The Fever of Life
with this foolish mouse.

He was a handsome fellow too, Archie Maxwell, with his fresh-coloured face, his yellow hair and moustache, his blue eyes, and his stalwart figure. A lover any girl would be proud to have at her feet, as Kaituna undoubtedly was, though the woman predominated in her too much to allow her to let him see her approval. Poor! yes, he was poor, certainly. An engineer, who wandered over half the world building bridges and railways, and all kind of extraordinary things. Still, he was young, and engineering is a money making profession, so Kaituna positively determined that should he ask her to marry him, she would consent. But her father--well, he was thousands of miles away, and when he returned she would no doubt gain his approval; so at present she surrendered herself entirely to this new delicious feeling, and Ulysses, tangled in the snares of Calypso, forgot everything save the face of the conquering nymph.

Meanwhile Calypso read the paper while Ulysses watched her, and they both sat silent while every one round them talked loudly. Tommy was playing a nigger minstrel tune, and Toby, leaning on the piano, was chatting to her gaily, evidently on the fair way to become as much enamoured of his nymph as this other sighing rover.

"Well, have you found what you wanted?" asked Maxwell, as the lady looked up with a bright smile.

"Yes! It is marked with a blue pencil, and as you have been so kind in playing postman, you can read it."

Archie did so.

"Wanted, a companion for a young lady. Apply by letter, Dombrain, 13, Chintler Lane, City."

"Short and sweet," he said, handing the paper back, with a puzzled look on his face; "but I don't understand it."

"It's easily explained," replied Miss Pethram, composedly. "Mr. Dombrain is my father's solicitor, and is advertising for a chaperon--for me."

"For you! But you have Mrs. Valpy."

"Mrs. Valpy is a dear old lady, but she is--Mrs. Valpy."

"It is a very serious thing to advertise in a paper for a chaperon. You never know the kind of person you may get."

"Mr. Dombrain will."


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