ALL IS FAIR IN LOVE.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 17, Issue 59, 27 July 1906, Page 6

ALL IS FAIR IN LOVE.

1. A FAMILY FEUD. Click, click, the sharp beat of the rainstorm was sounding against the casements of Mrs. Maple’s farm-house. It was an old. old house, and Mrs. Maple was an old, old woman. But you will find tufts of snowy blossoms bursting from agelichened apple trees, and sprays of greenery on the boughs of century-old oak trees; and so it happened that Minnie Maple, the ancient crone’s great granddaughter, was the bud and blossom of her worn-out life. Old Mrs. Maple owned the house, and had money out at interest; but she was a shrewd old lady and liked to keep her affairs in her own hands. And pretty Minnie, albeit an heiress in prospective, taught the village school and took care of the farm dairy out of school hours. “ It won’t hurt her to work for a living if she is to be rich one of these days," said Mrs. Maple. " I worked when I was a girl." And upon this dreary night Mrs. Maple’s swift knitting needles gleamed like steady lightning in the firelight, and Minnie sat on a chair beside her, mending table-cloths, while ever and anon a big drop would splash down upon the darned spots like a glistening globule of dew. “ But, grandmother, why ?" burst out Minnie at last, with her blue eyes lifted up like forget-me-nots drenched in rain to the old lady’s parchment-like face. " Because I say so," said old Mrs. Maple. And the fire crackled, and the rain beat sharply against the window-panes, and the knitting needles made zigzags of Ughtas.they flew in and out. "But you say yourself, grandmother, that he’s a good young man,” Old Mrs. Maple nodded. “ Without a bad habit in the world." And again old Mrs. Majple nodded like a Chinese mandarin in a collection of curiosities.

" And doing' well with his farm.” For the third time Mrs. Maple nodded. “ Then, grandmother, why won’t you consent to our marriage ?” urged the girl. " Child," said Mrs. Maple, turning her spectacle glasses full upon Minnie’s sweet flower-like face, " I've told you why half a hundred times. It’s because your grandfather and his grandfather were mortal enemies. Because your grandfather's last words upon his death-bed were, * I leave my soul to heaven, my money to my dear wife, and my everlasting enmity to Job Crofton.’" " But, grandmother," said Minnie, with a shudder, “ that was very, very wicked. And now they lie so close together in the graveyard. they cannot be enemies still." Old Mrs. Maple shook her white head. “ Your grandfather was a very vindictive man, Minnie,” said she. " I never disobeyed him living, and I never will disobey him dead.”

•• But, grandmother," coaxed Minnie, with her fresh cheek against the old lady’s hand, "he wouldn’t know it. How could he ?"

" Child, child, your grandfather Maple knew everything," said the old lady, with a sudden suspicious glance over her left shoulder, as something seemed to rustle in the casement. " And Ido believe his ghost would haunt me if I didn’t give heed to his last words. , No, no; Gilbert Crofton can never be your husband, and you may as well give up the idea at first as at last." And Minnie cried herself to sleep that night. "For I never, never can marry him Without grandmother Maple’s consent," she sobbed. I’ll si;ay single for his sake to the day of my death; but I can never disobey the kind old soul who has been a mother to me find brought me up from a baby." The next night there was a merry gathering at Farmer Ashworth’s, and Minnie Maple was there, but Gilbert Crofton did not make his appearance until late. "I’ve been busy," said Gilbert. "But never mind, so long as I am in time to dance one or two dances with you." And they walked home together under the clear cold sky, talking happily of what might be it only'grandmother Maple’s adamantine heart could be softened.

But, late though it was, with the old clock on the stroke of one, there was a light shining redly from the sitting-room windows, end through the uncurtained casements,they could see grandmother Maple marching tip ami down the room like a sentinel on duty, her high-heeled boots tapping on the floor, her fingers instinctively wandering around and around the inside of her empty snuffbox. Minnie hurried into the room. 11. A VISITOR FROM THE OTHER WORLD. " Why, grandmother,” she cried, " whatever is the matter ? Here are the logs all burned down to white ashes, and the candlewick guttering, and you in such a flutter as never was seen. What has happened, grandmother ?’’ i Mrs. Maple turned her keen blue eyes upon her granddaughter with an expression like that of a sleep-walker. "Minnie, come in,” said she, "and shut that door. Is that you, Gilbert Crofton, the great-grandson of Job ? Come you in also. Children," with her old hands shaking as if palsy-stricken, " I’ve seen a ghost i" " Impossible I" cried Gilbert Crofton. " Dear grandmother, you must have been dreaming,” said Minnie, creeping up to her side and drawing her down into the old armchair beside the hearth.

