The St. Johns herald., 1900-05-05
Mir. Oddie'S COurlShip.
NNR. MARKHAM oDDIE was model
By sheeIa E. Braine.
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Nk lodger. an old bachelor. and heart-whole man. That is to say. he was all three until the dhy-consider- ably past bis fortieth birthday-that a special fate took him in hand. and brought him face to face with the younger of two ladies who had recent ' come to live in one of the houses op- posite.
 They were evidently mother and daughter; both were comedy and the last-named of the two had one of the sweetest faces it had ever. been MT. oddie's luck to behold. She happened O drop a small parcel whilst walking along their mutual roadI and he hurried after her with ii. The smile with which she received 1t went straight through Mr. Oddie's somewhat an tiquated waist coat.
 All the evening he thought Of that smile. When he went 10 bed. he en- deayored. with the aid Of three candles, to get an impartial view of that region on the top of his head where the hnir ought 10 have been. but now. alns. was not. That bald spot had not troubled him much up 10 that time; now he re- gartled it with misirust.
 Mir Oddie lad led an amiable. pune tual. uneventful existence. going 10 and returning from the city every week day with regularity and dispaich-the kind of person who is never asked for his season ticket. He was comfortably of,
 koI iff1s he few relatives he possessed lived in the shires.
 Mir. Oddie had remained'a bachelor all these years possibly because nobody rad set 10 work to marry him. It was pot that he objected 10 women; on the contrary. he admired the fair sex. as whole. quite unreservedly. Bui he had never given his heart 10 any one par :icular woman, and his landlady looked lpon him as fixture.
 The returning of that apparently in- oocent looking parcel marked an epoch, life was never the same again 10 the title old bachelor. He had not watched Miss Hexham's gentle face and we'll developed but graceful figure for ten Jays before he became convinced that | was not good for a corn dealer 10 live alone.
 "k man wanted softening influences iboul him"-here he hurled piece of fried ham 10 the cnt-"he needed gen. tle hand to guide and restrain him." MT. 0dflie al this point discovered that le had forgotrea 10 wind his watch up he night before.
 The truth was. he was Tn love, and with young woman with whom he had Iever exchanged syllable. He learned 1er name from his landlady. an austere ,urious form of religion, and who did lot take much thought about frivolous worldly matters.
 Questioned discreetly by her lodger. his worthy but depressing person souid tell him little regarding the two adies who were now the object of such :euder interest 10 him. They were a Mrs. and Miss Hexham. so she had 1eard. and Mrs. Hexham was either ieaf or dumb. or it might be both. for 1Pr daughter talked on her fingers 10 ger. and she answered back in the snme way.
 Mir Oddie's courtship was a very de- ,orous affair. ln Spain. despite his sears. be would doubtless have adopted he role of an "iron-eater." as the youth who goes courting under bis rdy-love's balcony is styled.
 Rui in sober, unromnntie England, he sutton does not ,eat iron. or serenade :he queen Of his heart CD the guitar. He has 10 be properly introduced. and the little corn dealer. knowing this re. spectable custom, would have given anything for an introduction which would have allowed him to call and establish friendly relations.
 The morths passed. and ssill he could not get tha; thin but necessary end of the wedge in. The mother and daugh- ter seemed 10 have very few friends, ard never went out. probably on ac- count of Mrs. Dexham's afiiction. It was hard upon the daughter. MT 0ddie thought. but be admired her all the more for her self-saerifice.
 Miss HeXham became aware of his 3evoIiou, of that Mfr. Oddie was con- Vinced. When they met-and be took care that they did meet pretty often he veniure6 10 raise his hat. and smiles were exchanged. But there the affair halted, to ihe poor little mans frequent 1Fscpir Eie ccJld get TO "forra6er"