Put her down,she's worth her tea and toast ten times over,nobody knows what a "thunder-and-lightning woman," as poor Major used to have it, is, till she gets alongside of one of those old-maidish girls, with hair the color of brown sugar, and eyes like the blue of a teacup.

And then you'll say to my face what you must often have thoughtthat I'm a lucky, old-maidish detective.

A short while ago, when I was taking tea with her, she had for visitor a staid old-maidish lady, little more than half her age, whom she had known as a girl, but had not seen for some years.

I have done my duty, and I am sure you will not think that I am actuated by old-maidish scruples, and have made a bugbear for myself.

"Tolerable," he said, "just tolerable old-maidish sounding.

She'd become quite attached to me, and I to her, for all she was such an old-maidish thing; but I'd got to thinking an old maid wasn't such a very bad thing, after all.