Mailing, the dashing
ex-soldier, and successful broker from the city.

The charm of uncertainty being thus added to the ordinary features of
interest which pertain to all persons suspected of being in love, made
Miss Elserly's affairs of unusual importance to every one who knew the
young lady even by sight, and for three whole months "the rivals" were a
subject of conversation next in order to the weather. At length there
came a day when the case seemed decided. For three days Hubert Brown's
face was very seldom seen on the street, and when seen it was longer and
more solemn than was required even by that order of sanctity in which
theological students desire to live.

Then it was noticed that while Miss Elserly's beauty grew no less in
degree, it changed in kind; that she was more than ever seen in the
society of the handsome broker, and that the broker's attentions were
assiduous. Then it was suspected that Mr. Brown had proposed and been
rejected. Ladies who owed calls to Mr. Brown's mother, made haste to
pay them, and, as rewards of merit, brought away confirmation of the
report. Then, before the gossips had reported the probable engagement of
Miss Elserly to Major Mailing, the lady and major made the announcement
themselves to their intimate friends, and the news quickly reached every
one who cared to hear it.

A few weeks later, however, there circulated very rapidly a story whose
foreshadowing could not have been justly expected of the village
gossips. The major absented himself for a day or two from his
boarding-house, and at a time, too, when numerous gentlemen from the
city came to call upon him.

Some of these callers returned hurriedly to the city, evincing by words
and looks the liveliest disappointment, while two of them, after
considerable private conversation with the proprietress of the house,
and after displaying some papers, in the presence of a local justice of
the peace, to whom the good old lady sent in her perplexity, took
possession of the major's room and made quite free with the ex-warrior's
cigars, liquors, and private papers.

Then the city newspapers told how Mr. Malling, a broker of excellent
ability and reputation, as well as one of the most gallant of his
country's defenders in her hour of need, had been unable to meet his
engagements, and had also failed to restore on demand fifteen thousand
dollars in United States bonds which had been intrusted to him for
safe-keeping. A warrant