Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1873-06-19

HS oaie', dhu idCilci SuSplClOuSiy, lVo, L
thought.
Well, L always took it for a boy" "
( was my reply, putting on a bold face,
''but I suppose my wife knows best
Here Mrs. Kingsley fairly screamed
with laughter, and my uncles stern
face assumed an ironicaI smile. :,
"Yoa are a.nice father, amt you?"
he said touching me with the point of
| his umbrella, ''not to know the
sex of your own child. Why l
knew 1t was a. girl Che moment I
looked at it, ...s4:
"But, Charley" he said again ad-
| dressing me, "what did you do with
the goblet and pap-spoon 1 sent to
the little one7'
ooh, they are perfectly safe, I as.
sure you," I replied. 81 haye taken
good care Of them"
Eyes, but where the deuce are they 2
l would like very much to take another
look at them"
"Well I have deposited them in a
bank for safe keeping, but can readi-
ly produce them - that is-in the
course of a weeks time"
He told me to DO So, as he wanted
to see them, and then I got out of the
room, for fear that he might ask me
some more perplexing questions. H.,
A short time afterward, Mrs. Kings
ley came to ME, when l was alone in
an adjoining room, and l saw imme-
diately that something very humorous
must have happened, for the
corners of her lips were breaking into
smiles.
'Do you know, sir, into what an
awkward predicament you have got
me?" she inquired, as she took seat
on the lounge by my side.
Explain yourself" l said.
"Why, your uncle came to me a
short time ago, and asked to see
my marriage certificate, and he
said he had some money to settle upon
us Immediately, but wanted to be sure
that everything was right first.
'tDid you expose me?" l inquired
anziously. "a
ono, sir, I did nqt, for I never enter
into deception, CT anything else, by
halves"
was so elated that I could not with
stand the temptation Of embracing her.
This did not make her angry, for she
nestled her head costly on my shoulder
and smiled serenely.
"What answer did you make him 2"
I asked.
She hesitated for moment and then
said:
q promised to produce tie marriage
certificate"
"But we haven't got any" ! then re-
marked.
She INDUCED in quiet little laugh
to herself, but said nothing.
"sfrs. Kngsley-nay, my dear mad
ammo, I will call YOU darling-we
are both in scrape; and there is but
one way for.us to get out Of it, We
must go and get married immediately.
Will you be my wife 2"
II shall be delighted" she answered
frankly, and Selling both my hands,
said that she was ready for a frolic of
any kind
We lost no time, ! don't think Mrs
Kingsley ever got into her Sunday
clothes in such hurry in her life be-
fore, while I spoiled two pairs Of sus-
penders in my frantic endea7ors to be
on time. We quite astonished the
parson by our haste, and, at the con
clusien Of the ceremony, | would have
forgotten to give him the t,sal ''fee,"
if he had not reminded ME of it.
We had secured the coveted mar
riage certificate, signed and sealed, and
were now safely out of our difficulties,
as we thought. We had omitted one
precaution, as we presented the certifi-
cate to uncle 1t was all right with the
exception Of the modern date.
"Why, how is this 2 said my uncle
gazing at the document through his
specs ri thought you was married
over year ago"
$50 we were, UNCLE" I answered
very solemnly.
''IIow comes it, then, that the GER
tifcate is dated to day? he asked in a
voice of thunder.
We were struck speechless, both my
wife and I.
'Come," said my uncle" 81 see there
has been some trickery here. Own up
to it, or 1 never will forgive you"
did own up to it, and told him the
whole story l expected it would
make him angry, but it didn't; for he
laughed heartily, and he was proud OF
me.
"But how about the gold goblet and
pap spoon !? You haven't been draw
ing the wool over my eyes about them
too, have you-eh?'