[Illustration: HE TOOK MISS ELSERLY'S HAND IN HIS OWN, AND STAMMERED, "I CAME TO PLEAD FOR THE MAJOR."]

"Pardon a bit of egotism and reference to an unpleasant subject, Miss Elserly, Once I told you that I loved you; in this matter of the major's, I have been prompted solely by a sincere desire for your happiness; and by acting in this spirit I have entirely taken the pain out of my old wound. Mayn't I, therefore, as the major's most sincere well-wisher, enjoy once more your friendship?"

Miss Elserly smiled sweetly, and extended her hand, and Hubert Brown went home a very happy man. Yet, when he called again, several evenings later, he was not as happy as he had hoped to be in Miss Elserly's society, for the lady herself, though courteous and cordial, seemed somewhat embarrassed and _distrait_, and interrupted the young man on several occasions when he spoke in commendation of some good quality of the major's. Again he called, and again the same strange embarrassment, though less in degree, manifested itself. Finally, it disappeared altogether, and Miss Elserly began to recover her health and spirits.

Even then she did not exhibit as tender an interest in the major as the student had hoped she would do; but, as the major's truest friend, he continued to sound his praises, and to pay Miss Elserly, in the major's stead, every kind of attention he could devise.

Finally he learned that the major was in the city, and he hastened to inform Miss Elserly, lest, perhaps, she had not heard so soon. The lady received the announcement with an exquisite blush and downcast eyes, though she admitted that the major had himself apprised her of his safe arrival. On this particular evening the lady seemed to Mr. Brown to be personally more charming than ever; yet, on the other hand, the old embarrassment was so painfully evident that Mr. Brown made an early departure. Arrived at home he found a letter from the major which read as follows:

"MY DEAR OLD FELLOW.--From the day on which I met you in Colorado I've been trying to live after your pattern; how I succeeded on the third day, you may guess from inclosed, which is a copy of a letter I sent to Florence by you. I've only just got her permission to send it to you, though I've teased her once a week on the subject. God bless you, old fellow. Don't worry on my account, for I'm really happy. Yours truly,

"MALLING."

With wondering eyes Hubert Brown read the inclosure, which read as follows:

"Miss ELSERLY--Three days ago, while a fugitive from justice, yet honestly loving you more than I ever loved any other being, I met Hubert Brown. He has cared for me as if I was his dearest friend; he is going to make good my financial deficiencies, and restore me to respectability. He cannot have done this out of love for _me_, for he knows nothing of me but that which should make him hate me, on both personal and moral grounds. He says he did it because he loved you, and because he wants to see you happy. Miss Elserly, such love cannot be a thing of the past only, and it is so great that in comparison with it the best love that _I_ have ever given you seems beneath your notice. He is begging me to go back for your sake; he is constantly talking to me about you in a tone and with a look that shows how strong is the feeling he is sacrificing, out of sincere regard for you. Miss Elserly, I never imagined the angels loving as purely and strongly as he does. He tells me you still retain some regard for me; the mere thought is so great a comfort that I cannot bear to reason seriously about it; yet, if any such feelings exist, I must earnestly beg of you, out of the sincere and faithful affection I have had for you, to give up all thought of me for ever, and give yourself entirely to that most incomparable lover, Hubert Brown.

"Forgive my intrusion and advice. I give it because the remembrance of our late relations will assure you of the honesty and earnestness of my meaning. I excuse myself by the thought that to try to put into such noble keeping the dearest treasure that I ever possessed, is a duty which justifies my departure from any conventional rule. I am, Miss Elserly, as ever, your worshiper. More than this I cannot dare to think of being, after my own fall and the overpowering sense I have of the superior worth of another. God bless you.

"ANDREW MALLING."

Mr. Brown hastily laid the letter aside, and again called upon Miss Elserly.

Again she met him with many signs of the embarrassment whose cause he now understood so well; yet as he was about to deliver an awkward apology a single look from under Miss Elserly's eyebrows--only a glance, but as searching and eloquent as it was swift--stopped his tongue. He took Miss Elserly's hand in his own and stammered:

"I came to plead for the major."

"And I shan't listen to you," said she, raising her eyes with so tender a light in them that Hubert Brown immediately hid the eyes themselves in his heart, lest the light should be lost.

BUDGE AND TODDIE AT AUNT ALICE'S.

[_The following is quoted, by permission, from Mr. Habberton's popular book_, "OTHER PEOPLE'S CHILDREN," _published by_ G.P. PUTNAM'S SONS, _New York_.]

Mrs. Burton's birthday dawned brightly, and it is not surprising that, as it was her first natal anniversary since her marriage to a man who had no intention or ability to cease being a lover--it is not surprising that her ante-breakfast moments were too fully and happily occupied to allow her to even think of two little boys who had already impressed upon her their willingness and general ability to think for themselves.

