M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1858-07-01

mistress voice was atther hearing
Just now in the pecanny room."
MIR. Meirs led the way in the di
rection indicated, while John, mucl
embarrassed, followed. He felt thai
it was high time for an explanation
But Mr.. Meirs was too much preoc-
cupied with the one idea, the identity
of John Peters and his marriage with
Bella, to heed the confused and bro
ken sentences of our hero, and the
next moment found him face to face
with one Of the most bewitchingly
beautiful creatures he had ever seen
in his lifetime.
"This is Bella" said Mr.. Meirs
with some pride; ''you doubtless re-
member her. THIS is your cousin
John, | hope you haven't forgotten
I him. What in the world makes you
stare 50, Bella9 | told you his hair
would be as dark as yours by this
time, but you wouldn't believe it at
ALI" ....
Here Mr.. Meir5 consulted his watch
and said
"But must be in Wall street by
ten, so ! must be obliged to trust You
to your own government till dinner"
With this Mr.. Meirs left our hero
indescribably confused. No sooner
had he departed than Bella burst into
q ringing laugh and exclaimed, show
funny"
Merriment is said to be contagious.
John Peters laughed response to
Bella, and he had q most beautiful
may Of doing it, which Bella, in spite
of the novelty Of their situation, ac,
knowledgol with a blush. .
"Thero is q great mistake" said
John Peters, bowing sorrowfully, as
if he would q 'rSle unfold
81 see," said Bella, "you are trying
to cover up your red hair with a wig.
| hate red hair, and the change makes
you look so funny-it does indeed"
sit is all q mistake" persisted
John, rcddening, 81 never wore a wig
in my life, Miss Bella"
"Thon you must Nave colored it,
! for it was red ten years ago, and used
ito laugh at you when | was angry,
and advised you to keep one eye open
Hest you sot the bed curtain on fire.
"What an awkward situation,' .
cried John desperately. "It is true |
am John Peters, but not the John
Peters you take me for. AS for hgv-
ing red hair, never had thathonor,
l assure you"
1t was now Bella's turn to look
surprised.
"And who are you then, if you arc
not John Peters of Baltimore2'
81 am John Peters of Connecticut,
a graduate from the Mercantile COL
lege, and at present in search of a
situation. | am not your cousin and
never saw you to my knowledge un-
til to-day; though must confess you
are the prettiest girl | evor did see,
and begin to envy the genuine John
Peters, your cousin, for | can't help
liking you already" s9.a.a
"You do2 Indeed, how funny
Then you arc not my cousin from
Baltimore, and what is better still,
my father thinks you are. do detest
a cousin for q husband, whether he be
cousin or no. But how did it happen
that papa made such an odd mistake9"
"Well, tho fact is, the whole thing
is q mistake from the beginning, and
was attributable to an advertisement
in the morning papers. Your father
wanted a book-keeper and advertised.
Isaw the advertisement and applied
directly for the situation. Before sta
ting my business introduced myself
as John Peters, whereupon your faith
er, forgetting there might be another
John Peters in the world, bundled me
into an omnibus and hurried me here
before could offer an explanation"
GLOW odd!'' exclaimed Bella. And
you are not my cousin after ali?-but
| rather like you, and am not little
pleased at the adventure, because we
can both laugh over fathers mistake
and the absent John Peters red hair
"But must explain the matter i'm
mediately, though | dislike the idea
of giving you up to the absent John
Peters," answered our hero, with the
same winning smile, especially as
you have a natural antipathy to red
hair" aE, i.t.s..-
81 don't see the use Of explaining.
( Suppose we both keep quiet and let
it 60 for granted that we are cousins
what harm can there be in itl"
Sand then suppose he, thinking me
cousin John Peters, should insist on
our being married before the genuine
John Peters comes from Baltimore. "
"Oh, it would be delightful ! do
SO hate to marry my cousin, John, be-
sides, like you a thousand times bet
ter. There isn't the least romance in
marryingon cousin, especially such
- .-.,..s,:.,0 -, TnL,,D pota,., u &c Dolt;