The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1869-12-29

StlIIeu Oub VI HIS TOOHA aILGI uin1eT,
and that he had gone to bed at, nine !!
Whatever conclusion the little old
gentleman's mind might have reached
in its bewildermeptgsMab was fast
approaching oneAtfhea righteousness
of which she woald1 have smiled under
less serious circd asta5ces, which was,
that4Mr. WentHogfH had celebrated
Christmas a littIe lhdiscreetlr, and
taken a drop to9Hpeh for his memory,
when her refectRnSE we're cut short by
the appearance Saaew face op the
scene-a decidedly handsome one, be
longing to a young gentleman who had
accompanied Mr.. Wentworth to the
court. 1t was, moreover, the same
face that .wouldkeep coming in Mabeps
dreams-and sometimes when she was
awake. too. J'ia2sT 1euL rid 80 ff
mabel Gleason !" cried the young
man. "What-what absurd bIunder
is this? Who has dared"
A deep flush. succeeded by a death
" pallor oyerspread Mabel's counter
aneeS, &isHe t6tterea and ewoudd fave
fllha, Abdts for the timely support of
her youthful champion
"Unclel" the latter vehemently ex-
claimed, 81 know this lady, and would
stake my life upon her in~nocence!"
$50 would /, boy, though Pin puz-
zled to my wits endi"
"See here P he continued, address
sing the Judge, this case must go no
further !"
1.-THE charge can only be Withdrawn
by Those who made it." the Judge
answered
"And who are they? confound
them!"
"The officers of tlfe bank"
"The officers of the bank bowed |!
I'm 6neaofAhen myself TH.goh her
bail anyhow, and fix It up with the
bank aftewards!"
The proposition was satisfactory.
AS Warren Harding conducted Ma
bel home, he learned, for the first time,
her altered circumstances. When last
they had met it was in her native city,
in the midst CT a refined and fashion,
able circle, of which SIC was the chief
entire of attraction He had been ab-
ssnttoF-a-year5n Europe, aud~haare e
tmrS1ad5but a-fewsdaysh he f:are.- How
little had he expected, in accompany
ing his uncle to the police court, that
the meeting to which he had looked
toward with most impotence should
take place there. 2'"d' is
Whatever explanations passed be-
tween the two young people, they led
to Warren's passing a slcepless Tight
1t was past midnight, and he had not
yet retired, when his uncle, whom he
had believed sung in bed; muffied, hat
ted, coated. and equipped rs if for 60
ing ont, uncercmoniously entered his
apartment. A strange expression in
hisleges arrested the young mans at
tention. Taking a key from his pocket.
he opened a secret drawer of a secre-
tary in one corner of the ROOM, from
which he took what seemed to be 4
blank book when he opened, and tax
ing up n pen, began to write.
Warren drew nearer. 1t was a
check book his uncle was writing in !!
H3ving finished, the old gentleman
neatly cut out and folded the part on
which he had written, and was about
leaving the room when Warren spoke:
"Where are you going, uncle :"
ITO make a present to Mabel" re
piled the other, without turning his
head. 81 rde her one oD q Christmas,
a,ad- intended making her another. on
Ne,o- Years, but somehow forget 1T.
Warren grasped hiss5uncle's arm.
The latter gave a bound that almost
LOST him his balance.
.eWhy, what's the matter ?" he ex-
claimed, rubbing his eyes; "where am
II"
t'Seel %uncle,r cried the young man
eagerly : "tne mystery is explained !"
"What's this :" said the old gent E.
man. more and more astonished. my
lost check book, as IliveI and a check
too in my hand, regularly fiIled up,
and dated to-dayI And here-why,
here's q memorandum, in the margin,
that COMPOUNDED check that has
caused all the mischief. It's all plain
now! I've been at my old pranks
again. They used to accuse me of
sleep-walking when l was a boy, but
[ never more than half believed it.
When Mabel called next day to en-
der back the FIVE hundred dollars
which her deposit and savings, and
some tuition bills she had collected,
her to do-the tender WIS
emphatically rejected. Mr.. Went
worth said he had but one regret in
the matter, and that was to find he
was so much better when asleep, than
WREN sGpakeY A
If our young friends would know
what came of it all, they only to put
themselves in Mabel and Warren's