know what man's devotion is,-true to one woman all day, In the evening true to another; Anna Maria in May, Susan Jane in June; by October all the names in the American category of feminine loveliness exhausted, and then hey! for Europe and Victorias and Maries.

CAPT. M. You speak as one who has been coached according to the morbidity of some female Byron. Has your

aunt

KITTY. My aunt never coaches any one; she is younger than I am quite a baby. I continually shock her with my superior knowledge of the world. She is

CAPT. M. But let us not speak of her.

(Placing seat for Kitty.) She will be here presently to speak for herself. KITTY. I don't know why she stays away so long. I—I— (seating herself) am growing nervous again.

CAPT. M. (sitting down.) Over what I am about to say to you? KITTY. Th-at depends upon what you are going to say. CAPT. M. You know why I am here?

KITTY. I cannot say that I do not. I have not told aunty though, I dared not. She has old-fashioned notions about youthful brides.

CAPT. M. Once more permit me to suggest that your aunt be left out of the question. You know why I come to America?

KITTY. Oh, I am so nervous. Yes!

CAPT. M. You know that I come to tell your aunt that a man offers you his heart and fortune?

KITTY (lowering her head). Yes.

CAPT. M. I come for more than that; I come to beg you to consider carefully what you are doing. You are plighting yourself for life to one man.

KITTY. HOW horribly serious you are; just like Aunt Agatha.

CAPT. M. I see you will not leave your aunt out.

KITTY. She is leaving herself out at present. I wish she'd come; she'd take it serious enough.

CAPT. M. True, your aunt and I belong to a generation that regards youth with more careful eyes than we did twenty years ago. But as I say, I would, dear Kitty, have you view this avowal of love with all due reverence. It is a holy thing

KITTY (crying). And not to be lightly entered into. 1 know, I know it all; I've read the marriage service ever since I was sixteen. And I know all about the solemnity and “I, M, take thee, N," and all the rest of it. Oh! oh! oh! CAPT. M. What have I done! Made you miserable? Forgive me! I came on the most blissful of errands,―to speak to you of love and marriage; and see how clumsily I have gone about it. There! there (trying to pacify her)!

MISS T. (behind the screen, takes the letter from her bosom and tears it to pieces, speaking sadly :) I am old-an old, old woLet me take off this frivolous garb. How thankful I am that I have heard him before I met him.

man.

The Captain still pacifying Kitty; Miss T. unperceived slips past the screen, crosses the stage and exits.

CAPT. M. Ah! Now you smile again, and I am forgiven? KITTY (knotting her handkerchief). There isn't anything to forgive, but I forgive you all the same.

CAPT. M. I dare say I made a sad bungle of it. KITTY. So many elderly people make bungles. seem to think that we young people haven't a grain of sense, because we don't use it as we use pepper and salt to

They

season everything we are regaled upon.

CAPT. M. I dare say I am elderly.

KITTY. Oh, frightfully.

CAPT. M. While your aunt

KITTY. You said my aunt should not be brought in. (Aside.) I'll bring her in, though.

CAPT. M. I merely remarked

KITTY. Pardon me!

CAPT. M.

You meant to remark

That while I

KITTY. That while you are horribly old
CAPT. M.

Old!

KITTY. Quite a relic. That while you are a second Methusaleh, aunty is in the enjoyment of incessant youthfulness. I will not deceive you, Captain May, my Aunt Agatha has discovered the philosopher's stone, and has turned everything into gold, and herself into a being who will never arrive at maturity—I just now told you that she is a baby. CAPT. M. (in reverie.) She used to be very sweet.

KITTY. She's a great deal sweeter now. All the men for miles around rave about her.

CAPT. M. They used to rave about her twenty years ago. KITTY. It's worse now. An undertaker wants her.

CAPT. M. (in horror.) An undertaker wants her! Whywhy

KITTY. Oh, merely to take a house near a college.

CAPT. M. Near a college?

KITTY. So that he may have a brisk trade in the families of the sophomores.

CAPT. M. (laughing.) You ridiculous Kitty.

KITTY. Then why did you make me cry.

CAPT. M. Seriously, Kitty,

KITTY. Seriously, Captain May,

CAPT. M. Your aunt is very young in appearance, I presume?

KITTY. I have told you twice that she is a baby. She could not be younger than that.

CAPT. M. Younger!

me, of course?

KITTY. Of course.

