Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-02-06

find out. Both of the lovers took
it into their heads to visit their in
amorata at the same time, and when
the Chicago man got up to the
house he found the st. Louis man
in the parlor, and, after a
very constrained half hour, he
withdrew. Beaten? Not much.
He went down to the hotel
at which both of them were
putting up, had a small bottle with
the clerk, and then casually looked
at the register. "Hallo!" he said,
with well-feigned surprise, as he
pointed to the st. Louis mans
name; $50 he's here. He's a bully
fellow. Sharp asa rat trap. Busi-
ness from the word 60, but some of
them mothers ii get him yet"
There we're about seven loungers in
the Office, and they all prlcked up
their ears at the word mothers"
"Ya-as, he seemed a pretty nice
sort of a duck" said the clerk;
"what business is he in ?" "Don't
yon knOw?" said the Chicago man,
with the most natural air and as
tonishment in the world; "why,
he's the head organizer and high
muck-a-muck OF all these baby
shows that you hear about. l tell
you he's old business-that's what
he is. Coming money just because,
you see, it's take in all the time
and never pay out"
At this moment about six of tle
seven loungers left the Office with
an air of determination upon their
features, and the Chicago man took
a cigar and went out to contemplate
the beauties of nature. 1t was
about II o'clock when he happened
to pass near the house of his pros
pectiye father-in-law, and saw his
beloved and the servant girl stand
ing on the front piazza in attitudes
of suspense. Making himself known,
he hastily asked what was the mat
ter. "Oh, Harold" said the young
woman, "did you hear that awful
noise a few minutes ago." "What
noise, dearest?" he asked, adroitly
passing his protecting arm around
her trembling waist. sob, that
noise" she said, "as If there was an
earthquake in a tinsmith shop
and then suddenly all the girls in
five hundred boarding schools
thought there were men under the
beds. "What can it be 2" "0h,
we will soon find out" said the
Chicago man, soothingly, and in d
few minutes they did, for they saw
a mournful procession filing past
The six loungers whom the Chicago
man had seen in the hotel office
headed it, bearing a fence rail, on
which, magnificently attired in a
suit Of tar cut bias, and trimmed
with feathers, was-the st. Louis
lover. Round him thronged a howl
ing, hooting mob, while about
eighty-fve women, each bearing in
her arms a baby, twins, or triplets,
surged about the outskirts.
After the hideous procession had
passed by the young girl timidly
asked the Chicago man what it all
meant-whether it was not all a
hideous dream. Would to heaven
it were!"- he cried fervently, for
it is not meet that your innocence
should be shocked by such scenes
as thesel' ''What do you mean "
she asked. "Mean ?" said he,
" why that st. Louis man was a
viper who would lain have cher
ished himself in your bosom, but
be sure his sins have found him
out" "But those women-thOse
babies ?" she said. "Precisely,"
said the Chicago man, "they are
all his victims. The sated deceiver
scorned and Knocked them, and now
they have, with their unhappy babes,
tracked the deceiver here, and, by
the recital Of their. wrongs, moved
the popuIace to vengeance. Oh,
Alice, that ever such fiend should
have easpired to your hand and heart,
and the property left you in your
own right by your Uncle Albert.
My blood boils at the thought. Shall
| pursue the caitiff and shed his
hearts blood?" "Nay, Harold" :"
she replied softly; "let us leave him
to his conscience and the crowd; l
guess they can take care of him as
easy as falling off a log. And won't
you come in? My father would be
very glad to see you, only he is in
San Francisco" He went in, Who
could resist that pleading voice !?
The ceremony takes place next
week, so soon as the father gets
back from the Pacific slope, and
long before the st, Louis rival will
have gotten half the tar off of him.
| a-o--H
In Search of a OIerh ship.
The Washington Pest tells Of 3