The record-union., 1897-03-31
REPLY PAID"

q little money. Things were gong
badly, and he had been i'll. She thought
of it all day long, having dispatched
the little she had, and for the thinking
things looked no better. Her brother
had not enough to live upon, and there
was an end of it. Fate was niggardly
with them ALL During the afternoon the
girls came in, and Mrs. Hamlln. MRS.
Hamlin was always delightful and
cherry. Her lovely dresses and sweet
face and fragrant elegance remlnoeo
Maisie that at least she was the r1ght
person in the right place--Wlth ntuhS
surroundings, and the beautiful things
of life that all women lnstlnctlNeiy
claim as their right, hers.
"Maisie you look preposterously de-
jected What is it? Are you in love
with an anarchist, or is it only general
aspirations toward the impossible!
mo, am not in love; but am think
ing of proposing to some. one.'
"Why?''
Because / am in a 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, he is devoted. and no, l think
fat man with beard and glasses is the
sort of thing-in the abstract"
20, 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 proposing!" said one
of the girls.
You don't know what 1 am capable
Of" returned Maisie.
I'll dare you, Maisie,' Mrs. Hamlin
twinkled, twenty pounds on, and III
give you a month
Twenty pounds!" repeated Maisie,
and there was an odd sound in her
voice.
Twenty pounds
"Done!" she said, to the astonishment
of the room. It's a bet" Every one
sat up and bristled with delighted curl
osity. Maisie, of all people, who in
variably treated her SWANS 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. I won't under
take to carry out the contract if any
one accepts" she added.
No. no; but a bona-fide proposaEH'
She ethen sat down and addressed seven
kilograms and dispatched them by her
maid. Reply paid she said. And
now we'll have tea
What have you done?" questioned
Mrs. Hamlin.
L have asked seven men to marry
me,"
.'Maisie,''
We'll, seven gentlemen will hardly
be able to think that l 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 Honor
with them is a collective virtue that
has no application in the singular. You
shall read the answers"
In due course of time the answers
came. One by one the girl opened
them before her expectant friends, who
refused to go till all had come. Re
grets." quoted Maisie holding up one
with mock gravity Next, please. An.
thank you. Susan, Sorry, previous en-
gagement, Alas. impossible,' - Cir
cunstances over which 1 have no con-
troli'-I would If I could, but I can't!
'No!'-That's rather impolite, and he
really-weu, one mustn't be kissed and
tell Twas so long ago, too. You see.
ladies' how devoted my lovers all are;
but I have won my bet. All! here is
another one more polite refusal. No.
of course I am honored," she read.
a crimson flush of shame spread over
the girls laughing face. That's chiy-
alrous of him. she said, trying to hide
her embarrassment And now to in
vent a polite refusal to my own pro-
posal.'
Horace Sands was in chambers when
Miss Maisie's telegram-reply paid-ar-
rived. He was smoking a cigarette
with Max Welby They generally
smoked together after lunch. in kind
Of sympathetic silence. He read II
slowly and then said. "Godi" and then
cit must be reeorded) 'Damn!" After
which, for him, unusual CALCULATIONS,
he went out of the room. On return
ing his friend noticed an expression OF
most pathetic woe upon his placid
features, and such hang-dog look that
he refrained from putting any ques-
tions from fear of iptNding on private
matters. Horace, however, after some
fdgeting said: You koow. after all
it's a dreadful thing. but what could
a fellow do? She's charming girl
of course-but / didn't think Of exactly
in fact, / am not a marrying man
you know-I never thought of marry
ing-don't know anything about it,
If you'll explain what you are talk
ing about l may be able to under
stand"
We'll, the fact is, Miss Maisie wired
and asked NEEDN'T you know; and L
of course
Asked you what?"
"Well, | suppose 1 oughtn't TO say,
he said suddenly flushing crimson.
Did she propose TO you?" asked Wei
by with an incredulous look of amuse-
ment Answer paid, too. The devil
she did, And you have accepted"
What else would you have me do?'
returned Sands stolidly.