As for the young men themselves, they awoke with the lark, and with a heavy sense of responsibility also. The room of Mrs. Burton's chambermaid joined their own, and the occupant of that room having been charged by her mistress with the general care of the boys between dark and daylight, she had gradually lost that faculty for profound slumber which so notably distinguishes the domestic servant from all other human beings. She had grown accustomed to wake at the first sound in the boys'

room, and on the morning of her mistress's birthday the first sound she heard was: "Tod!"

No response could be heard; but a moment later the chambermaid heard:

"T--o--o--od!"

"Ah--h--h--ow!" drawled a voice, not so sleepily but it could sound aggrieved.

"Wake up, dear old Toddie, budder--it's Aunt Alice's birthday now."

"Needn't bweak my earzh open, if '_tis,_ whined Toddie."

"I only holloed in _one_ ear, Tod," remonstrated Budge "an' you ought to love dear Aunt Alice enough to have _that_ hurt a little rather than not wake up."

A series of groans, snarls, whines, grunts, snorts, and remonstrances semi-articulate were heard, and at length some complicated wriggles and convulsive kicks were made manifest to the listening ear, and then Budge said:

"_That's_ right; now let's get up an' get ready. Say; do you know that we didn't think anything about having some music. Don't you remember how papa played the piano last mamma's birthday when she came down stairs, an' how happy it made her, an' we danced around?"

"Aw wight," said Toddie. "Let's."

"_Tell_ you what," said Budge, "let's _both_ bang the piano, like mamma an' Aunt Alice does together sometimes."

"Oh, yesh!" exclaimed Toddie. "We can make some awful _big_ bangsh before she can get down to tell us to don't."

Then there was heard a scurrying of light feet as the boys picked up their various articles of clothing from the corners, chairs, bureau, table, etc., where they had been tossed the night before. The chambermaid hurried to their assistance, and both boys were soon dressed. A plate containing bananas, and another with the hard-earned grapes, were on the bureau, and the boys took them and tiptoed down the stair and into the drawing-room.

"Gwacious!" said Toddie, as he placed his plate on the sideboard, "maybe the gwapes an' buttonanoes has got sour. I guesh we'd better try 'em, like mamma does the milk on hot morningsh when the baddy milkman don't come time enough," and Toddie suited the action to the word by plucking from a cluster the handsomest grape in sight. "I _fink_," said he, smacking his lips with the suspicious air of a professional wine-taster; "I fink they _is_ gettin' sour." "Let's see," said Budge.

"No," said Toddie, plucking another grape with one hand while with the other he endeavored to cover his gift. "Ize bid enough to do it all myself. Unless," he added, as a happy inspiration struck him, "you'll let me help see if your buttonanoes are sour."

"Then you can only have one bite," said Budge, "You must let me taste about six grapes, 'cause 'twould take that many to make one of _your_ bites on a banana."

"Aw wight," said Toddie; and the boys proceeded to exchange duties, Budge taking the precaution to hold the banana himself, so that his brother should not abstractedly sample a second time, and Toddie doling out the grapes with careful count.

"They _are_ a little sour," said Budge, with a wry face. "Perhaps some other bunch is better. I think we'd better try each one, don't you?"

"An' each one of the buttonanoes, too," suggested Toddie. "_That_ one wazh pretty good, but maybe some of the others isn't."

The proposition was accepted, and soon each banana had its length reduced by a fourth, and the grape-clusters displayed a fine development of wood. Then Budge seemed to realize that his present was not as sightly as it might be, for he carefully closed the skins at the ends, and turned the unbroken ends to the front as deftly as if he were a born retailer of fruit.

This done, he exclaimed: "Oh! we want our cards on em, else how will she know who they came from?"

"We'll be here to tell her," said Toddie.

"Huh!" said Budge; "That wouldn't make her half so happy. Don't you know how when cousin Florence gets presents of flowers, she's always happiest when she's lookin' at the card that comes with 'em?"

"Aw right," said Toddie, hurrying into the parlor,'and returning with the cards of a lady and gentleman, taken haphazard from his aunt's card-receiver.

"Now, we must write 'Happy Birthday' on the backs of 'em," said Budge, exploring his pockets, and extracting a stump of a lead-pencil. "Now,"

continued Budge, leaning over the card, and displaying all the facial contortions of the unpracticed writer, as he laboriously printed, in large letters, speaking, as he worked, a letter at a time:

"H--A--P--P--E B--U--R--F--D--A--Happy Birthday. Now, you must hold the pencil for yours, or else it won't be so sweet--that's what mamma says."

Toddie took the pencil in his pudgy hand, and Budge guided the hand; and two juvenile heads touched each other, and swayed, and twisted, and bobbed in unison until the work was completed.

"Now, I think she ought to come," said Budge. (Breakfast time was still more than an hour distant.) "Why, the rising-bell hasn't rung yet! Let's ring it!"

The boys fought for possession of the bell; but superior might conquered, and Budge marched up and down the hall, ringing with the enthusiasm and duration peculiar to the amateur.

"Bless me!" exclaimed Mrs. Burton, hastening to complete her toilet.