The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1879-02-20

so why not allow her to exercise her
/ own judgment for once while she is still
under your eye? Remember, am not
a Friend, and in marrying me she
ceases to be under discipline; SO some
regard ought to be paid to my wishes,
which are that Lille should dress as
girls of her age usually do. She can
not desire to appear as you did at your
wedding, for you were forty when you
were married"
l did not know, Harry" replied the
old lady, in a somewhat modified tone,
that thee desired to have thy wife look
like worldly person."
ri do desire to have her happy" he
warmly replied.
That was all. The next day-for the
first time in her life-she went out to
do some shopping for herself.
Dressmakers were called in, Lille
directed and helped them, and she really
had becoming, tasteful dresses made for
her. Congratulations and presents came
pouring in, and she felt that she was
living in fairyland.
No one noticed that Harry said little,
and stalked around with moody air,
while Lille seemed perfectly happy, and
yet never said word about her fancee.
Yet, as the day drew near, she began
to grow uneasy. She could say nothing
until the outfit was finished, for she did
not wish to lose any thing, neither did
she wish to delay the disclosure too
long. Besides, she waited for Harry,
because she felt that all would depend
on concerted action.
The cards were out. "This was ne
cessary," said Harry, " to make it seem
like real thing"
1t was only three days before the time
appointed, when the last garment was
finished. And when the dressmakers
were gone, Lille called Harry up to the
sitting-room, where her pretty things
were spread out.
"And they're really all for mel" she
said, displaying them with girlish pride.
/" See that table piled with embroidery.
And look at this beautiful hatl Are
not the roses perfect? And have four
exquisite silk dresses-black, navy blue,
bronze and seal-brown. This was to be
the dress. wouldn't tell the dress
makers why l didn't want light silk,
with orange wreath and veil, but brown
suit and bonnet. Of course the rev.
elation we must make would have de-
stroyed the usefulness of the conven-
tional BRIDES dress, but not of this.
And my hats and neckties and gloves
Oh, Harry, how shall 1 ever thank you
enough7 And, now, don't you think it
is high time to speak? The final prep
arations are to begin tomorrow, and
there's no use in mas having any more
trouble. Besides, there's time enough
for us to write notes to our friends
stating that we have changed our minds;
for, however romantic it may sound for
me to stay in the room, while pa says,
Friends, we will have no wedding to-
day. it would be carrying the joke too
far. Shall go to ma now, Harryr
"Lillie," said he, in strange, hoarse
voice. eve haze carried it too far"
"Oh, no, no! Indeed, l didn't mean
tol l would have spoken before if you
had said So"
"Lillie, listen few minutes. Were
the early days of your engagement
"Oh, wretchedP" she cried.
"And do you know that you gained
all these things by deception-false pre-
tenses?"
"Oh, Harry" and as consciousness
of her guilt came to her, she trembled
like leaf.
"And what can you give as reason
why six weeks ago you loved me so that
you couldn'thave the wedding postponed
any longer than positively necessary,
and now don't want me at all?'
She couldn't think of anything to say.
Sand how will you explain your hap
piness's lasting up till to-day? And
how will you enjoy your fine clothes OBJ
tanned by underhaLd means? And will
they be replaced by others of the same
style, or will your mother think the old
kind more sensible? And how many
thousand reasons will be invented by
outsiders for this weddings being
broken off 80 suddenly? Lille, do you
realize where you stand ?"
Yes, she did. Her head slipped down
on his shoulder, and, bursting into
tears, she asked:
"What can / doT'
"Nothing, but let the wedding go on.
Lille, at first 1 thought of this matter
as you did-a good joke and a pious
fraud. But, as time went on, and 1 saw
how unhappy you were, your troubles
made deeper impression on me than
your merry moods ever had. / knew
then that your life had not been a pleas
ant one, and great longing came into
my heart to take you away and make
you happy. When l saw how difficult
it was for you to gain your points, I
thought how hard it would be, after this
short, joyful interval, for you to go
back into the old life again, and made
up my mind to prevent it if [ could.
And then the thought that, seriously or
not, you were preparing to be my bride,
made me think of you as such. 1t was
not until later that 1 fully realized the
wrong-doing of the proceeding, but even
then could not speak the word to dis
pei the illusion that you really were to
be mine. l love you, Lille. Shall the
wedding take placer"
Suddenly she remembered that the
happiness which had been hers for the
last lew weeks was not caused by the
new dresses, for it had come to her on
that day when Harry had taken her to
his heart, as he told her that he would
help her out of her difficulty. She had
loved Harry for years, but not as she
did now. And almost overwhelmed
with wonder at the change, she felt her
woman's heart leap out to him, as she
softly said:
+" Yes, it shall"
And it did. But noone besides them
selves ever knew until three days before
the wedding, it had been to the princi-
pal parties an uncertain event and a
good joke.
INSECTS furnish many remarkable ex,
amples of analogy between their actions
and those devised by intelligent indus
try. The water gnat, for instance, to
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