AS HE WAS – or, THE HERO OF TROTWELL.

Bruce Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 2196, 26 August 1890, Page 3

AS HE WAS - or, THE HERO OF TROTWELL.

[By H. B. St. Waid.] [continued.] Sandy rose pleased with himself, and set matters agoing by inserting an advertisement in the • Trotwell Harbinger,' The * Harbinger ' is a paper of the ordinary up-country type, but it has one special feature which gives it a pre-eminence in Otago. It haß a " Confidential column." In this column it is the custom of the residents of Trotwell to publish those things which they do not wish everyone to knew. This may seem absurd, but nevertheless is incontrovertibly true. Sandy knew of this column in the local print, for it was the only one he read, when he borrowed "the paper " from a neighbour on Wednesdays and Saturdays to " see the news." After much cogitation and great extravagance in ink, he concocted the following :— " An eligible young man of prepossessing appearance, with a fortune of £4000, is desirous of matrimonial relations with any Trotwell lady who would take X;Y.Z. for a husband. Apply at Alexander James's General Store." Trotwell haß many drawbacks but the "lack of woman's nursing and the dearth of woman's tears " cannot be counted among them. In other words, there is a superabundance of the female element In the town. Whether Sandy was aware of that or not cannot be said, but that it added to the success of his soheme is undoubted. To divulge, as is customary in small communities, the innermost secrets of your beat friends it will at this stage be necessary to state partially what Sandy's plan was. Applicants he expected in plenty. Knowing that modesty iB one of the guiding rules of woman's life in Trotwell aa elsewhere, he saw that each applicant at his front door might readily be persuaded that privacy from the criticisms of her own sex gene rally, the male sex more generally, and her co-applicants particularly, would be gained by a call at his private door, he laid his plan thus : The first applicant was told to call at eight o'olock, the second at five minutes past eight, and so on at intervals of five minutes. Sandy's back door opened into his sitting, room, which was also his kitchen, for Sandy saw no reason why there should be any distinction. Adjoining thiß apartment was a large room, which would perhaps have been the drawing-room of a tenant of other ideas and proclivities. Sandy used it for the storage of empty packing cases, though a considerable floor-space was just at this time left unoccupied. There was no outlet from thiß room except through Sandy's sitting-room. The candidates having in surprising numbers duly called on all sorts of pretences — hair pinß, potatoes, pens, ink, &c, &c. — and the wily Sandy having arranged the time of oalling for each in her turn, it only remains to follow the fortunes of the fair, the frail, the faithful, and the fading damsels of Trotwell on this auspicious occasion, for it was an auspicious occasion. The first arrival was a tall and fairly handsome maiden of about thirty. At twenty she must have been a very attractive girl, for still her manner and general deportment were much above the average colonial type, so that it was one of the wonders of Trotwell that she had never married. It was generally considered by the mala sex and by the fsw charitable members of her own sex that her single blessedness was purely a matter of her own choosing. Each and all of Trotwell. gossips would have said if they had seen her ushered into Sandy's "Consulting room," "Well, I couldn't have believed such a thing of Hottie Jardyne if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes 1" But so wou'd they of every other of the candidates for that matter, for it is surprising how often people flatter themselves that they are charitable while gloating over the downfall of a friend. Sandy having given his best ohair to the

lady, fumbled in his pocket for some time, and having produced a piece of crumpled paper, and coughed nervously, began as follows:— "Miss Jardyne, I told you that on coming here this evening you would meet the gentleuiau who is — ahem — pleased— ahem — desirous of offering a young lady a home and — a — a husband and a fortune. Well, Miss, he has asked mo before speaking to you himself to ask you a few questions for him, as he is a little bashful." Daring this halting peroration, Miss Jardyne kept her eyeß firmly and unflinoh- | ingly fixed on Sindy's face, and had he been ! courageous enough to do so he might by ! watching have seen a peculiar change coming over her expression. A look of atten- | tive seriousness had changed to one of mild surprise, and lastly to one of quiet amusement mixed with a slight amount of resentment. For some time no sound was heard but the crackling of Sandy's paper. Then, straightening herself in her chair, Miss Jardyne said : — "Why, Mr James, I thought that — that you " "That I was going to ask you some questions," said the innocent Sandy. "So I am. First : — What is your age last birthday ?" Miss J. — " Mr James ! I consider that question an unwarrantable rudeness." " Second. — Have you got any money of your own ?'' Miss J. — " This is too bad. Had I known this I should not have come. Kindly allow me "' The rest of Miss Jardyne's expostulation was left unsaid, for at that moment a very decisive double knock waß heard at the door. Sandy — •• Dear me, dear me ! That's the next candidate" Miss J.— " Candidate !" Sandy. — " Yes, lady candidate. I can let you out as she comes in." Miss J. — " Good heavens ! Never ! What shall Ido ? Keep her out !" Sandy. — " Hush ! I have it. Come this way. Go through that room and you will find another outlet." Miss J. waß thus caged, as she saw on a very short inspection of the room* TMb was easily done, for, for reasons of his own, Sandy had his lumber room very brilliantly lighted this evening. Candidate number 2 proved to b« the dismissed cook, Mrs Macarthur, Sandy's "lassie," of the Hotel. Sandy — " Good evening, Mrs Macarthur. The young gentleman of fortune has not arrived yet. But if you'll wait for four or five minutes he will be here." Mrs Maoarthur was not put through the questions, Sandy dispensing with examination. Rat, tat, tat ! Mrs Macarthur—" A knock ; the young gentleman of fortune I suppose." Sandy— "No, Mrs Macarthur; another lady, I think. Will you step into my drawing room till I interview her. Her chances I think, Mrs Macarthur, will be very small against yours, so I won't detain her." Mrs M. replied with a very ominous snort, but retired as Sandy advised. Never before in Trotwell was Buch punctuality observed. Oaly one lady was behind her appointed time, and that was in consequence of her patent adjustable back hair failing to remain as arranged before starting. She was only a minute out, and eventually found; herself in Sandy's •' drawing room." It would weary the reader to describe each candidate by name j but there were twenty five in. all— brunettes, blondes, tall scraggy girls, short dumpy girls, girls of nineteen, and "girls" of forty, all of all creeds and of every faith came to nibble at Sandy's bait. Four thousand pounds, even with Sandy in, was irresistible, even to the hopeful as to the hopeless damsels of Trotwell. [To BE CONTINUED,]