Page 3 Advertisements Column 1

Evening Star, Issue 7362, 7 November 1887, Page 3

He appeared suddenly at the door of a fashionable boarding-house the other day, wearing a bland smile and a seersucker suit. The ladies were all grouped on the verandah, in breakfast costumes. " Ladies," he said, doffing his hat, " a gentleman who boards here asked me to bring this basket of lilies and present it with his compliments to the prettiest lady here." There was a moment's pause, and then a maiden who had seen many summers asked sharply: " Well, why don't you present it?" The man made a deprecatory bow. " How can I, Miss ? He forgot to give me any address, and I couldn't pick out one from so many." "What did he look like ?" asked all the ladies at once. " Very distwangey, with a light moustache—or, let me see, was it dark ? I kind of disremember the color. But that's what he said—the prettiest lady." "Could it have been Mr .Do you suppose he ordered them for that horrid Miss ?" " More likely for the widow." It must have been Captain ." "I hate to take them back," said the man reflectively. "If the lady he meant will pick herself out, I'll give her the lilies," and he twirled one fragrant bud in his hand. "Isuppose you couldn't sell any of them," murmured a sweet old thing vrhoknew she was the "one" meant. "I could sell to you all together, but not to one; that wouldn't be fair. You see the gentleman will know I couldn't afford to lose the sale of 'em. Six for five cents, ladies. If I can't find the right one 'tain't my fault, an' I never see s' many pretty ladies afore in my life." "I'll take a bunch !" " And I." The basket was soon emptied. At dinner every lady wore a lily in her hand or at her belt, and Mr and Captain were smiled upon by turns by the whole posse of female boarders, to their great surprise. " Good heavens ! what have we done to deserve it ?" asked the gentlemen of each other, as they were thanked for their good intentions. The ladies do not know yet that they were the victims of a commercial ruse on the part of the lily vendor,