st the amount of money he would have received from his customer kept
him on the street two hours. It was three weeks before he made out the
account and sent it on. A month elapsed, but no remittance came. He
dropped his customer a line, and received for answer that when last in
the city he had bought more goods than he intended, and consequently
paid away all his cash; business had not yet begun to stir, and thus
far what little he had sold had been for credit, but that he hoped soon
to make him a remittance. The next news Paul had of his customer was
that he had failed.

It was said of him that when a young man he became quite enamoured of a
reigning belle, who to great beauty added many far more essential
prerequisites in a good wife, not the least of which in the eye of Paul
was a handsome fortune left her by a distant relative. To this young
lady he paid very marked attentions for some time, but he did not stand
alone in the number of her admirers. Several others were as much
interested in gaining her favourable regard as he was.

One day a friend said to him--"Paul, have you heard the news?"

"What is it?"

"Sefton has offered himself to Miss P----."

"It a'n't possible! Why, I was just going to do it myself! Has she
accepted him?"

"So it is said."

"I don't believe it."

"I don't know how you will ascertain, certainly, unless you ask the
lady herself," replied the friend.

"I will find out within an hour, if I have to do what you suggest.
Sefton offered himself! I declare, I didn't dream that any particular
intimacy existed between them. My own mind has been made up these two
or three months--in fact, long before Sefton knew her; but I have kept
procrastinating the offer of marriage I determined to make, week after
week, like a fool as I am, until I have allowed another to step in and
carry off the prize, if what you say be true. But I can't believe it. I
am sure Miss P---- wouldn't accept any man on so short an acquaintance."

"Sefton is a bold fellow, and prompt in all his movements," returned
the friend. "I rather think you will find the report true. I know that
he has been paying her the closest attentions."

"I won't believe a word of it until I have undoubted evidence of the
fact. It can't be!" said Paul, pacing the floor in considerable
perturbation of mind.

But it was all so, as he very soon ascertained, to his deep regret and
mortification at allowing another to carry off the prize he had