The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1877-09-20
II know of no cure" | said smiling,
"but to prescribe the young gentleman. y
| heard merry laugh behind the veil,

'but to prescribe the young gentleman
heard a merry laugh behind the veil
and it set me quite at my ease
"Then, sir, must take you !"
''Take me ?" ! exclaimed
"Yes, doctor. am in love with YOU
and have been for long time"
'Impossible, madam
ut is true
''Why, | do not know YOU Y
Yet have often seen you. My heart
IS yours You alone can heal the wound
you have caused "
| was contounded. feared was the
victim of quiz. was perplexed what
to say or how to act The mystery of it
all piqued my curiosity, while my heart
and imagination were both ensnared and
made captive by the invisible beauty, fol
beautiful in face | knew she must be.
And in love with me Who could she be ?
And rose many degrees in my own sell
esteem at the idea of being fallen in love
with, and by the owner Of such pretty
| feet.
"Will YOU tell me who You are, or re
move your veil 2"
Not now; have heard that you have
repeatedly said You would marry me for
the beautiful slnallness of my feet, and
not ask to see my face ~
| was contounded. 1t was true. had
SAID so to Hamilton and half-a- dozen
others. Had they sent her hthcr to
! challenge me to keep my word It could
not be that one 50 lovely and lady like
could be party to such Il scheme. Yet
how did she know had said SO Per
haps some one | have told knows her,
and told her, and she is really in love
with ne.
These and other thoughts ran rapidly
through my mind. She seemed to await
my decision. Suddenly | cIasped her
hand and said, earnestly,
"Wlll You marry me Z"
'.Yes"
''But YOU don't know me ~
-'Well enough to know YOU would make
me happy"
"Ihe very words of Mrs Bracegirdle, F"
| said to myself. "Now, if commit my
self and she proves as ugly as sin But
that is impossible. She must be beauti-
ful. ! have full faith in her pretty feet
What have said since she has come to
me on faith Of it, | will abide by. shall
DC 3iiio to have ii beautiful " lie. But
Am | to hope that you will redeem
Your promise, sir 2" said the sweet voice,
the tones Of which thrilled through and
through my heart. was captivated by
the voice and feet too.
"les," | sad boldly, ION one condi-
ton"
"Name it sir" she said, quietly.
'"That YOU unveil."
mo, | mean you shall take me on
your own theory of beauty. If you will
run the risk, there is my hand :"
And she extended the bewitching little
hand, which had held in my palm like
Il palpiJating and iluttering bird. grasp
ed it, pressed it to my lips, and moved
by a sort Of fascination. answered
IL will marry you, that is if if YOU
can show Inc evidence of your respecta-
blity-of Your position, Pardon me-
but you know that
"l perfectly comprehend You. Expect
ing this demand, am prepared to meet
it; y and opening her reticule she handed
me a note. 1t was from my uncle, the
NJ. d. There was no mistaking nor iorg-
ing this oddly shaped hand writing.
read as follows:
Dear Jack The bearer is in every
way YOU equal. If YOU marry her You
will not compromise Yourself"
80 then, my uncle is in the affair"
said laughingly. "My friends mean
shall put my theories into practice.
vii! marry you." ! said desperately,
and almost fearing She would change her
mind.
LET us exchange rings in mutual
pledge" she said behind that horrid veil.
The exchange was made, and then
said:
"Will YOU now let me seal my promise
Oh Your fair lips ~
"les;" and she removed slowly her
veil and | started back with horror.
Never before had man bcheld 50 ugly 4
face. ! felt as il | should fall through the
floor. | fairly staggered with the shock,
not only to my nerves, but to my theory.
''Who, in heavens name, are YOU .' \
loud and mirthful and triumphant laugh
from behind caused me to turn round,
and in the wide, open folding doors | de
held my uncle, my friend Harry IIamil-
ton, and my Puritan aunt, and half IL
dozen friends and relatives, who seemed
beside themselves With Joy.
stood amazed. | saw had been vic
timizcd. regarded the stranger before
me with anger as the chief party to a con-
splracy against me, when, suddenly, |
saw the ugly yisage, which was an ad-
mrably fitting mask, fall to the ground,
revealing the lovely, beautiful, laughing,
charming, miSchlcvous face Of my fair
cousin
When the uproarious excitement had Il
little slIbdued and everybody had laughed
at me as much as they could, | clasped
the bcWitching Fanny, my cousin, Cher
name was Frances Anniel. in my arms
and cried:
'Iet him laugh, my friends, who wins.
''But,' added, with q look OF doubt,
''what about the Bible and your mother,
cousin ?"
"lIcrc is mother; let her speak for her
self" said Fanny, smiling and looking
more beautiful (thc pretty-tooted Witch)
than ever saw her in my life. Contound
that clever mask how thoroughly it de-
ceiyed me.
"Why, have found that it is not III
the Bible, only in the last part, put in 10y
nobody knows who, that cousins shan't
marry" said her mother: ''and only in
the old English Bibles; SO when | saw
how it was and that Fannie loved YOU
and you would have married her if YOU
dared, gave my consent, and to please
your uncle and some others, We got up a
little deception, and Mrs Bracegirdle, be-
ing let into the secret three days ago, let
us in by the side door into the parlor.'
eyes, doctor, couldn't refuse em, So
| unlocked the folding doors and slipped
out the keys. You know l asked YOU
this morning if You hadn't better take a
wife,
The result of this innocent conspiracy
of my relatives, heartily seconded by
Fannie, who knew had loved her from
boyhood, was that | got the best and
most beautiful wife in the world, choos-
ing her. after al, by her pretty feet, and
SO established my favorte theory that
| (confound that ugly visaged mask, il
nearly killed me on the spot y a pair OF
pretty feet can belong only to a lovely
face and person, on the principle that
| g AIS we'll that ends we'll