The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-02-21
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hearted way at any mention of. Mary Waters.
 Knowing from experience the ex- traordinary mutability of human af- fairs. Ensign Stubbs pressed his adored Magdalen to marry him at once She hastened to insert a little paragraph lin the country paper about forth coming marriage in high life. Then there was nothing to do except wait for the week to pass to put him into possession of his fair prize and the twelve thousand pounds
 Two days before the wedding . letter arrived from Magdalen's uncle Sam to announce that he would arrive the next day with most important pre- sent. She had told her Ensign that Uncle Sam was immensely rich, and the gallant young soldier hoped that present would be something worth
 while in the way of money.
 They went to meet him. As soon as, Stubbs, saw Uncle Sam on the Coach he had an uncomfortable feeling Mag dalen's relative was none other than Master stiffelkind!
 His presentiment was not wrong. Scarcely had the families of both parties assembled to do honor to the rich uncle when he brought out a bundle. Hastily and hotly he told the story of those fatal, those awful boots. Then turning to Magdalen. he said: Niece, have got five thousand pounds If you marry him will not give you
 one penny. But I promised you a wedding present. and that you shall have" He tore the bundle open and displayed the boots!
 Ensign Stubbs did not marry Miss Crutty. He discovered~in time what hot tempered young woman she
 was. The affair disgusted him with all women, and he threw himself heart and soul Into the society of the young | CT men Of the regiment-young fellows lessons he gave them in billiards or ] cards. or the skill with which he sell ectsd horses for them to buy.S By being cautious and thoroughly earnest about everything, he succeeded in making enough profit out of the horse swapping, betting and cards or billiards to double his income. And when young Dobble joined, MT. Stubbs protected him so well against sharpers,
 picked his horses for him and chose his champagnes that he not only saved the young fellow from misadventure. but managed to clear about 300 pounds himself out of Dobble's income Dobble. 1t must be confessed, was not a hero. Mir. Stubbs himself did not incline to the brutality and blood shedding. not to mention the unwise risks. that the profession of heroism involved; but Dobble being so very
 much less of a fre-eater. 1t was all
 most inevitable that Ensign Stubbs should take on bit of an extra swagger and talk a little more boldly than he had been in the habit of doing hitherto.
 The North Bungays were a fashion able regiment. Crude. rough fellows, without money, who had to fight their way to promotion. had to go into reg iments that were sent to war, being good for nothing else. Therefore there were not many men in the North Bun- gays who were inclined to question Mfr. Stubbs'sl title to bravery. He came to have a crack character and was voted their boldest officer.
 He might have become a general had not the fatality that pursued him brought 1t about that his regiment was sent temporarily to Portsmouth, a coarse. uncouth maritime place. At first 1t seemed a fortunate thing. for the gallant ensign met a very rich na- val contractors daughter Miss Ciop- per- whose brother was soldier him. self. being captain in a line regiment.
 Though he had had two such bitter disappointments in love. his heart was
 
 in winning the coy affection of the lovely creature, and all was fair in. the prospect. Then fate descended again and snatched away the prize.
 Dobble and Captain Chopper were in- vited by him to be his guests at the coffee house where Dobble lived-a rather fortunate arrangement, because Dobble's father paid the bills and an. extr adinner of two was hardly mo- ticeable.
 The admiring Dobble ordered many bottles of wine and became so enthu- siastic that he described his friends bravery at length and loudly. Ensign Stubbs, who had done the proper honor to the wine so freely offered on his altar. responded in a still louder voice. Captain Chopper raised his own voice and feiicftated himself on the approach ing marriage of his sister to so worthy Q man and officer.
 That led naturally to choice remarks on the ensign's fatal powers of fasci- nation. He admitted modestiy. though loudly, that he had broken a few hearts in his time. Dobble cried to his hero to tell how Mary Waters had run after him.
 Unhappily Ensign Stubbs did not ob- serve that a naval officer at an adjoin- ing table had turned around at the mention of that name. Tt was a mere bagatelle." said he. "she was the niece