The daily gazette., 1879-12-05
FoILED AT THE END.
BY A HUSBAND.

~ don't think Ruth Ellerslie is pretty
at sll,"said Cora Blynn; do you, mann
map"
"Not at ALL" said Mrs. Blynn, decid-
edly.
"That's not evidence to be received in
Court of law" said Harold Blynn, with
Laughing defiance. "Whoever knew one
woman to confess the beauty of another?
Why, the thing was never known! 1t is
an impossibility."
"Harold, that's nonsense" retorted
Cora, Indignantly.
"My dear boy" said his mother, a lit
tie gravely, 81 am sorry you, too, avow
your belief iu the fallacy that women do
not rightly appreciate each other"
"She is coarse, flounting widow"
said Cora, "and all her object In life Is
to get husband"
"a very good object, am sure" said
Harold.
eyes, but when the victim around
whom her foils are woven Is my dear,
noble BROTHER" coaxed Cora, throwing
her arms around her brothers neck.
Harold put the slight, clinging thing
away from him with touch, which, II
not ungentle, had no caressing softness
in it.
"Cora," he said, with set look around
the mouth, which betokened to mother
and sister his fully matured determine
tion, 81 would prefer to avoid all discus
sion on the subject"
"But, Harold, Lilly Brooke says Mrs.
Ellerslie is entirely made up Of artifi-
cials, paint, powder, and"
"COra!"
The girl stopped abruptly at the stern
tone Of her brother.
81 am afraid she is right, son, ,"said
Mrs. Blynn, gravely.
Harold rose and left the room.
"Mamma," said Cora, leaning her head
on her mothers shoulder, "do you think
he will marry Mrs. Ellerslie ?'
81 do not know, my dear. 1 hope
not"
He is going to Colonel Egerton's visit
ing, next week, you know, and, man.
ma, Ruth Ellerslie Is to be there, too"
"He do you know, Cora ?"
"Mrs. EgertOn, herself, told me so."
"My dear, Mrs. Ellerslie is Colonel
Egerton's penniless sister. When she is
we'll married drain is withdrawn from
the coIoue's purse"
"How can people be so mean, man.
map"
at is the way Of the world, my daush.
ter, and all that surprises me is, that 9
} man OF your brothers penetration ant
good common sense can allow himself t(
be thus blinded"
"Love is blind, they say, and suppos,
poor, dear Harold must be in love,
sighed little Cora, as she went to feet
her canary bird and water the plants il
the bay window.
: Meanwhile, Mr.. Harold Blynn, spur
ed on, as is the usual result, by opposi
ton, strobe along the street, mutterin
to himself poetical notices e. pressive @
the utmost fidelity to bis lady love.
"Poor, dear little Ruth" he thought
"it mrst be hard to be maJigned by thos
artless ingenuousness mo!e. l must nc
permit this longer. IL will be a goo
opportunity at Egerton Park to offer he
the lifelong protection of my love, nam
and fortune"
}. Thus Mr.. Blynn walked with the mos
lin1-folded infatuation, after the mai
ner of men, into the matrimonial trap
s. neatly baited for him by the fair Wido
=, Ellerslie and her designing relations
!" Egefon Park.
HB'ynn, my dear fellow, is it you1
cordially exclaimed Colonel EgertoI
pressing both his hands. "Just In tim
to dress for dinner. Eatre nous, Rut
has been looking at her watch all til
afternoon. Ah, you are lucky dol
. Blynn. Of course you want to g
directly up TO your room. Thomas
y stephenl Where are the servants7 B,
} it's of no consequence. Your loom is
the second fignt of stars, first floor ,
hope you'll be comforta ble."
"Thank you, Colonel"
What fateful impulse led him, a
" unconscious of the error he was maklnl
to the first floor on the right, instead
on the left. Perhaps it YVES chance
perhaps 1t was the guiding hand of
guardian angel. Let philosophers decid
did walk into the wrong room, as cool
and deliberately as can well be ma
ined.
A bright fire was cracking in IL
apartment; two lamps, with shades
s ground glass, burned like globes of pea
before the jressi ug glfss.
"This is comfortable" quoth our frier
to himself, rs he walked forward ,depos
ID ting his yalise on one of the chairs.
Was that a woman's scalp on th
table before him? No, only q string
Grecian curls, bristling with hair pin
with q glossy, artificial braid lying
side 1t, set of false teeth gleamir
Z ghastly in tumbler of water, and tv
saucers, one of rosy rouge, the 9TH
some white, pasty enamel, fanking Il
1 hide ous display
'' "By Jovei I've made q mistake
calculated Mr.. Harold Blynu, catchir
up his valise to depart. But he W,
stopped by q shrek aud female fgl
simultaneously.
The former issued from the latter, al
the latter from apartment beyond, carr
1. ing pair of curling tongs in It's hands.
y Venus and the Three Gracesl Cou
that yellow. shriveled Great ure in Il
- white dressing gown and the thin ha
twisted In an infiDitesimal knot at Il
back of the head be Ruth Ellerslie?
1t IVES?
They recognized each other in th
one brief glance; then Harold BlyI
rushed out of the apartment like OF
possessed, and Mrs. Ellerslie, droppil
), on TIE chintz- covered sofa, went in
rs hystericsl
as Late that evening Harold entered b
I'd mothers parlor. Cora jumped up wit
e beaming face.
I'd "Why, Harold, 1 thought you were
% Egerton Park, making love to Mrs. e
- lerslie?'
nd Harold screwed up his features In
"a. most dismal grimace.