Year: 1878

advertisement in certain newspaper.
with directions for answers to be sent to
certain signature at the Post Office. AS
the advertisement appealed to the practi-
cal, by assuming a neat little fortune, in
addition to an agreeable person, the seed
Of such temptation could not well fail
On the first day that succeeded the adver-
tisement the lady received seventeen re-
plies on the third day, seventy-two-an
extent, and an ardor Of appreciation for
her vaguely described personal attractions
which even she was not prepared to ex-
pect.


Bewildered by the warm volume of ad-
Grafton and entreaty which issued from
this hymeneal magazine, the lady called
to her aid five ladies as mischievous as
herself. One pair of hands and one
mind were, Of course, quite unequal to
the task of answering all so the batch
Of billetdoux was divided equally among
| them, and each was to make an appoint
ment with the writers on the following
Saturday afternoon at four O'Clock on the
lower side of the upper stairs saloon of a
certain popular restaurant. Each of the
ladies', moreover, who took the task in
charge, chose different colored paper
for replies. Finally it was agreed that
the whole six should wear the exact cos
tune prescribed for the inamorata whom
the signing swalrs would be there to see.
On the other hand, the gentlemen were
directed to appear in all the varieties of
attire and position which female ingenui-
ty and mischief could devise. One was
requested to wear blue coat and bright
brass buttons another to have his hair
parted in the middle one was to be eat
ing a plate of pork and beans, which,
said the ingenius writer who dictated it,
You can scarcely expect will be called
for by anybody else." Others were to
be partaking of various dishes, or to
place themselves in such attitudes and
postures as were directed by the writer.


AT four o'clock on the prescribed Sat
urday afternoon, every chair at every Ia
BILE on the lower side of the upstairs sa-
loon was filed with highly perfumed Le-
anders, all gazing into each others faces,
and each secretly cursing the luck which
wedged him so closely out of killing po-
sitions and display which he had been
medtating ever since he got his note
And how the dishes smoked and the Won
derng waters flew ! Even the perplex-
cd landlord, amazed at this miraculous
flow Of business, was obliged to drop his
own mutton chop, and call out the entire
force Of his establishment to meet the
clamorous, if not threatening, demands of
the gentlemen who feared they might not
get their telegraphing plate of duck or
mess Of pork and beans in time.


At last the rustic Of stiff skirts was
heard coming up the stairs-one minute
after four and an inamorata appeared,
dressed in dark green with deep fur cape,
with abundant dropping lace. She was
wafered on the back of the head with an
tinfnitesimal bonnet, and carried in her
hand the magic cambric whose Shakes
perian strawberries intmated that she
was she. When she appeared, the SEN
sation was universal (; the gentleman with
the buff vest threw open his coat to tie
extreme the gentleman in bluen and
the bright buttons, buttoned his coat en-
tirely to the chin the gentleman who
was to lean backward frequently, com
menced til.ing like Chinese mandarin; ;
the gentleman with the pork and beans
became vociferous for more beans while
those who had duck, ETC., were equally
clamorous IN complaining of the undue
fulfillment Of their orders.


Never was there such clamor heard
in that usually well regulated upstairs sa-
loon and, by. the-by, never did il
subside more suddenly than when new
brush Of skirts was heard coming up the
| stairs. All the Lotharos were once
more in position-when, 10 !-another
Cordelia, in all respects the reflex of the
first, appeared, bearing the film of straw
berries as challenge in her hand, and
sweeping with it, like Juno, to seat
near the location of the first. 1t is need
less to say that the sensation was now at
its extreme. Some of the gentlemen who
were to part their hair in the middle be-
gan, however. to look less furiously at
other gentlemen who parted their hair
the same way, as much rs to say. =
" Well, there is one for each Of us, any
how"


But most OF the party seemed more
troubled than before. A pause Of some
minutes succeeded before any new zap.
pearances " took place, during which
time the Lotharois were engaged in dis
playing their points to the best advantage;
and some, more ardent than the rest.
pulled out the various colored notos they
had received, and either pretended to read
them, or laid them conspicuousy on the
table.


" There's one of my fellows with the
blue note" D." said Mystery No. l, over her
spoonful OF soup, to Mystery No..


" What do you think of Augustus
there, with the pork and beans, who is so
pensively leaning his cheek upon his
hand 2" said Myth the second.


Before the answer could be given, Ap-
partitions three and four appeared, and
hard upon their heels came five and six.
There was now perfect CONSERVATION on
the lower side Of the upstairs saloon of
the fashionable restaurant. The man on
the tilt fell backward, and was shot un-
der the table. There was general hunt
after hats and gathering up of leose
handkerchiefs and canes.


All at once. nftar nna of thnsa short.