Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1895-07-25
AUNT MEG'S COLUMN.

and you cannot deny it-you re in loveH'
Ellington started "How on earth did
you find that out?" he muttered.
Experience and casual observation,
replied Lancaster shortly. "By tho bye,
saw Milly Holsworth today" Then, with
grin: "Um, l thought l wasn't far out.
She 5 nice girl, Harry and clever one.
Women nowadays who are good looking
and can earn their own LIVE are in great
demand in tho matrimonial market SO
I'm told and can quite believe it.
Yes, " groancd Ellington, "but when
man has only paltry ST, 250 year the
idea of-er-er-cven proposing to lady
who can buy him up might give rise to
unpleasant commcnts-hmi"
Personally l should try my luck.
Faint heart, etc, you know You never
know what may transpire. Say you decide
to see how absence might affect the case
and to wait till your return to England.
She might be snapped up in the meantime.
Perhaps the steamer might founder, and
and
Don't Lancaster, don'tl" shuddercd
Ellington. "Your advice, old chap, | fear
has not advanced the Improvement of tho
outlook at all.
"Then tho only course that remains
open for you is to consult Aunt Meg, ,"
sighed Lancaster.
Aunt Meg Who is she? And what's
she got to do with it?'
"Aunt Meg Is n lady connected with
popular publication entitled The Daisy,
whose official duty it is to receive and re-
ply to, through the columns of the aforc-
said journal, all questions that may be
submitted to her notice on the all impor-
tant theme of love and its attendant trials,
Misunderstanding and vagaries in gen
cral
Consult Aunt Meg" the words seemed
to ring in Ellington's ears for some time
after the departure of his friend Lancaster.
"A precious fool I'd be thought" he
unused, "supposing was idiot enough to
trust my private affairs to the tender mer-
cics Of modern lady journalist if the
story leaked out. Certainly one might
write under nom de plume or initials,
but then l don't believe in such rot. -
Half an hours meditation, however,
served to put matters before him in n diff
fcrcnt Eight. He reflected that the journal
in question bore n very high character and
he resolved To try Aunt Meg
After due destruction of various sheets
OF note paper, his communication was at
last fairly neatly transcribed and ran as
follows:
To "Aunt Meg, !" Daisy Offices, 42o Fleet Street,
T.. G.:
MADAM trust you may be able to success
fully advise me as to my actions in the follow
ing matter: To he brief l am aged % and an.
in receipt Of an annual income Of $l,25O
private secretary to titled gentleman who i.
TO depart on a voyage of indefinite duration IN
three weeks time for his health ) sake, and
am to accompany him. \ month ago made
the acquaintance Of charming lady about
my own age, and We have met at various in
torvals since.
As you will already have surmised, l am
deeply in love with her, though | have not rs
yet declared my passion. AS far as am
aware from the statement OF friend, she i
in receipt of an income exceeding mine by $50
per annum, derived from her employment, thi
exact nature Of which. however, owing to the
shortncss of our acquaintance, am unfortu.
nately in ignorance OF beyond that it is some
thing in city ONCE.
have every reason TO believe that my atten-
tions, such as they have been, not alto
gether dstasteful. What would you advise
to do? Ask her now and risk u slender income,
or wait till am In more affiuent circum.
stances, which chance Is slightly remote al
the present outlook? H. A r.
Two Saturdays passed and lef( him in
the deepest depths OF despair, owing to the
nonappearance of reply to his communi-
cation.
In the meantime he met Mildred Hols-
worth on two occasions at the house OF
mutual acquaintance and once was almost
on the verge of "a declaration, but checked
himself In time to save making himself
an arrant ass, us he termed it.
1t was with feverish excitement that no
opened the last issue Of The Daisy pub
lishcd before he left England Eagerly he
scanned the page sacredly set apart for tho
benefit of Aunt Meg" and her amorous
amblngs.
Yes, it was there at last,
II. A. E.-Wasto no time, but go and ask her
at once. II judge rightly from the tone Of
your letter, you need scarcely have any appre-
hension AS to the nature of her reply. AS to
monetary matters, a girl who cannot comfort
ably manage and he happy on the united in
come doesn't deserve u husband at all.
1t was all owe The lat slipper had
sped its course in ;..n air AID disappeared
through the window IT the compartment
which had the houor of accommodating
the happy couple and the last handful of
rice lay Whitening the platform like
miniature fall OF snow.
"Im so glad it's all over at last, )"
sighed Mildred Ellington as she threw
herself wcarily back among the cushions.
But the whole affair was a complete sue
cess and went off without flaw"
Yes, darling, quito complete, except
for the absence from the ceremony OF one
to whom | owe a great deal of my present
happiness-in fact, ono of your sister
strugglcrs in the field Of literature. Milly,
I've confession to make. ! know you'll
think IN an awful fool and perhaps be
angry, but promise me, Milly, beforehand
that you will forgive me. -
I'D promise you anything, IIarr-, 1t
it can't be anything dreadful, l IN sure
falteringly.
"Then read that and put me out Of my
misery"
And taking from his inside breast peck
ct copy of The Daisy containing Aunt
Megs advice, which he had so successfully
acted upon, he opened it at the fatal page
and handed it to her,
Harry, she said quietly, pushing it