The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1896-02-14
WON BY WRESTLING,


giving a musical SAT Home," and per-
3ormance of siffleurs had proved the
hit of the evenings entertainment.
An hour or so later, the "crowd" hav-
ing dispersed, Birdy Jackson, Hartley
and 1 we're idly discussing the events
Of the affair in the smoking-room.
Jackson and were stopping over night
with our host, being old chums of his,
and living some distance out of town.
s''No idea you could give us such a
ripping performance, Birdy," remarked
Hartley; "and when your wife Joined
In / was perfectly astounded."
Jackson laughed softly.
mo, she doesn't do it at all badly"
he admitted: "You know, Dick, there's
a bit of romance attached to that whis-
lie of hers; in fact, it was the means of
bringing our matrimonial desires to an
abrupt point at an extremely critical
Leriod in our courtship.'
Hartley gave me gentle kick.
'"Then your union had a spice of TO
nance about it?'' he said.
"Ratherl Unique in the annals of
love-malxing, l should say. But folks
are so COMPOUNDED incredulous nova
DAYS, I've never attempted to tell the
yarn but once, and then l swore I'd
never do it again"
But he had to on this occasion, and
soon began 10 interest us as follows:
"First of all, you must know, Mr..
King''-addressing me-"l'm called
B;rdy on account of having practiced
from earliest infancy cheap form of
musical recreation. Though cuffed as
a boy, severely reprimanded for warb-
ling in slack business hours and sound
" execrated by the neighbors, never
theless persevered.
"a year this last summer l came in
1or a sum of money, which rendered me
a practically wealthy and independent
man, and to celebrate my good fortune
] threw up my business berth and went
into Yorkshire to spend few weeks
with a professional bachelor friend
md to idle generally.
"While there 1 was introduced to
Col Alton and his daughter Evelyn,
aged %, who lived at the Chase, and
were intimate friends of my chum.
Nice giri she was; plenty of go with
out being the least fast In less than
"A fortnight 1 was over head and ears in
love with her. The subsequent after
moons at the Chase were too hot for
tennis. Col. Alton spent them snooZ-
ing in h,s study. Evelyn's elderly COM
panion and her fathers housekeeper-
,for Mrs. Alton had been dead some
;vears-nodded in the shade Of her IA
torite elm, and my friend had invari-
ably to leave for an important case be-
fore the tea came out. Very nice of
him, thought.
"Thus thrown together Evelyn and
monopolized the arbor, and l used TO
amuse her by trilling selections from
the operas, (comic and serious), and she
would occasionally join in as kind OF
FLIP to my performances. Though a
woman in every respect, she could whis-
tie. In most of the well-known tunes
up to date or pathetically aged, she eX
celled, owing to the fact that during tn"
winter months for some years past she
had always officiated at the piano for the
villag6'popular concerts, when the vo-
cal and instrumental items were natur-
ally of an amusing and light order-at
times scarcely high-class, perhaps.
"Then came the time when the col
onel had to be approached. The old
man gave me prompt and curt refusal.
He had other views for his child. I
tried remonstrance. then logged per-
sistency, but with no avail. Evelyn
stood out like a brick. This burst OF
independence resulted in her immediate
Punishment to regions unknown to me,
under the surveillance of relative OF
mature age and experience, and all com
munication between us strenuously de-
MED and forestalled. All chances of
elopement, even, were reduced TO nil.
"a few days later left my friends
for Bournemouth, there to recruit my
shattered health and think things over
quietly. / was crushed for the time be-
ing. AS l alighted from my cab at the
entrance to the North Cliff, where
had taken rooms, an elderly lady cam"
down the steps. Her face seemed some
what familiar to me. though could not
at the time recall to mind when anil
where | had seen it before. When she
started as she saw me, and somewhat
hurriedly reentered the hotel, was fur
Their mystified. Athought struck me as
1 was signing my name in the hotel reg
lister Of visitors some time later. Two
pages back found an entry: Miss AT
ton and Miss e. Alton .tumbled to i.
80 second. then. The elderly lady
NH1 encountered waS, undoubtedly. Col
Alton. sister. who had been st0Vin1 al