The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-03-31

| l ley before she dominated the whole es- l tablishment She found a way to manage even the tough old baronet and when Rawdon and Pitt came down for family gathering the green eyes looked calculatingiy at the real work Of the campaign. Rebecca would have 1 preferred old Sir Pitt, with the pros l pect of being comfortably established 1 in life as his widow at no distant date. but Lady Crawley had still some I feeble life left in her; Sir Pitt was a l tough customer, and the little woman could take no chances. Mir. Pitt would have suited admirably, but his engage ment to the gentle Lady Jane was an obstacle; and, after all, she did have little personal liking for the Guards man and more than 8 little for the fortune his aunt was going to leave him when that worldly old person should oyereat and overdrink herself for the last time.
 So the soldier, as was fitting, was the object of most of Rebecca's grand and minor strategy. The aunt, Miss Crawley. who had Joined the house par ty, came In for so much of 1t that she declared Becky to be the cleverest, sly est, most amusing little creature in the world, and insisted on taking her up to London with her for while when the family party broke up.
 Once established in Miss Crawley's household, Rebecca made herself so agreeable, so amusing and so useful that her patroness would by no means consent to her going back to the dreary life of Sir Pitts country seat Thus the little campaigner stayed on and on. soon displacing in Miss Craw- ley's affection poor Miss Briggs, who had been her dear friends companion For an unknown number of years and who wrote poetry and was bullied con- tinuallv by her dear Matilda"
 Rebecca had been part of Miss Craw- ley's household for some time when poor, wiIted Lady Crawley stopped weeping and taking pills and died. Im- mediately, not waiting even for the funeral. wicked old Sir Pitt hastened with Becky alone in the front parlor, flatly proposed to, make her Lady CrawIey No. 8.
 "oh, Sir Pitt,'' cried Becky. ''I can'tl l am--I anl--married alreadyT' Then she fled to her room and cried-per- haps. because she had not had little more patience. Now to whom was Rebecca married9 To whom, indeed. but Captain Rawdon Crawley.
 After the unexpected disclosure, the couple fled to Brighton for a honey moon-S Old Miss Crawley took to her bed. sent for her doctor and her law yer and altered her will, cutting Raw don off without a shilling. Sir Pitt raved like a mad man
 At Brighton the Crawleys straight way ran into Becky's dearest, dearest friend, Amelia Sedley, likewise on a honeymoon trip and her marriage, like Becky's, had prscipitated a dire family disruption.
 Amelias father, John sedley. having become rich enough through stock brokerage, had arranged many years before with his friend Osborne, a wealthy merchant, that Amelia should marry George Osborne, who had enter ed the army. To this arrangement both young persons took kindly, George as a matter of course and Amelia with ali the ardor of her sim pie and affectionate soul.
 George Osborne was a ooneelted and selfish dandy, whose once good quail a motherless boy by the overindul- gence of his father; but old Osborne was immensely proud of the fact that hin son was in the army and consort- ing with men to whom he alluded boastingly as 'swells."
 Suddenly when everything seemed fair business disaster overwhelmed old Sedley and old Osborne immediately ordered George to break his engage ment to Amelia.
 Perhaps he might. in time. have suc- ceeded in bending his son to his will had 1t not been for William Dobbin, a brother officer and loyal admirer of George So loyal was Dobbin, that he urged George to insist on marrying Amelia at once, though the advice tore his her Tt; for great, hulking awkward Dobhin was silently, deeply in love with Amelia himself. It was Dobbin who served Amelia, ever near her. asking nothing in return. dazzled oth- CTS with his splendid presence, It was Dobbin who watched over George now, as he had fought Georges battles when they were boys in school. And, as 1t had been in boyhood. so in manhood. George accepted his devotion and gave in return as much as 1t was possible for the spoiled darling to give to any one except himself.
 Dobbin felt that 1t would kill Amelia if George failed her. His arguments aided by young Osborne's own selfish impatience of control, won the day. George insisted on marrying Amelia, and his indignant father turned him out neck and crop, refusing to see him again or to hear the mention of his name.
 George drew from his bankers all that was then left to call his-a small amount of money inherited from his mother and proceeded to spend 1t right and left during his honeymoon.
 The sight of Rawdon Crawley. the brilliant leader of his set, delighted him. And Rawdon and Rebecca, now living on nothing a year with eonsid- erable help from Rawdons great skill at cards and billiards, were equally delighted at this opportune arrival of a free handed acquaintance.
 When Rawdon was not winning Georges money Rebecca was dazzling him with her wit and attacking him with shafts from her green eyes The little woman could no more help try Ing her Vaccinations upon the first man that came near than she could help breathing. She meant nothing wrong by 1t, not the least in the world; but 1t made Amelia very miserable never theless.
 Jos, the fat civilian, who had come back from India for a short stay, was with the bridal party, but he was It. tie company for his sister, and she felt decided cheering of her little heart when honest old Dobbin arrived, bring ing his unspoken and hopeless devo- tion along with him. But the little party at Brighton was suddenly brok- en up.
 Napoleon had returned from Elba and all Europe was arming against him. The Reign of the Hundred Days began and the three military men were ordered to join their regiments pFepa- tory to service abroad.
 To the rear of the British army