Its joys. Youthful maraudeFs were
in the habit of climbing over the low rail-
ings which divided tue garden from the
road, and helping themselves literally 10
Mr.. Graham'S finest blossoms; and on Sat
urtay evenings and Sundays adult eXcur-
sionists from tins city frequently played SAD
havoc with The beds, while the servants
were ont. and the master and mistress were
enjoying quiet nap.
Thus il happened that when Mr.. and Mrs.
Graham were preparing to start for
% months holiday at BroadStairs, the safety
of his garden weighed heavily on the stock
brokers' mind. Ringing the parlOr bell he
summoned Mary, his neat housemaid.
II want you to call the next policeman
you see pass by. Mary" he said.
Policeman, sir?" echoed Mary, some
what surprised, and with heightened color.
(Which one, please, sir2'
"Oh, any one will do" and the girl seemed
relieved at the answer; perhaps you'd bet
ter look out for one"
Apparently the task was congenial; for,
having put on a smarter cap and apron,
Mary took her stand at the front gate with
out loss Of time. Not pretty girl, perhaps,
Judged by the strict rules of beauty; but
very "sOnse" face, nevertheless, as the
Scotch would say; with a pair OF roguish
brown eyes, cherrv-red lips, and decidedly
retIoGsSe nose, and complexion which was
of the very best pink and white" order.
quarter of an hour elapsed ere n policeman
appeared in view, and the crunching of his
heavy boots on the gravel path was followed
by Mary's tap at the parlor door.
'Pve found a p'leeceman. sir. she an
nOunced, demurely.
''Oh! Wen, ask him to step in" was the
reply; and Y 500, having carefully wiped
his feet on the mat in the hall, entered the
parlor, helmet in hand.
Are you permanently on this beat?"
asked the stockbroker in busineSSlike
tone.
YES, sir; am" was the answer.
well, I'm going away from home for
few weeks, ard | want you to keep an eye
on my garden, l ind my flowers are fire.
quently stolen, and expect it will be worse
still when l am away. Just mention the
matter at the Office, will you, so that the
other men Will be on the lookout, too; and
here's trifr, just to drink my health with"
The "tTitle" was half a sovereign, and
when Y 999 had made stiff bow, and de-
clared that the matter should he attended
to reg lar" lie was uShered out by the at
tGndant Mary, mentally resolving on two
things: the first, that he would show small
mercy 10 any culprit whom he might catch
puTloining MIR. Graham's flowers; the sec
ond, that he would cultivate the acguaint-
ance of the very prettiest girl on his beat,
nv u Uiph f4ftarIDU tltla ba IN al pllU taSiU-
mated the stock brokeTs hOuSemaid.
a few days atterward Mr.. Graham and
his wife departed and y $50 certainly did
attend to that matter" of the flowers.
Whenever the housemajd'S duties called
her TO the front Of the house there was the
watchful constable, with zone eye on the
garden and the other on the maid" there
we're few conversations between the pair
at the gate-for Mary was by no means
ayerSe tn 2 firtatiOn-and in less than no
timex 999 was enrolled as one of her ad-
mirers.
The phrase is correct, for Mary's charms
had made impressions on the susceptible
hearts Of many of those with whom she had
come into contact She smiled on all, had
laugh for the milkman, a merry word for
tie butchers young man, and was
always gracious TO the enterprisng young
baker who served the Graham family but
previous To the appearance OF X 999 upon
the scene she had certainly reserved the
Wilson, who brought the weekly supply of
groceries, aud who drove very fast GIL
stepping gray mare in a very smart cart.
Now, womaullke. she seemed to alternate
between the constable and the grocer, play
ing one against the other uatll both were
eHraged and each was ready to DO anything
10 GUST his rival from the Isis.
Matters we're in this undecided condition,
and the GrahamS were expected home in
the course of a couple of weeks, when Ar
fhaNF L flls.Nn n 10 a 70 fms had
strOlled out toward Milton Lodge, in the
hope of seeing the pretty housemaid. For
tune favored him. The cook "a sedate
woman OF 81, who affected extreme indigaa-
ton at what she termed Mary's "gongs on"
bad just run out for half an hour to do
little shopping, and Mary was watering the
front garden when Wilson halted at the
gate. She was more than usually gracious
to her admrer; allowed him TO carry sew
eral pals of water for her from the pump at
the side OF the house; and finally asked him,
cOqnettishly, if he would like few flowers
to take home with him, just TO keep her In
mind"
Wouldn't justv' exclaimed the grocer.
delightedly. Not that | want anything to
keep you in mind, Mary; I'm always think
ing of you, and If you would only"
But Mary was away at the other side Of
the lawn, whence she returned with big
bunch of the choicest blooms
Master 'ud give it me. If he knew I'd
/,
''but lori what's the good O. letting 'em all
wither away? Now, you must be off-there's
that cook comm up the road. Goodnight
Pleasant dreams, and waving an imaginary
kiss with her finger tips, Mary vanished
into the house.
Very pleasant were Wilson's feelings, as
be slowly walked away. He was murmur-
ing to him elf:
"Yes--l'll do 1t. Thirty bob a week ain t
much; but she'd make it do. She's good
girl. l could swear to it; an with little
house of our own, an may be a bit O. gar
den, why"
His meditation was interrupted by q
heavy hand laid on his shoulder, and stern
voice which exclaimed:
Now, then. young man. where did you
get them flOwers?"
Wilson looked up. and was anything but
pleased to recognize his rival.
What's that TO do with you?" helm
CURED, holly.
ITS everything to do with me-" replied
Z 999, with exasperating GOODNESS. Come
now, ave you bin a'stealin' of emp"
Wilson laughed: the accusation, to a man
In his position, was so utterly absurd.
Ii you must KNOW" he answered lightly,
"they came out of the garden at My iton
Lodge"
Exactly; so 1 thought; and you only
took 'em, you didn't steal emp"
Or course not, they were gil" and
then the speaker stopped suddenly. Get
mary INTO trouble? Admit that she had
disobeyed orders, and given away her
masters choice flowers? Neverl He would
die first.
A very heroic resolve. But as poor Will
son was marched along to the police station
with the heavy hand of X 500 on his collar
and small gathering of rag-tag and botail
AT his heels. he did not feel particularly like
hero. Nor did he when the charge of
stealing the flowers was entered against
him; and when, few minutes later, he
found himself locked in a cell, he began to
wonder whether he hadn't been consider
ably more of a fool than hero.
On the following afternoon Mary and the
cook were sitting in the kitchen. The lat
ter was perusing the evening paper, which
had just been delivered. when she ex-
claimed:
my goodness! 'Ere's your fancy young
grocer bin took up for stealin'."
Nonsense" cried Mary, increiulously.
well. see for yourself" replied the cook,
handing over the paper.
Poor Maryl She cOuld hardly halieve her