"Dreaming!” shrieked the old woman. " I was as wide awake as I am at this moment. I had been over to see Mrs. Muir’s sick child, and it was close on to o'clock when I got back. And the minute I crossed the threshold I had that queer feeling of someone being in the room creep all over me. And there, sure enough, in the chair opposite where he used to sit, thirty good years ago, was your great-grandfather Maple, with his old queer wig and his suit of brown, and the very green spectacles he used to wear for his weak eyes. And he took his pipe out of his mouth ?nd looked at me just as your great-grand-father Maple has locked at me a thousand il-Tjes. And says I, “ Reuben, is that you ?” And says he, "Yes, Mary, it is.l,” And says I, " Oh, Reuben, what brings you back to this world?” And says he, "To wipe out the stains of a wicked life." And says I, "Are you happy, Reuben?" And says he, " Yes, and that’s the reason I want others to be." And then I began to tremble all over, and says I, " Is it anything I can do, Reuben?" And says he, "There’s no more offending or giving offence in the other world, Mary, and Job Crofton's soul and mine are at variance no longer. Let there be peace, Mary, and let the young man Gilbert be your grand-child’s husband." And then he knocked the bowl of his pipe on the edge of the handiron, as I’ve seen him do so often, and he got up and walked out of the room, just for all the world like a living creature. I have often heard that ghosts can go through a keyhole, but your great-grandfather Maple's ghost opened the door and, moreover, forgot to shut it after him. So when I roused up enough to know what was going on around me the candle was blown out.” ** Oh, grandmother! do you think that was real?” cried Minnie, with startled eyes. •' Didn’t I see it with my own eyes, and hear it with my own ears?" demanded old Mrs. Maple. " It’s your grandfather’s ghost! And I might have known that if he wanted to appear he could, for he had obstinacy jnough for anything, rest his soul.. You

may marry Gilbert Crofton, if you wan. so to-morrow, Minnie. And perhaps your grand father’s ghost will be easy then." So the young people were happily married, and Gilbert came to live at the farm and managed all the old lady's affairs for her. And she lived to be a hundred years old before she closed those been blue eyes of hers upon the matters of this mortal world. But one day Minnie, turning over the relics, a red chest, stamped with brass, and faintly odorous of rose leaves and dried lavender, came to view, and she opened it. " Oh, Gilbert, look here!" cried she, “my great-grandfather’s best suit laid up in camphor and sweet herbs. Why do you suppose that grandmother Maple has kept it?” " I don’t know, I’m sure," said Gilbert, with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes "Perhaps for the younger generations to masquerade in!" Minnie sprang to her feet, a sudden light illuminating her whole face, “Gilbert," cried she, " did you act the ghost ?” : “No matter,” said Gilbert, laughing. " shut up the box, Minnie; your greatgrandfather's ghost will never haunt the house again." And it never did. WOMEN. I believe in women. I believe they are the sweetest, purest, most unselfish, best part of the human race. I have no doubt on this subject whatever. They do sing the melody in all human life, as well as the melody in music. They carry the leading part, at least in the sense that they are a step in advance of us all, all the way in the journey heavenward. I believe that they cannot move very widely out of the sphere which they how occupy, and remain as good as they are ; and I deny that my belief rests on any sentimentality, or jealousy, or any other weak or unworthy basis. A man who has experienced a mother’s devotion, a wife’s self-sacrificing love, and a daughter's affection, and is grateful for all, may be weakly sentimental about some things, but not about women. He would help ever) woman he loves to the exercise of all th» rights which hold dignity and happiness for her. He would fight that she might have those rights if necessary; but he would rather have her lose her voice entirely than hear her sound a base note, even were it no longer than a demi-semiquaver. J.Q Holland. FRIDAY,’LUCKY'OK UNLUCKY. Friday, February 22,1732, George Wash ington was born. Bismarck, Gladstone, and Disraeli were born on Friday. Friday, March 25, 1600, the Hudson river was discovered. Friday, June 13, 1402, Columbus discovered the continent of America. Friday, December 22, 1620, the Pilgrims made the final landing at Plymouth Rock. Friday, June xo, 1834, Spurgeon, the celebrated English preacher, was born. Friday, November 20, 1814, the first newspaper printed by steam —the London Times— was printed. Friday, October 19, 1781, the surrender of Yorktown, the crowning glory of the American army, occurred. Friday, September 7, 1465, Melendez founded St. Augustine, the oldest town in the United States by more than 40 years. Friday, May 14, 1586, Gabriel Fahrenheit, usually regarded as the inventor of the common mercurial thermometer, was born. Friday, March 5, 1496, Henry VIII. of England, gave to John Cabot, his commission, which led to the discovery of North America. This is the first American State paper in England. Friday, November xo, 1620, the Mayflower, with the Pilgrims, made the harbour of Province town, and on the same day they signed that august compact, the forerunner of the present American Constitution. Friday, July 7, 1776, the motion was made in Congress by John Adams, and seconded by by Richard Henry Lee, that the United States colonies were, and ought to be, free and independent.

