ees maemo ue Frpruary 28, 1874.] ‘GREDBS: AND BHACK. PERPLEXITY. BY MRS. MARY D. BRINE. Oh! what can a maiden do, With lovers around as thick as bees, Each trying their best myself to please? Each vowing a love so true! Oh! what can a maiden do? Oh! what should a maiden do? The people will talk and call it a shame, And add the title of ‘flirt’? to my name; Oh! dear! I leave it to you, Now what should a maiden do? Oh! what ought a maid to do? The trouble is that I like them all, The plain and handsome, the short and tall; *Tis funny, I know, but true; So what ought a maid to do? Now, what would you really do? Would you marry one to get rid of the rest? That is, if you liked one best. Dear friends, I appeal to you, Isn’t that what I ought to do? (COMMENCED IN No. 1.) KATE DARLING; THE BELLE OF THE SCHOOL. CHAPTER IX. TOM PEPPER AS A WITNESS. NEVER was a poor lady so completely both- ered and perplexed as Miss Gritty when she arrived home, somewhat late in the evening on which occurred the momentous events recorded in the last chapter. That the sacredness of her promises had been invaded in a bur- glarious manner ‘there could be no doubt. But for what pur- pose was an impenetra- ble mystery. Miss Savernake, to whom, of course, the lady principal applied, could throw no light on the matter. Indeed, her behavior, to shrewd observers such as were Kate Darling, Prissy Sharp, and Carry Mal- travers, was peculiar and inexplicable. No sooner was the return of Miss Gritty made known than that marvelous coolness which had all along sustained that person forsook her, and she became prostrate and hysterical. The fright she had endured had completely ruined her memory. The village constable was dispatched for a neighboring justice of the peace, and in his presence Miss Saver- nake was examined. Was it a fact the ruffian, whoever he was, had broken into her room in the violent manner described? ‘Yes. Had she any idea of who or what he was? _No; how was it pos- sible she should have? What did he say to her? She had no recollec- tion. She did not think he meant to enter as he had done. That he had gone on the window-sill to peep in, and that his feet had slipped, and he had tumbled through the glass. Had he demanded money of her? No. Had he robbed her of any thing? No, nothing at all. ““T seized hold of him, and called aloud for help, but he neither struggled with nor threat- ened me,” said Miss Savernake. Kate Darling was present when she made the last astounding assertion. In fact, she was standing at the head of the couch on which Miss Savernake lay extended. In her innocence, Kate was about to correct the misstatement, and to state what she had witnessed as she stood appalled at the shattered window. But Miss Savernake, perceiving her inten- tion, was at once seized with another fit of hysterics, and in her nervous terror flung her arms about Kate, and hid her face in her neck. ‘“‘ Ah!” cried Miss Savernake, in frantic ac- cents, ‘‘ save me, save me! The horrible man —the dog, the dog!—he will kill him!” But next instant, in a low, quick, perfectly cool whisper, she uttered in Kate’s ears the words: “Beware! We have each our secrets. Keep mine.” : And then she immediately relapsed into in- coherent, hysteric ejaculations, and nothing could be got out of her for five minutes at least. : «When sufficiently recovered, and asked if she could describe the burglar, to Kate’s further bewilderment, she at once set about describing a man utterly unlike the one who struggled with her on the ground, and threatened to stab her, using toward her those singular expres- sions that had so impressed themselves on Kate’s memory. It was quite evident that for some secret rea- son Miss Savernake was anxious to screen the ruffian who had so savagely assaulted her. She had no idea how he had escaped. To avoid the horrid spectacle of the mastiff tearing his life out, she had been so weak as to call out to those who had approached to call the animal off, and that then the man had leaped out of the shattered window, and that was all she knew about it. Not a word about Cuthbert, though Kate could have sworn that she had recognized him. It must have been to this that Miss Saver- nake alluded when she whispered: ‘We both have secrets. Keep mine.” It was found impossible, however, to avoid all mention of the ‘gentleman and his livery servant,” who had so opportunely come to the rescue, The rheumatic old gardener who had ad- mitted him at the side gate, was loud in his praise, as was also Master Tom Pepper. But they by no means agreed as to his iden- tity, a circumstance that must appear some- what extraordinary, until it is explained that Prissy Sharp had a hand in it. “Look here, Tom,” that young lady had said, calling aside the excited Pepper on the eve of his examination, ‘‘there’ll be some mistake made by that stupid old gardener in describing that gentleman.” “T shouldn’t be a bit surprised, Miss,’’ re- turned the precocious Pepper, with his eyes following Miss Sharp’s movements in search of her purse. SS SSS SSS SS I j | bbb td | I SEIZED HOLD OF HIM, A “He won't make false statements willingly, you know,” continued Prissy, withdrawing half a crown, and pressing it on Pepper’s accept- ance, “ but his eyes are not good, and he is sure to make the gentleman out what he isnot. If you are the good, obliging boy I take you to be, you will not allow Miss Gritty to be deceived, because, you know, Pepper, you saw the gen- tleman, and had a much better opportunity of judging what he was like than he had. Do you understand?” ‘‘ Rather, Miss,” said the acute Pepper. And so the sequel proved. «“ And what became of the gentleman?, ask- ed the worthy legal magistrate, while Miss Gritty stood by awaiting the reply. “ Wanished, sir,” replied Pepper, shortly, and as brazen as a brass knocker. “Did he leave no name?” SCNo; sir,” “Can you describe him?” “A tall gentleman, sir,” began the old gar- dener. « About five feet two,” put in Pepper, mind- ful of Prissy Sharp’s injunction. “Young, and with black curly hair,” said the gardener. ‘Please, sir, he’s a-laborin’ under a hoptical delusion,” blandly explained Master Pepper; “ about six-and-fifty was his age, as nigh as a toucher, and as for his black curly hair, he hain’t got a hair on his head.” «“ How do you know that, when the gentle- man wore his hat?’ asked Miss Gritty, sus- piciously. * “Twas just a-goin’ to explain that, when the gardener interrupted me,” said the mendacious Pepper. ‘I see him afore the gardener; I met ND CALLED ALOUD FOR HELP,” SAI him outside when I was running to fetch the constable, and I see him comin’ along with the tother cove in buttons. ‘ “<< Hullo! I ses to myself, ‘here’s two more of ’em a-waiting outside while the others do the job inside.’ “Well, I seizes ’old on ’em—” “Seized hold of both the men?” asked the magistrate, incredulously. “One in each hand,” continued Pepper, without a change of countenance; ‘‘the old gentleman with my left hand, seein’ as he was the veakest, and thinkin’ that he deserved it, I give him a shaking, and off fell his hat, and there was his head as bald as a pumpkin.” ‘““Then he couldn’t have been a young man,” remarked Miss Gritty, much relieved. “He told me as much,” continued Master Pepper, warming as he went on. “You ole wagabone,’ I ses—you’ll excuse the strength of the langwidge, Miss Gritty, but my blood was up, don’t you know?—‘ you ole wagabone,’ ses I, ‘ain’t you ashamed, at your ’ears, to come a-burglarying at a respectable crib like what our’n is?’ ‘ And he said, ses he: “