Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1896-02-11

| readitg its contents, all the Ill humoI
vanished from his face. The message
which effected the change was thus:
"Am coming to town today. Meet me
victof fia at 2:I0. Gladys."
Hellooked at his watch. Itwas scarce
ly o'clock. So there was still ample
time for light luncheon ut his club.
whittier he accordingly repaired.
"BE Jovcl" he thought to himself as
he dilcussed this meal II am glad lit
tie Gladys is coming up today BY Jove,
/ ami She's coming alone evidently,
and that is mercy. SO seldom get a
chande Of seeing her except in the pres
ence bf that female ogre. Miss Bailey.
Pursd proud, exacting old snob! / won.
der hbw my darling has managed to es-
cape from her this afternoon? She
SCARCELY ever gives the poor child holi-
day Dear little Gladys! What trump
the grille L. / amt half good enough
or htr, by Jove! Give you up for Uncle
Obedls gold, my little brown eyes?
Whal do you think, ehl"
With these and such like reflections
did pim Trevor beguile his solitary
meal looking the while as pleased and
happf as IL he had Just inherited a
PLUM A schoolboy out for holiday
could not have showed jollier, more
beanitng face than Jim's The waiter
noted IL and thought that, in defiance
Of r, guIations, IL would mean tip,
whertin he was not deceived. Several OF
the Joung' mans friends also noted is
and Dame across to rally him.
Has the uncle stumped up hand.
soms them" asked one
mo, my boy. Refused to part with
q braEs farthing and kicked me ont OF
the b busc, with his special commenda-
ton o the devil"
"Ifpon my word," laughed another.
"vob take the disappointment uncom.
monif well, jim, considering how you
stand
'I|ife's too short to worry over such
trifet, said Trevor philosophically,
lighting cigarette
''Ily Jove, you've changed your tone
sincd last night. You were glum enough
about your affairs then, and that was
whilk you still had hopes from Uncle
Obet"
YES" said Jim. 'I'm like what's
his NJ bmo in what dye call IL. As long
as tLt life Of my hopes was trembling
in the balance I tasted and wept, but
now fhat death has supervened ! con-
slider IL foolish 10 fret"
HJGid not tell them the reason OF his
hilartty. They would only have, to use
his Own expression, ''rotted' him, for
they could not bo expected to understand
phlse Of feeling which he scarcely un.
dcrstbod himself What made him fall
so dterly In love with Gladys Boyd
She 1vas not pretty--somewhat the re-
vers,; People, indeed. admitted that her
bright, expressive eyes quite redeemed
her lace, but then the very word re
deen' carried with It something I'M
com Ilimentary TO the rest Of her fea-
ture4 Her nose certainly inclined TO a
snut. her complexion was sallow; her
mouth too large to satisfy aesthetic can
ons In addition, she was short Of sta
ture,! and though her figure was trim
and graceful as far rs 1t went, ii gave
You the impression Of not going far
enor1,h by several inches.
Yit here was Jim Trevor hopelessly
in lol 70 with her-Jim Trevor. the hand
somd, dashNg youngster who had turned
up bis nose at hundred prettier girls
and had always chaffed his friends with
out mercy when they had developed
symttoms Of what he contemptuously
styld "spooners' disease. He was go
ing lho pace like regular young rip.
falling into the fastest bachelor pursuits,
earning himself a reputation which
madt dowagers shake their heads and
strat laced duenas look earnestly
intol shop windows when they met him,
whidh caused his name to be snufiled
dubibusly by Hebrews In dusty offices
and his signature TO be regarded rs an
old friend by tie secretaries Of assurance
COMPANIES. Then in the middle Of ii all,
whib the fun was still hot and the
plea|ure still sweet, no was pulled up
shur!, converted, reformed. revolution
lied And by what?
Bt the brown eyes Of demure little
puss who had scarcely personal attrac-
ton and absolutely not shilling To
blosI herself with. 1t was, as Jim him
self had phrased il, 'the rummiest 60
aliy(." He couldn't explain It. He
sim)Ily accepted 1t, conscious that il
waslby far the most elevating sensation
he had ever experienced, and that
"'pSn my word it did. by Jove'"-it
gave, his past pleasures such sickening
tastI that he chucked them one and all
froDI sheer disgust.
HI reached Victoria in plenty OF timo
and had been standing OH the arrival
platform quite 10 minutes when tho
tra.k steamed in. He soon caught sight
of GLADYS, who thrust her head out OF
the window of third class carriage,
and hurried forward to greet her. As
he Held her hand and looked down into
her bplifted eyes he detected traces of
teark. "What was the matter?" he woh.
dere1. He was not long left in igno-
rantk
We must see about my luggage first,
Jim, b she said. 1t is in the van next
tho ,|ngine."
Your luggage, Gladdie? Arc you
coming to stay in town, them"
"kes, IL have left Aunt Louisa,
Jimr
left Aunt Louisai'' he calculated.
"Hew is that?"
:" should like to go for walk with
you,l Jim, and tell you all about it, but,
frst|of all, let US put my luggage i'll the
clo ,Eroom. / must leave it there until
-ultil know where it is to be sent. .
This task was soon completed, with
the assistance of q suave porter, who
took Jim's shilling with the affected
abstraction characteristic Of his order.
Theh the two set ont from the station
and turned down one Of the quieter
strekts. As they walked, Gladys told her
tale
1T was only this morning. Jim" she
said that Aunt Louisa asked me
moi IL blank whether or not I was en-
gagkd to you. Itold her that was. and
youican't think how furious she became.
Shei said all kinds Of furious things
abolt us both-told me that il / mar
ried you your uncle would cut You OH
with shilling, and that she had no
ide.| of helping us-as il / had ever
ask4d her-and that / must either
break off my engagement with you i'm
mes!iately or leave the shelter OF her