Middletown transcript., 1896-10-24

/ K 1N'W ,.,ss.s, more pheasant :, al
eyes, it was rather fun," said he
niece. 81 had another" Anothe
whatP'' Proposal of marriage. o
course"
"From young Fortescue?n.
"Yes, auntie. He was SO silly. quotet
poetry, and said had shattered his ex
istence,"
4 "You refused him, thenp"
| The girl laughed, showing all her re
gular teeth. She was very, very pretty
was Miss Celia, with her tall. splen-
didly-shaped figure, her big eyes ol
light blue, and her classically-shaped
features, quite striking contrast In
her youth and queenliness to the quiet
little sweet faced woman of thirty-five
or so at her side, who was humorously
spoken Of in Ledminster society as Miss
Celia Montagu's dragon.
"What do you think, auntiep Archie
Fortescue is SO silly, and he is pract-
ically penniless. l shall never marry a
man with less than eigli. hundred a
year at the least.''
''But thought that yon liked him. "
said her aunt, reproachfully, and Celia
laughed once more.
"And SO I do, auntie. He is very
nice to amuse oneself with but as for
marrying need not look so
shocked.''
"But cannot help feeling serious, !"
said Ruth Gardiner, gently. "Y ou
seem so careless whether you infict
pain or not. You treat mans love as
something made only to amuse you"
swell it does amuse me, ,auntie. And
l do not think they suffer. 1t is only
their conceit which receives a shock. D
"You must not think that you will
be always young and surrouned by
suitors," said the dragon, in a tone of
gentle, remonstrance, and she sighed
for her own vanished youth. ''If you
gain for yourself, as you are doing, the
reputation Of being Airt you will soon
find yonrself--"
She paused for word to conclude
her little homily, and Celia supplied it
laughingly.
"On the shelf, you mean auntie. I
do not think that I shall be there just
yet. If I have lost Archie to-day, it
strikes me that I have gained another
suitor."
"WhomP"
"Major Monteith."
"He scarcely spoke to you ten min
utes, dear"
"But be spoke to you all the rest of
the afternoon. auntie, and l find that
it is generally surer sign. It is
amusing to see how they all begin by
trying to get into my dear little aunt's
good graces, as if she we're some terrible
griffin guarding the stronghold Of my
heart. 1t made me laugh when saw
the gallant Major running about fetch
ing you ices and making himself SO
attentive"
The dragon colored little. It is
not pleasant, even If it is true, for
lady to be sold that she is too passe for
any man to offer her attentions for her
own sake.
81 think that you misjudge Major
Monteith," she said. gently. SIT was
purely kindness on his part, think,
and no ulterior motive that made
him SO courteous"
Celia smiled incredulously.
"Perhaps. Did he not get an invi-
tation to call on us?"
The mild little dragon answered ln-
willingly in the affirmative.
d0 lS CdllinS tU-uoiioW.
The beauty displayed her teeth.
I thought so when l saw him so at
tentive to you. I think that l may
safely set down the gallant Major as
my next victim"
Miss Gardner looked concerned.
81 hope if Major Monteith does you
the honor Of paying you attentions,
Celia, that you will not treat him like
the rest.n
"He has succeeded in gaining you
over already, then, Aunt Ruth? Why
should I treat the gallant Major with
more resp pect than Arthie Fortescuep"
81 do not approve of the way in
which you treated young Fortescue,"
said the gentle dragon; "but he is on ly
a boy, and may get over his disappoint-
ment as easily as you seem to expect.
But Major Monteith is q mature man,
and any attention he shows you must
arise, 1 am sure, from very true and
strong regard. should not like TO see
the affection of man like that made
sport Of"
"He has impressed ydu. auntie, Well,
do not be frightened. He is certainly
very handsome, if he is forty, and he
is rich enough to satisfy anybody"
"And seems to me the most truly
courteous man that I have ever met, |
which shows that he has a good heart. y
added Miss Gardiner.
--Efs
A month had passed, and Ledmin-
ster society had endorsed Miss Celia's
opinion by agreeing unanimously that
Major Monteitn, whose appearance in
the town had coused quite fiutter in
the hearts Of oil the maids and widows
there, had added his name to the list
Of Miss Montagu's suitors. He was q |