are seen undergoing the operation, the picture
is sure to be garnished with a fringe of admiring
cavaliers.

THE PURCHASE SYSTEM.
A TALE.

“THERE Milly! Never say I was not born
under a lucky star,” cried Prank Chester,
bursting into his young wife’s room, and
triumphantly putting a paper into her hand.

The paper contained the official intimation to
Lieutenant Chester, that on the sum of eleven
hundred pounds being lodged in the agent’s
hands, he would be gazetted to a captain’s
commission in his regiment.

"“Why, Frank,” said Milly, after reading it,
“you’ll be a captain after all, then? Oh, you
dear old boy!” The little woman laid her
hands upon his shoulders and gazed into his
face with such a proud and happy look in her
great blue eyes, that Frank could do nothing less
than be suddenly very spooney and sentimental
indeed—because she was.

A tall broad-shouldered young fellow of six-and-twenty,
was this same Frank Chester,
with a mass of crisp light curls climbing over
his broad forehead, in utter ignorance of a parting,
and bursting out everywhere into mutiny
against being trimmed short after military
fashion.

Some two years before, while these curls
were on a visit at a country parson’s, they had
won the heart of Milly, youngest daughter of
the house. After a short and happy engagement,
the pair had been married: Frank bearing
his little wife away to his regiment in India,
much to the sorrow of the parsonage, where it
was said that the sun never went down as long
as Milly was in the house. After a couple of
years spent in India, the young couple had returned
to England with the regiment, and were,
at the time now in question, quartered in a
garrison town not far from London.

Owing to several men above him having left
or exchanged on the return of the regiment,
Frank Chester had found himself “first for
purchase for his company” some time before he
had expected it.

“And now, Milly,” said Frank, “the next
thing is to arrange about the money. I’ve been
adding up, and we’ve just got the regulation
price—that’s eleven hundred pounds, you know;
but I’ve promised Esdale, whose step I get, to
give six hundred more, and that’s what troubles
me, you see. I don’t like running into debt,
and yet we can’t afford not to purchase.”

“But, Frank,” urged Milly, “why do you
give the six hundred pounds then? If you
haven’t got it, why can’t you tell Captain Esdale
so, and pay the regulation price only?”

“Because if I did, Milly, Esdale would exchange
at once, and the step would be lost.
Besides, it’s the custom of the Service. And I
can always get the money back.”

“Yes, dearest; but it seems such a dreadful
thing to be in debt, and for such a large sum.
Why, it’s nearly as much as the price of the
company!”

“Oh, as to that, it’s thought rather cheap by
our fellows. There’s Shilson the other day
gave nine hundred, and Ramsay, of the Hundred
and Tenth is offering a thousand, and can’t get
any one to take it; so there’s nothing against
my getting as much when I sell out. After
all, it’s as broad as it’s long, Milly.”

“But still, Frank, it does seem so horrid to
be in debt and not able to pay it. Why can’t
we wait, and not purchase? We are very comfortable
as we are; and though I’d rather see
you a captain than anything, still, don’t you
think, Frank, we can’t afford it?”

“My dear little woman, you don’t understand
these things, and you never will. I might be ten
or twelve years before I got my company, without
purchase, and all the while every youngster in
the regiment would be going over my head,
one after another. I couldn’t stand it, Milly;
besides, I can exchange out again, and get three
or four hundred for that.”

“And have to go out to India again? Oh,
Frank, we couldn’t do it, and the baby only a
year old, and it never was well out there. Don’t
do that, there’s a darling.”

The blue eyes filled up again, and would not
be comforted until Frank promised that he
would not exchange, and that the baby should
not go out to India again.

He lighted a cigar, and turning out of his
pretty little garden, strolled across to the mess.

“Well, captain, how are you?” said a
youngster, as he came in. “You are a lucky
fellow. I only wish I had your chance. Why,
you’re under seven years’ service, and Travers
has thirteen, and not an idea of his company.”

Travers was the senior lieutenant, and had
been half way up the list when Chester joined
as a boy; but not being for purchase, Frank
was now going to pass over his head, as several
had done before him.

Frank turned away to a side table strewn
with letters, and, picking out three or four
directed to himself, began to open them.

The first enclosed a card:
            Mr. T. Robinson,
                      8, Wessex-street, Strand, W.C.
On the other side, neatly printed in running-hand,
was the following:

“If you are in want of money, I will give you
ninety pounds for your bill for one hundred
pounds at six months, or I will lend you money
at five per cent on security.”

The second, ornamented with a staring red
monogram, was a lithographed letter as follows:

“Sir. Hearing confidentially from a third
party that you are trying to raise money on your
own security, I write to inform you that I am
prepared to supply you with the needful, to any
amount, on your own note of hand, at a low
rate of interest, and at any time you may require
it. No fees. Bills not renegotiated.
The strictest confidence observed. No