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had met Lady Elizabeth at a fancy
dress ball to which hfrhad somehow
obtained, a ticket, had- fallen head
over ears in love "with her, and met
her in the park. next day, proposed on
the third meeting andwas accepted
on the fourth.- And then he had Wed
a short cut to success. He stopped
Jx)rd; Masterton's cab in a crowded .
street and the'conyersation that en
sued was.somethlng like this: ' .
The Lord Chancellor (wakinp put
of a snooze) "JSeivum as your
.lordship was saying with reference to
this measure before this house er
hello! Why,, bless me, who the deuce
are you?"
. Mr. Lionel Jones "Sorry to be "so
unceremonlus, lord. My name's
Jones of Fairfield, Neb., very good
family,- staunch Presbyterians, don't
drink or chew," smoke in'moderation,
love your ward, Lady Elizabeth, want"
to" marry her."
The I Lord Chancellor "Help !
Help! There's a crazy man in the
.cab!" v .
' (Exit Mr;. Jones at a run.)
"I know it's hard, dearest," sighed
Mrs, Jones. ''But we've got to part.
There's no hep for it But I'll get
the opportunity within a day or two,
and then we'll be happy all our Uvea."
.With that Lion'el Jones" was forced
to be content, and, having duly placed
Jumself in contempt of court for a
third time, het 6adly placed his bride
in a cab, and, raising his hat, depart
ed in the direction, of his firm's of
fices. '
On the next "morning .he-received a
letter from his bride.
"I don't know what.to do, dearest,"
it ran. "I havespoken to Reggie,
and he absolutely declines to let .us
get married or to, have anything to do
with you. He says that if he so much 1
as hears your name mentioned again, 1
he will commit you for contempt. Be
tween ourselves, I don't believe .he
has the power to do that, but he's;
fearfully obstinate and now he knows
that you aren't a lunatic, he is aw
fully angry. What ami to do?"
"Lie low and say nothing if you see
me," Mr. Jones wr,ote ljack'm -going
to wear him out. L,haven't sold
agriculturalimplements'five. years for
nothing."
Parliament adjourned the following
week and Lord Masterton went to
Scotland to shoot, grouse. If there
was one thing Ke prided himself upon,
it was his markmanship, but he was
getting old and lethargic, he sadly
admitted, and he was not so quick as
he once had been. In brief, hav
ing ensconced . himself behind his
butt, he placed his gun by his aide and
settled himself for a. snooze.
Bang! Bang! he heard at his side,
and started, up, gun in hand. A covy
had -flown over him, and. two birds
plumped down at his side,-a whirring
mass of feathers. Beside him 'stood
a stranger, clapping his hand enthu
siastically. "Brave, sir!" he said." "That "was
thev finest shot I've ever seen. I
(couldn't have.- hit thqse-birds in fifty
years."'
"Birds? Did I bit thosebirds?." in
quired Lord Masterton: "Why, I
thought had been "dozing.
- "You yere, sir, and that's the re
markable thing about .it," answered
the other. "You seem to have known
by instinct. just when they were com
ing, jumped to your feet, aimed your
gun, and brought them down with the
bestshot I've seen-in 'years'."
"Dear iney you seem to be a very
intelligent man," re'markedV.the chan
cellor. "Are you one' of the beaters?"
"No lord, I sell agricultural ma
chinery," answered the other. "My
name is Jones Lionel Jones. And,
while I'm .about it, ,1 want to speak
about your ward, Elizabeth. We love
each other "- ,
x But even Mr. Jones was not proof
against the fear of a double load of
"shot in bis legs.- As the lord chancellor-
seized his weapon, he took flight
swiftly, leaving the old gentleman
mopping his forehead and 'saying
words' that no chancellor-should say.
"You confounded" suffragette I "
