20 TROTTY’S WEDDING TOUR.

well as a soldier cap with a band of gold braid about it.
Altogether, for a bear, he showed a good deal of appreciation
of the customs of civilized life, as was further exhibited by
his squaring two (rather dirty) fists at Trotty, with a dread-
ful smile, and threateningly demanding : —

“What business has one man got to make up to another
man’s girl?”

At this, Miss Higgins sat down and chewed her hat-strings
in apparent despair.

“QO,” said she, “it is, it is!”

“Ts what?’ asked Trotty, fiercely.

“Tt ’s Pompey Merino! It is, it is!”

“¢ Who ’s Pompey Merino ? ?” asked Trotty. “I never saw
him before.”

“OQ, he’s the butcher’s son,” said Merle, biting her own
curls in considerable absence of mind. ‘“ O, I never meant
to make any trouble. His father used to let us go to ride in
the cart. What on earth shall I do? it’s the gentleman I
was engaged to!”

An awful silence followed this announcement.

Pompey Merino looked at Trotty. Trotty looked at Pom-
pey Merino.

“ Anyway,” said Trotty, confidently, “we ’re going to be
married to-morrow. You ’d better go home, sir, the way you
came!”

.“ Sir,” said Pompey Merino, cali a fight you first, if you ’ve
no peer”