The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1897-12-04
s Selett Stnrp.
THREE AT ONCE.

,tHattie | have accepted three of
them.
Three what? What DO you mean
why three lovers of course-three
proposals.
.What, all at once 2 exclaimed Hat
tie her eyes full Of CONSERVATION.
TO be sure. have, answered Lucy.
her bright face beaming with merriment.
why not three as well as one ? it
will come all to the same in the end.
But, Lucy, dear, ism ii ii shame t"
90 SO far.
Not bit Not one Of them cares Il
pin for me. Didn't | tell you they would
rush at me like flies at treacle as soon as
they heard [ was rich Well, there 5
Major Bowring. He was the first oh,
dear, | laugh whenever | think Of it. |
laughed for quarter Of an hour after he
left me. Then came the Hon. Francis
Newlands, and after him Mr.. Sandman,
the cheese factor. So Simpl l,y took them
all one after another.
But aren you afraid Won there
be complications, and-oh Lucy you
dreadful girl, what would you do if two
of them were to meet you at once?
I'll manage it all right, said Lucy.
carelessly, as she flung off her hat--the
prettiest little hat in the world-amd sat
ON the sofa at her cousins feet.
The only one can't bring down.
she went on, is Godfrey Cunningham. At
one time / thought he was going to be
one Of my lovers, but for the last fortnight
he has deserted me- He has always been
with you. Why are you blushing Hat
tie? Do you think he cares for you?
she asked eagerly, as she looked into hel
little cousin pale face over which a faint
rose blush was stealing. You looked Sc
pleased now Tell me Hattie, is it true?
Hattie turned half round and gazeo
over the blue sunlit Firth, while the flush
deepened on her delicate white face. She
did not speak.
You needn't say Il word, Hattie;
know And if it does come. | wish you
joy, darling; for he 5 the only one of them
| all that worth a straw.
II suppose auntie will want you to g
up to Glasgow with her tomorrow? salt
Hattie after a pause.
YES said Lucy; II told all my lovelH
would be away the whole Of tomorrow
but I've give them appointments To-
Thursday; the Major on the beach at hal
past 10; the fine gentleman in the lane
that runs up the hill at half-past II, anc
the cheeseman on the beach at half pas
II. had no idea it would be such goot
fun I'm going to run down to the post
office Goodby little one. .
LEFT to herself Harriet Graham al
lowed her book to fall in her lap, and
sat idly gazing out of the window at th'
scene before her. There lay the Firth o
Clyde shining clear blue in the summe
sun. dotted with white sails. Near a
hand were the trim lawns, the white roaC
skirting the sea and then the whittier beach
EXCEPT the twitter of birds the on y sounC
in the air was the continual murmur from
the sea. For Clyde is unlike an Englisl
watering place as Highland clachan i
unlike manufacturing town. The sub
stantial Glaswegian builds his ''house a
the salt water or takes one furnished
and inhabits it from June to September IL
peace and quietness. There are Thousand
of those houses, great and small, each IL
its nook of leaves, along the winding
shores of the Firth and the lochs.
Mrs. Mackenzie, distant connection
Of the Girls. had taken one of these houses
called "Bracken Brae, near a village
called Drumsynie, and the two cousins
both orphans, we're her guests.
While Harriet was still gazing over th'
blue water, Godfrey Cunningham wa
slowly proceeding along the dusty road o'
his way to Bracken Brae. Godfrey wa
now the sole representative of one of tn
oldest and poorest families in the south
west of Scotland; Godfrey held a com
mission in regiment, but he was contin
ually debating with himself whether
not he was too old to change his trade ant
''go into business
Like several others, the Lieutenant ha
come to Drumsynie attracted by the repor
of Lucy Graham's wealth. The none
had come from an uncle of the father S
and people said that the sum reached 81
, figures. And Lucy Graham was mic
girl; there was but little doubt of that-tall
rather handsome, bright, good natured