Round the Sanctums. HOW THEY WERE TAKEN IN.

Otago Witness, Issue 1324, 14 April 1877, Page 21

Round the Sanctums. HOW THEY WERE TAKEN IN.

Not many weeks ago, a gentleman engaged apartments at one of our fashionable hotels. In appearance he was not prepossessing ; he had an unpleasant manner and an ungainly figure, and possessed none of those qualities calculated to recommend one to the gentler sex. After several days' sojourn he had succeeded in making himself disagreeable to all those he came in contact with. On the eleventh day after his arrival, a middle-aged and a young lady entered the hotel office, and registering their names as mother and daughter, engaged an apartment. Their appearance in the dining-room on the morning after their arrival caused quite a sensation among the eligible young bachelors, the young lady provingexeeedinglyattractive ; and before many days considerable rivalry sprang up among the young men and marriageable old ones, each endeavouring to ingratiate himself in the young lady's affections. She received their attentions with a haughty dignity and coldness which proved very discouraging to the less determined and faint-hearted males. Our awkward friend, the first arrival, was among the candidates' for the damsel's favour.' His repeated advancements and obtrusive remarks to her very naturally brought down on him the justly-merited ridicule o£ all, especially those interested, and more particularly of one young man who was possessed of considerable wealth and a limited supply of brains. He declared that the ugly fellow's attentions were insulting to the fair lady, while the homely member of the race thought that he was more acceptable in $he young lady's eyes than any other man in the hotel, and, with a taunting boast, offered to bet the rich young man SOOdob that, before twenty-four hours, he would be on familiar terms with the lady, and would ! accompany her to the theatre. • Foolish 1 as it may seem, the young man took the

bet, and lOOOdols were placed in the hands of the hotel-clerk. True to his boast, the ugly man took the handsome ] woman to the Globe Theatre. On re- j turning to the hotel the clerk handed him lOOOdols. Going upstairs, the lady was overheard asking, "How much was the bet V " Five hundred dollars," he replied. " Stupid little husband," she said, " why didn't you double it?" Next morning three persons had an early break- ! fast at that hotel, then folded their tents and stole away. — Boston Herald,