Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1874-05-21

rumor whispered an engagement Cora
| did little more than blush and stammer a
denial that sounded ever SO much like a
confirmation.
She gave herself up to sort of blind
| alteration of Montgomery Smythe. She
made prince of him first, and put all
her trust in hi m afterward. He told her
of his ancient family of his late father,
twice United States Senator, and son of
| Commodore Smythe, of the War of 1912
The Commodore's father, he said, was
General Smythe, of Revolutionary fame,
and brother to Governor Smythe, of one
of the colonies under George III. He
! talked of the magnificent old country seat
his father had left him, with its picture
| gallery full of the portraits Of the old
worthless just mentioned and their wives,
| all uniforms and brocades and gold braid
and laces of the long drawing rooms, the
| grand dining hall, the library, the grounds
all in true baronial style-till Cora,
| rich and luxuriously reared as she was,
| began to look up to him as being of an
altogether different and higher sphere.
One day they took a walk in the grove
in the rear of the pavilion. 1t was the
| closing up of the season, and the neXtday
! there was to be general exodus OF the
| Happy Valley boarders to their homes.
! Cora felt that the decisive moment had
arrived; and it had. The hitherto pent-
| up-devotion of Montgomery Smythe
! found vent at last in declaration and a
! proposition. He vowed his love in per-
! tectly princely style, ana having been ac-
copied with good many bushes and
tears, just as is the case in all well-written
novels, he informed her that letters
just received from his confidential agent
in Europe compelled him to start i'm
mediately tor Paris, and urged her to
marry him at once without waiting to go
though the form of asking the permission
of her grandsire or consulting her friends.
Was he not Montgomery Smythe? and
who could possibly object to such an
alliance?
1t is very possible that Cora might have
! consented, so infatuated was she with her
| prince, but she had read that the regular
| thing was to demand time for considera
| ton, so she postponed her decision, which
really was already made, until evening
AS they reached the piazza, he lazily
tapping his glossy boot with his bamboo,
| and she very tremulous and very happy, a
! thick.set pock-marked individual, with
black, heavy whiskers and glazed cap,
came down the steps and, nodding to
Smythe, said:
"rd like to say private word to you,
young man."
Montgomery Smythe suddenly stopped
tapping his boot and, turning pale, looked
sharply at the stranger. A slight vibra-
ton of that persons eyelid made him
turn still paler, and without "a word he
walked several steps away from the
Pavilion. The stout man then slowly
drew large pocket-book from his breast,
favored Smythe with view of certain
documents therein contained, immediate
ly after which he said aloud:
"You're my prisoner, sir, in the name
of the lawm
Cora felt like fainting, but her curiosity
was more than match forh weakness.
Smythe looked toward her, laughed q
little gasping laugh and tried to say that
| this ridiculous mistake could be easily
explained.
"Let this person explain il, them" said
Cora trembling all over
why, you see, MISS" said the stout
man, Pm detective officer, and I've
been laying for this young gentleman
some time. ! have his photograph here,
miss, if you'd like to see it."
And he produced carte de oisite the
very twin of one Cora had but that mo-
ment slowed away among her treasures.
"There amt any mistake about him, is
| thereY' said the detective, grimly.
But for what--for what is he--is-is
he--arrested?" faltered the poor girl.
"Why, miss, you see, he left California
IN oil No lt
the proprietor of the Pacific Hotel-thirty
| thousand dollars-and matter Of five
thousand dollars more in jewelry belong
ing to the boarders Of the house."
But, Mr. Smythe--"
| "Smythe! that amt his name, mss.
He's plain Bill Higgins, fancy barkeeper
of the Pacific. I'm very sorry for you,
miss. | don't s'pose you had any idea
who you were with. Good morning"
She looked at Montgomery Smythe, but
he did not raise his eyes nor open his
mouth Plainly, the detective had told
the truth. She turned to the hotel. Hap
| PLY, the whole affair had escaped no.
| tiCe.
Montgomery Smythe was already on
| his way to the depot, arm in arm with the
stout man, and as they turned a bend in
! the road Cora took last, sad farewell
! look at her prince. The shock made her
seriously i'll, and when she recovered the
nonsense was pretty thoroughly washed
| out of her
| Arthur Bayne was not the man to
triumph over the fall of any one On the
1 contrary, he was too generous, and when
people began TO make remarks about this
unfortunate episode in Coras existence
| he married her himself to shut their
mcuths--N y. Graphjc.
| AGooD story, and all the better in be,