Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1908-12-17
.REPLY PAID"

+ HULK O2u1y. LIZ 00 ANA w.
thought Of it all day long, having de-
spatched the little she had, and, FOR
the thinking, things locked 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. Hamlin. Mrs. Haml1n
was always delightful and CHEEKY. Her
lovely dresses and sweet face and frag-
rant elegance reminded Maisie that at
! least she was the right person in he
right plac2with. fitting surroundings,
and the beautiful things of life that all
women instinctively 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 gener-
al aspirations toward the impossible?"
mo, I am not in love; but | am,
thinking of proposing to some one"
"Why?"
because I 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 MANI"
.That wouldn't be fair, because you
see, he is devoted, and mo, l think
a fat man with beard and glasses is
the sort of thing-in the abstract"
ooh, excellent in the abstract. Pro-
i 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 I'm capable
Of" returned Maisie.
"Il dare you, Maisie!" Mrs. HAM
lin twink1ed, twenty pounds on, and
I'll give you a month"
Twenty pounds!" repeated Maisie,
and there was an odd sound in her
voice.
Twenty pounds"
"Done!" she said, to the astonish-
ment Of the room. cts a bet!" Every
one sat up and bristled with delighted
curiosity. Maisie, of all people, who
invariably treated her SWANS with
a good tempered scorn that was the
envy Of her friends.
81 will do it now!" she went on, ex-
citedly. Mabel, give me those tele-
gram forms. OF course I won't under
take to carry out the contract, If any
n accepts" she added.
"No, no.; but a bona fide proposal!!"
She then sat down and addressed
seven telegnams and dispatched them
by the maid.
"Reply paid" she said. "And now
we'll have tea"
what have you done?" questioned
MI. Hamlin.
II have asked seven men to marry
mel"
"Maisie!"
well. vel gentlemen will hardly
be able to think that / I'm pining for
them all; and they'll exchange notes."
Men never do that"
"A1, what men never do, that sure
II man always does" she laughed.
Honor with them is a collective vir-
tue that has no application in the
singular. You shall read the answers"
Ia 00~ NoAAoS Va lAAAS II L -
came One by n the girl opened
them before her expectant friend, who
refused to go till all had come. Re
grets," quoted Maisie, holding up one
with mock gravity. Next, please. All!
thank you, Susan! Sorry, previous en-
gagement'-'Alas! impossible!"-'Cir-
cumstances over which l have no con-
| fr0191- IT would - T could bed T oo-,App
No!'-that's rather impolite, and he
~really-well, one mustn't be kissed and
tell. Twas so long ago, too. You see,
ladies', how devoted my lovers all are;
but ! have won my bet. All! here is
another n more polite refusal. No!
OF course I am h%onored," 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 telegrams-reply paid ar
rived. He was smoking a cigarette
with Max Welby. They generally
smoked together after lunch, in a kind
Of sympathetic silence. He read it
slowly, and then said unacceptable
words. After which, for him, unusual
. calculations, he went out of the room.
On returning his friend noticed an ex-
preston of. most pathetic woe upon
his placid features, and such a hang
dog look that he refrained from put
ting any questions from fear of in
truding on private matters. Horace.
however, after some fdgeting, said
"You know, after all. it's a dread
full thing, but what could a fellow do?
She's a charming girl, of course-but
l didn't think Of exactly-in fact, I am
not a marrying man, you know new
er thought Of marrying-don't know
anything about It."
IF you'll explain what you are talk
ing about I may be able to under
stand"
We'll, the fact is, Miss Maisie wired
and asked NEEDN'T you know: and
I, Of course
ASKED you what?-