Ah-younger looking than-than

Captain M. slyly gets possession of the hand-glass and looks into it.

KITTY. I only wish she would hurry. Younger looking than you! My goodness! wait till you see her!

CAPT. M. She goes out a good deal, eh?

KITTY. Indeed she does.

CAPT. M. She always went out a good deal.

KITTY. She goes once a week to the rectory to make up flannel for the dear little Indians; two days to church; a half day to read to people who never learned the art. The other three days and a half she is occupied in keeping me from saying anything about her to quizzing elderly gentle

men.

CAPT. M. Elderly gentlemen! come here?

Do elderly gentlemen

KITTY. There was one here to-day.

CAPT. M. (putting down glass and rising.) Yes, Kitty, I am old,-far too old for nonsense, and far too old for you to sit there and laugh at me.

KITTY (rising and going to him). Oh, Captain, pray forgive me; you are too dear to me for me to make a jest of

Enter Miss T. in first dress, and with cap.

MISS T. (going to Captain M. and smilingly giving him her hand.) I am very glad to see you, Captain May.

CAPT. M. Agatha-Miss Trelawney, after all these years of absence!

KITTY. Why, aunty, you promised me you'd put on your lovely young robe. You look almost elderly in that thing. Miss T. I am honored by this visit, Captain May; a visit of business presumably.

CAPT. M. My old friend!

MISS T. You compliment me by calling me such. Time has dealt kindly with you, Captain May.

CAPT. M. Captain May! I should have known you anywhere, Agatha.

MISS T. (laughing.) You flatter me. (Soberly.) But this matter of importance which you have to communicate? You will pardon me, but I am expected at the rectory

CAPT. M. (stiffly.) Yes, to sew flannel for Indian babies. This welcome quite overpowers me; it is scarcely what one would have looked for after twenty years of separation.

MISS T. I am sorry; but then age makes one practical. And the matter of importance?

CAPT. M. Upon my word, madame!

KITTY (rubbing her hands). It's coming! it's coming!

CAPT. M. The matter, madame, is this

KITTY. Oh! (Goes to piano and runs her hand over the keys.)

MISS T. I await your pleasure, Captain May.

CAPT. M. I-ah-ahem! Your niece-ah-ahem!

MISS T. (cheerfully.) My niece

CAPT. M. Has become the object of -a man's devotion.

MISS T. I know it.

KITTY. O aunty, don't fib! Who told you?

CAPT. M. You are apprised of this?

When

MISS T. Let me not act as though I am in ignorance of anything you may say to me. Besides, I am anxious to get to the rectory. I know all that you would tell me. you first entered this room with my niece, I was behind that screen, and before I had a chance to escape, heard

something of what you told her. Allow me to congratulate you on the manner in which you have fulfilled your office. CAPT. M. Then you consent to this marriage?

MISS T. I do, most heartily.

KITTY (running to her). Oh, you delicious aunty!

Miss T. (repulsing her.) Go away, Kitty! go away, I say! KITTY. Why, Aunt Agatha

Miss T. (feebly.) Jack, your nephew! What has Jack, your nephew, to do with it?

CAPT. M. Then you do not know the gist of the matter? KITTY. I knew you were fibbing; you don't know it. But you've said I might accept,-Captain May has your word for it. I never told you, but it's Jack May, the Captain's brother's son, my dear Jack!

MISS T. His nephew! Jack (putting her hand to her head)! CAPT. M. Agatha! what is it? Is it possible

MISS T. I thought-I thought

CAPT. M. Agatha, tell me-after all these years—my old affection for you-which has never failed

KITTY. Oh, that's coming, too. (Runs to piano and plays softly, "When other lips and other hearts,” etc.)

CAPT. M. Speak, speak, Agatha. You thought that Kitty's suitor

MISS T. Kitty! Kitty!

KITTY. Don't appeal to me; I refuse to have anything to do with you. Only let me tell you that I know your story from beginning to end, Agatha Trelawney, Jack told me. Besides (playing), you're in a hurry to get to the rectory. CAPT. M. (excitedly.) Agatha, Agatha, tell me tell me you thought

Miss T. From what I overheard I thought-I feared-O Richard, that you were Kitty's suitor.

CAPT. M. When I remember twenty years back, Agatha? He holds his arms out, and Miss T. with a glad cry runs to him, placing her hands before her eyes and resting her head upon his shoulder, Kitty singing "When other lips," etc., as curtain falls.