STRANGE. ESPECIALLY IF TRUE. The following amusing story is related of the late King Kalakaua of Honolulu. His Majesty, who was a good deal of a boon companion, it would seem, betook himself one evening with a French gentleman to a tavern, to enjoy a game of cards and some light refreshment of the liquid kind. There happened to be a British ship in the harbour at the time, and on this particular night the sailors had been ashore diminishing the visible supply of grog in the upper part of town. In the small hours of the morning they started back for the boats, and, as unkind fate would have it, their route lay by the tavern wherein the King and his friend were having their quiet game. Into the tavern they staggered with much boisterous laughter and an unseemly tramping of feet.

Honolulu whisky was beginning to have its effect, and what with salty songs and clapping of bands it was taxing the royal brain to keep the run of the game. To add to the royal annoyance, the royal f)ile of coins became perceptibly diminished n the course of his unlucky game with his French friend. Thereupon, royalty rose up in its wrath, smote the table with its fist, and commanded that there be less noise.

This move of the King naturally led to a heated argument between His Majesty and His Majesty’s French friend on oneside and a motley crowd of jack-tars on the other. The argument developed into a lively scrimmage, and before His Majesty had time to say Kaoppollinjjii, he was seized by the slack of the royal raiment, carried to the door, and tossed unceremoniously into the middle of the street, where he lay full in the effulgence of the tropical moon until something landed in . a heap beside him. This something proved to be the Frenchman. After studying the stars for awhile, the King got on his feet and hailed a passer-by, who was despatched post haste to the palace for the royal army.f Then the dejected individuals seated themselves on some convenient steps to await the coming of the army and to reflect on the uncertainty of a quiet game of" nap" in the tropics.

The strains of sailor songs were still float* Ing out from the tavern when the Hawaiian army turned into the street. The sounds of martial tread awoke the King and his companion from their deep reflections. A hasty council of war was held, and then the royal army full twenty strong—an overwhelming majority being officers—charged into the tavern, encouraged by the ;ho its of the Frenchman, who discreetly ren a ned out in the night air, and hung to a sign board, from which point of vantage he could view the battle. There was a defiant shout from the sailors when the troops rushed through the door; then the sounds of blows and scuffling, which lasted the fraction of a minute. Then the royal army came out of the tavern. It wasn’t » charge, They had simply fallen over each other, in which they were assisted by the sailors, who hustled them out double quick. In a moment the King, his army, and the Frenchman were in full retreat toward the palace, whipped, horse, foot, and dragoons, by a handful of sailors, who pelted them up the street with glasses, beer mugs, and ant missiles that came readily to hand. And as the King retired unhappy to bed. •he army to the dispensary to secure plastei Mid beefsteak for scratched faces and discoloured eyes, the cocks were crowing, and there floated in from the bay on the earl) morning air the muffled sound cf triumphanl iftouts and sailor songs.