The Press., 1895-09-12

there really couldn't be a handler girl about the place than Fan,'' the poor lit tie thing had difficulties enough to con- tend, with which served, no doubt, as a wholesome discipline and prevented all likelihood of her becoming either self ish or conceited. The household of which the blithe, sunny hearted little creature was presiding genius consisted of Fans widower uncle, MT. Haslett :; his only child, girl some six years younger than the orphan cousin, who had suffered from babyhood from weak ness of the spine, which as she grew old CT was beginning to affect her brain, and a spinster sister of MT. Haslett's who was subject to attacks of despond- ency, alter1fated with bouts of ague and fever, which, upon the whole, were less to be deplored than the lowness of spir- it's j; Fanny herself and 8 couple only of
 istless, untlepcndable black maidserv- ants, who were only too much inclined to allow "the little mistress" to relieve them of more than half their labor.
 MT. Haslett was reputed we'll to do, although his estates of late years had not been nearly so productive as in the days when fortunes were made in sugar His establishment, however, was con- ducted on the most economical princi- pies, and it was his custom to speak as though the cultivation of arrowroot and canes was nothing better than an expen- sive amusement, and that if he were able to leave suitable provision for his afflicted daughter after his death it was as much as he could possibly allow him. self to hope for. As for poor little Fan, she had best make hay while the sun shOne and pick up husband to provide for her before he should go under ground. The future of poor Miss Has lett, who was also dependent on her brother, did not seem to concern him in the least. If he ever thought upon the subject, it was probably to the effect that Jane was always sickly and ailing and was not at all likely to survive him.
 Five days of the most Arcadian bliss followed the suspicious evening when ble officers of the Firefy first landed on S,e shore of St. Vitus Picnics, tennis meetings, breakfast or luncheon parties occupied the daylight, for the languid West Indians can forget the heat when in pursuit of pleasure, and every even- ing either dinner or some imprOmptu gathering was arranged, and the whole of her acquaintance were as if leagued together to put every facility ill the way of Captain Panels cOurtship of Fanny Crofton. For that he was serious in his intentions no one seemed to doubt. Did not his whole behavior that day when he invited a large party to tea on board ship betray him, when he almost ig- nored Mrs. Sandilands' presence and asked Fanny to preside over the large teapot? Although reckoning merely by hours and days, it was only very short time that they had been acquainted; still, as fruits ripen quickly under the tropical. sun, it did not appear unac- countable that, with all the strength of circumstance and opportunity aiding, the bud of love should have grown beau teous flower before the time arrived for the Firefy to depart. |:
 During these few days, if Captain Fane felt as if he were breathing an enchanted atmosphere, Fanny herself was no less under the influence of the magic spell. But being a circumspect little damsel, and being also under the salutary necessity of going through her ordinary routine of home duties, as we'll as having to give more than a passing thought to her clothing, she did not suffer her heart to get the better of her head, and when sounded upon the subject of her admirer by her bosom friend, Lofty Sandilands, emphatically declared that "Captain Fame had never once actually said anything to warrant the supposition that he really cared for her, only Fanny could not deny that if such were the case, and the hand some mariner made her 8 formal offer of marriage, Ne would not be refused. "But," she took care to add, "it isn't at all likely tkat he or anybody else would propose to a girl when he'd only known her not quite five days.''
 The gala time of St. Vitus culminat- ed in a ball at government house, and it was confidently expected that the dec- laration would be made that night. The ship was to sail on the following morning, and if matters were not set tied by them the friendly gossips of St. Vitus would be unanimous in declaring the Firefy s captain recreant deceiver, and Fan, as she ironed out the frills and furbelows of her white frock, and ar ranged the little details of her simple toilet, could not help feeling as if this night was to provo an epoch in her ex- 1stence and that however things might turn out life would never be quite the same again. tr .s .-i.-
 Never in all her life had Fanny looked more radiantly beautiful than on that Hateful evening. Even Miss Has, lett. though her head was aching from the thunder which she felt certain was in the air, was reused into an expres- sion of approval as her niece wished her good night, promising to creep quietly into the house in the small hours of the morning. Fanny was generally depend ent upon some friend for chaperonage and a seat in 8 carriage, but upon the occasion of entertainments at govern ment house MT. Haslett thought it in culnbent upon him to put in an appear ance and was now ready to escort his pretty niece. He would not, however, sacrifice his comfort and his nights rest to the extent of remaining to the end of the ball, but this was of little consequence to anybody so long as he did not insist upon dragging Fanny away with him at an early hour
 Saving that the rooms are far more airy and the dancers, or at any rate those of the female sex, have twice as much energy in this respect as their sisters in the mother country, notwith--1 standing their general languor of dispo- sition, ball in the West Indies is very much the same as an assembly in other parts of the world The tree ferns and bonghs of famboyant do not serve to impart 3 specially tropical aspect, ac- customed as our eyes now are to the profuse decoration of palms and exotics which aesthetics and florists have made the fashion. Where the chief difference