The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-10-15
AN OLD MAIDS ADVICE.



natured and good.looking, his private
means were limited, if they existed at
all, and mis- pay was insufficient to ena'
BILE him TO indulge in any Of those ex'
pensiye tastes which lure young men
from the milder delights Of tea and ten.
mis-. He neither hunted in winter mol
played tennis in summer, and he was
always ready to dance half the night at
the Bunborough balls. He really was
n very nice man indeed; everyone
agreed that he would make a very nice
husband for any one OF the young Ia
dies OF Bunborough to whom he might
finally determine to offer himself; and
for two years he distributed his Iayors
freely but with almost absolute impair
TALLY.
"Thero is safety in numbers, and the
towards know it," said Miss Grayson,
Of the Valley cottage, to Maud Oakley,
who had been unburdeninG her soul TO
her. Miss Graysou was the kindest OF
elderly ladies where young peoples
love affairs we're concerned, and Maud
Oakley had known her since she Maud,
not Miss Graysonj was a baby. Cow
uINs' Shlu Allss NIul sOu AEhti uudSA
her breath, and Miss Oakley shifted
deprecatingly. She had been talking
to Miss Grayson for an hour, and had
told her sympathetic listener a good
deal that was, in the language OF the
vulgar, "staIe news" Miss Grayson
was quite aware (all ~Bunborough
might have told herr that Captain
Jumpison had quite recently shown a
distinct preference for the Oakley fam
lily. He dined there whenever he was
asked, and had won General Oakley.s
confidence BY d~eliCately expressing I'M
bounded belief in his stories-not
always an easy task; he had been
most attentive to old Mrs. Oakley dur
ing supper time at several balls, and
his visits to the house for 8 o'clock tea
had not been limited by invitations is
sued to him or confined to those occas-
ions when General and Mrs, Oakley
were at home; but there were two
Mrs. Oakleys, and to which OF them
Captain Jumpison intended his inten-
tions to be devoted was a question
which Observation-Disclosures would
like to have answered. 1t was not
strange, however, that the public were
puzzled when Maud Oakley had had to
confess to Miss Grayson that she had
no very distinct idea whether her sister
Geraldine or herself was preferred by
the man to whom she had unreservedly
lost her heart, though she admitted she
had her fears.
Geraldine has DIR. Coverdale," said
Maud, "she would be quite happy with
him."
"Quite So" said Miss Grayson. at
never rains but it pours."
Maud wondered whether it had ever
poured" with suitors in Miss Gray
sons young days, and said nothing.
Cant we make DR.. Coverdale pro-
pose to herr" said Miss Grayson.
"And Geraldine accept him?" added
Maud, doubtfully. Miss Grayson was n
determined looking old lady, but even
she seemed to consider the project I'M
practicable.
ibid you ever try boohoo with any
one? ?" said Miss Grayson.
"What!" said Maud.
"Boohoo. boohoo, boohoo," cried Miss
Grayson excitedly; and an elderly lady
who had selected that precise moment
10 D6 ullOuLCeu Wy hlsS NIdlhOH .
pretty little parlor maid very nearly
turned and fed. She came in, however,
and her impression that Miss Grayson
had gone demented was confirmed by
the apparently imbecile laughter with
which her greeting was received.
Maud rose to leave, and Miss Gray
son; who had recovered her presence OF
mind sufficiently to inquire after her
new visitors husband Che had been
dead seven years. accompanied her to
the front door.
"Don't you understand, you silly
child?" she said, kissing her affection
ately on the doorstep. CRY, cry, cry
your eyes out; not one OF the wretches
in n bakers dozen Of them can stand
tears" And the kind old lady returned
to pacify a Justly indignant widow,
while Miss Oakley walked home with a
light breaking slowly in on her as she
pondered the somewhat enigmatical adj
vice she had received.
Meanwhile Captain Jumpison was
striding down the flinty road leading
from the barracks to Bunborough as ii
he trod on air. He scarcely knew how
he had transferred himself from uni
form to his newest multi but between
his beating heart and the tweed coat
which formed its outermost covering
he could feel the communication which
had that afternoon altered the course
Of his career forever. "On her majesty's
service" it had arrived, and ION her
majesty's service" it informed him he
was expected to proceed forthwith to a
somewhat distant portion OF her do
minions, where, in return for a salary
exceeding his Widest dreams, he was
to perform duties as to which he still
ieltvague. But they probably included
the disp~ensation OF substantial justice
with lavish hand to sundry swarthy fel.
low-aubjects, and the instruction of the
male portion OF them in the use OF OBJ
solete weapons and the ovolutions Of
m improved drill.
Tho climate-well, every rose has its
thorne and Government House" and
his society would reconcile Geraldine
Oakley to q bursting thermometer and q
diet OF quinine. She would have her
sister stay with her If she felt lonely
he was quiet fond OF Maud, though, Of
course, she did not care for him did
she not always retire when he came to
tea and leave him alone with her elder
sister, and always refuse to give him
more than four dances in one evening
But Geraldine was different. DIR. Cover
dale would do very well for Maud when
Geraldine was gone. There she was
Maud, not Geraldine-standing on the
top step waiting for him as he almost
ran up the garden walk.
allow do you do?" she said shyly, as
she ushered him into the drawing room.