The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-04-28
REPLY PAID"

him little money. Things were going
badly, and no had been i'll. She thought
of 1T all day long, having dispatched tho
little sho had, and, for the thinking,
things looked no better. Her brother
had not enough TO 1.-Two upon, and there
was an end of it. Fate was niggardly
with thom all. During tho afternoon
tho girls came in and Mrs Hamlin.
Mrs. Hamlin was always delightful and
CHEEKY. Her lovely dresses and sweet
face and fragrant elegance reminded
Mnisio that Mt least sho was the right
person i'll tho right placc-with fitting
surroundings and the beautiful things
of lifo that all women instinctively
claim rs their right hers.
"Maisie. you look preposterously de-
jected. What is itp Are you i'll love with
an anarchist, or is it only general as
pirations toward the impossiblo?"
mo, am not in love, but am
thinking of proposing to some one -
"Why:"
because am in hurry. Fred, you
know, is frightfully hard up"
But why don't you accept Mr.. How
ard, when he's SO devoted, poor man?'
THAT wouldn't be fair, because, you
see, no is devoted, and mo, I think a
fat man with beard and glasses is the
sort of thing-in the abstract. T"
ooh, excellent in the abstract; pro-
tects you, is kind to you and gives you
checks. In the concrete he'-
Dear Mrs. Hamlin, don't The mat
ter is not discussable in the concrete"
Fancy Maisie proposingp said ono
of the girls.
You don't know what am capable
of, returned Maisie.
''I'll dare you, Maisie, Mrs. Hamlin
twinkled; ego OH, and I'll give you Il
month";
Twenty pounds!" repeated Maisie.
And there was an odd sound in her voice.
Twenty pounds.
"Doncl' she said, to the astonish-
ment of the room. Its betp' Every
ono sat up and bristled with delighted
curiosity. Maisie, of all people, who in
yariably treated her swains with good
tempered scorn that was the envy of her
friends!
Il will do it now!" she went on ex-
citedly. mabel, give me those tele-
graph forms. Of course won't under
take to carry out the contract if any one
accepts, she added.
mo, no; but bona fido proposalr'
She then sat down and addressed
seven kilograms and dispatched them
by the maid. Reply paid, she said.
And now we'll have tea"
What have you done?" questioned
Mrs Hamlin.
81 have asked seven men to marry
me-
"Maisio"
"Wcll, seven gentlemen will hardly
DO able to think that J. am pining for
them all, and they'll exchange notes. -
Men never do that. :"
"Ah, what men never do that surely
man always does" she laughed. Hon
or with them is Il collective virtue that
has no application in the singular You
shall read the answers.
In due course of timo the answers
came. One by one tho girl opened them
before her expectant friends, who re-
fused to go till all had como. "Regrets,"
quoted Maisie, holding up one with
mock gravity. Next, please. All,
thank you, Susanl Sorry, previous en-
gagcmcnt. Alas! impossiblcl' Cir
cumstances over which 1 have no con-
troll I would if 1 could, but cantr
NO! That's rather impolitc, and no
really-wcll, one mustn't DO kissed and
tell. Twas so long ago too You see,
ladies, how devoted my lovers all are
But L have won my bet. All, here is an
other; one more polite refusal No! OF
course I am honored,' d" she read. A
crimson flush of shame spread over the
girls laughing face "That's chivalrous
Of him, she said, trying to hide her
embarrassment. "And now to invent
polite refusal to my own proposal"
Horace Sands was in chambers when
Miss Maisic's telegram-rcply paid
arrived He was smoking cigarette
with Max Wclby. They generally smok-
ed together after lunch in kind of
sympathetic silence. Hc read it slowly,
then went out of the room. On return
ing his friend noticed an expression
OF most pathetic woo upon his placid
features, and such a hangdog look that
lie rcfrnlncG from putting any questions
from fear Of intruding on private mat
tcrs. Horace, however, after some fidgct-
ing, said, You know after ali it's IL
dreadful thing, but what could il fellow
no? She's charming girl Of course. but
| didn't think of cxactly-in fact, [ am
not marrying man, you know. | never
thought Of marrying-don't know any
timing about it,
IF you'll explain what you arc talk
ing about, may be able to understand. 2"
We'll, the fact is Miss Maisie wired
and asked me, don't you know, and I,
Of course
Asked you WHAT"