The Portland daily press., 1892-12-24
A WoNAN'S ADVICE.

son had been the IDOL or the SplnSJerS or
Brnborough- -hy-the-Sea. CHEEKY, good
natured and good looking, his private
means were limited, if they existed at
all. and his pay was insufficient to en-
able him to indulge any of those ex-
pensive tastes which lure young men
from the milder delights of tea and
tennis. He neither hunted i'll winter
nor played polo in summer, and he was
always ready to dance half the night at
the Bunborough balls. He really was
very nice man indeed, every one agreed
that he would make a very nice husband
for any one of the young ladies of Bun
borough to whom he might finally de-
ternine to offer himself, and for two
wears he distributed his favors freely,
but with almost absolute impartiality.
sThere 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. Mics Grayson was the kindest of
elderly ladies where young peoples love
affairs were concerned, and Maud Oak
ley had known her since she Maud, not
Miss Graysen) was baby. "Cowards!"
said Miss Grayson again under breath,
and Miss Oakley shifted deprecatingly.
She had been talking to Miss Grayson
for an hour, and had told her sympa-
thetio listener a good deal that was, in
the language of the vulgar, ''stale
news
Miss Grayson was quite aware (all
Bunborough might have told her) that
Captain Jumpison had quite recently
shown distinct preference for the Oak
ley family. He dined there whenever
he was asked and had won General Oak
ley's confidence by delicately expressing
unbounded belief in his stories-not al
ways an easy task; he had been most at
tentive to old Mrs. Oakley during sup
per time at several balls, and his visits
to the house for o'clock tea had not
been limited by invitations issued to
him or confined to those occasions when
General and Mrs. Oakley were at home;
but there were two Miss Oakleys, and
to which of them Captain Jumpison in
tended his attentions to be devoted was
a question which Bunborough-by-the-
Sea would have liked to have answered.
It 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 pre-
ferred by the man to whom she had un-
reservedly lost her heart, though she ad-
mitted she had her fears.
Geraldine has DR.. Coverdale," said
Maud 'sShe would be quite happy
with him.
"Quite so,' said Miss Grayson. sit
never rains but 1t pours.'
Maud wondered whether it had ever
sspoured" with suitors in Miss Gray
sons young days and said nothing.
sCan't we make DR.. Coverdale pro-
pose to her?' said Miss Grayson.
"And Geraldine accept nim?" added
Maud doubtfully. Miss Grayson was
a determined looking old lady, but even
she seemed to consider the project i'm
practicable.
s'Did you ever try boohoo with any
one?" said Miss Grayson.
ssWhat?'' said Maud.
"Boohoo, boohoo, boohoor' cried Miss
Grayson excitedly, and an elderly lady
who had selected the precise moment to
be announced by Miss Grayson's pretty
little parlor maid very nearly turned
and fled. 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 Grayson,
who had recovered her presence Of mind
sufficiently to inquire after her new vis-
itor's husband Che had been dead seven
years., accompanied her to the front
door.
"Don't you understand, you silly
child?" she said, kissing her affectionate-
ly on the doorstep. e.Cry, cry, cry your
pyes out; not one of the wretches in
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 break
ing slowly in on her as she pondered the
somewhat enigmatical advice she had
received.
Meanwhile Captain Jumplson was
striding down the flinty road leading
from the barracks to Bunborough as if
he trod On air. He scarcely knew how
he had transferred himself from uniform
to his newest multi, but between his
beating heart and the tweed coat which
formed ito 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 son her majesty's serv-
ice'' it informed him he was expected to
proceed forthwith to a asomewhat distant
portion Of her dominions, where, in re-
turn for salary exceeding his widest
dreams, he was to perform duties as to
which he still felt vague. But they
probably included the dispensation Of
substantial justice with lavish hand to
sundry swarthy fellow subjects. and the
instruction of the male portion of them
in the use of obsolete weapons and the
evolutions of an improved drill.
The climate-well, every rose has its
thorn, and Government House and his
II no1r