The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-21

Bates, was a fine, tall, plump, smiling. peach-cheeked, golden haired, white skinned lane with half the county dang ling after her. Her charms were not bit decreased by the fact that her brother, Captain Waters had given her i've thou sand pounds and had promised her five thousand more.
 So, although Mr. Robert Stubbs had discovered lady, Miss Magdalen Crutty, who had twelve thousand pounds against Marys ten thousand, he remained true to the latter even though it was against his financial interests. But one unfortu- nate day news came that Mary's brotlfer had lost five thousand pounds at sea-the very sum that he was bringing home to Mary from India.
 That left Mary with only five thousand; and Mir Stabbs with uniforms and what not to pay for in an expensive regiment, had to confess that it would be quite impossible to live on such a capital. Didn't he know how misera bly his father scraped along on three hundred a year, so that narrowly as he lived, he could screw out of it only a hundred pounds a year for his son?
 There was nothing left to do except to yield to stern fate, and the sooner the better Robert Stubbs did not delay a moment, but hastened to the home of Miss Magdalen Crutty and laid his heart at her feet. Miss Crutty was not as well endowed by nature as by finance She had broken no hearts, and she ac-
 
 stantly
 His father and Dr. Bates acted most foolishly and even inhumanly, accusing him of behaving like a scoundrel and the world, always malicious against those who succeed through common sense and su- perior thrift, echoed the charge. His mother, however, defended him bravely, though she cried in her foolish, soft heart ed way at any mention of Mary Waters
 Knowing from experience the extraordi- nary mutability of human affairs. Ensign Stubbs pressed his adored AIagdalen to marry him at once. She assented blush ingly, and MT. Stubbs hastened to insert a little paragraph in the county paper about forthcoming 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 a letter arrived from Magdalen's uncle Sam to an- nounce that he would arrive the next day with most important present. She had told her Ensign that Uncle Sam was i'm mensely rich, and the gallant young sol dier hoped that the 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 Magdalens relative was none other than Master Stiff felkndl
 Ifls presentment was not wrong Scarce ly had the families of both parties as sembled to do honor to the rich uncle when he brought out a bundle. Hastily and hotly he told the story of those fatal l those awful boots Then turning to Mag dalen, he said: Niece 1 have got five thousand pounds. If you marry him l will not give you one penny. But I prom | ised you a wedding present and that you | shall have.' He tore the bundle open and i displayed the boots!'
 Ensign stubbs did not marry Miss Crutty He discovered in time what a i hot-tempered young woman She was. The l affair disgusted him with all women, and | he threw himself heart and soul into the society of the younger men of the regi- ment-young fellows who had the sense l to appreciate the lessons he gave them in billiards or cards, or the skill with ] which he selected horses for them to buy | By being cautious and thoroughly earn | est about everything, he succeeded in making enough profit out of the horse i swapping, betting and cards or billiards 1 to double his income. And when young i 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