Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1879-02-19
WHOLE NO. 1908

templating with an evident lively
satisfaction the picture Of youth and
health opposite him, and rs he had
just finished helping himself ooolly
handed over tho small eut'glass plate
TO be redllet
ri sec you have passed the age Of
seniment, Well, for lhNt matter, 10
have !, aud on that score, at least, We
can sympathlzc,"
"IIow old 40 you consider each
other TO be I" exclaimed Mr., Haven,
seizng tho point as II Il was some
thing no had been patiently waiting
for aud had almost rellnquiShed as a
iorlom hope, Don't speak each
write on q card your honest judgment
It would be interesting 10 know how
near you could guess You know
Is q scientific fact that young people
Of opposite sexes are incapable Of
judging each others ages
Fear took the card and pencil Mr.,
Haven handed her and wrote unhesi.
tatngly'
II should Judge by your teeth and wrinkles,
That you must be thirly'sN
II indeed you arc only thirty,
Father time has been playing you tricks, "
Mr.. Jacobs, not having faculty
for rhyming, took card i'om his elc'
CANT case and penciled;
"By your looks sweet sixteen, by
your department twenty tour' beinga
Yankee will split the difference and
say twenty"
They exchanged the cards As
each glanced at the others band writ.
ING, the look OF utter astonishmcn,
that transtiXed the faces OF both was
too much for even Mr.. Havcn's lawyer
like immobili,y Of feature, and his
boisterrous laughter was joined in quite
heartily by all the rest.
"You knew it all time exclaimed
Fear, with uudisguised asperity Of
tone. 81 belive you knew it
"Of course we did my DEAR said
Mr.. Haven. 81 hope YOU don't think |
would have advised your indulging in
wild goose chase after a pension
even for fun, had | not known very
we'll that j. j. the assistant Of my
friend the honorable commissions OF
pensions, would have opened your
letters. And when it came to that !
knew that nothing very bad conld
correspondence between you and
nv brother-in law, the son of an old
friend of your father. OF course your
respected parents were duly enlighten'
ed at the ut.set.'
II surrender unconditionally," Mr..
Jacobs broke in coming round the
table to Fears side. 81 had been
casting about in my mind all the way
from Washington, how could see
my wife without my brother and sister
here knowing our correspondence, tor
l thought they would have no end
OF amusement at my expense. Well
things never rurn out as we expect
".And it is the impossible that al
ways happens said Fear, rising and
receiving his profered kiss, with
many bushes to be sure, but, (she
used to say afterwards, she vas too
spunky to show the white teather;'
who would have supposed that my
long lost husband would appear in
this way.
Il trust you will find him every
way as satisfactory as a pension
said overjoyed little Mrs. Haven
leaning over and kissing Fear in her
turn. Il was tired of waiting for him
to marry, and as the oportunity offered
itself so nicely, | could not torbear
to lend him helping hand"
81 saw the denoumeut must come
said lawyer Haven, land !
was irresistible moved to preclpitate it
somewhat-if it was done rather bung-
| wouldn't have missed
being present on the occasion-not
for the governorship of our good
State"
we must consider ourselves the in
nocent victims of a conspiracy retort-
ed Fear, sand You experienced ohes
must fancy how we feel under the cir
cumstances, but | trust the denou-
ment so interesting to YOU all will not
cause you to forget your supper. MIR.
Haven shall l help you to a biscuit"
Mrs. Glazier forgot 10 "sh-sh" now,
and 10 make the story short. our hero
and heroine were actually married
last autumn, ard Fear Glazier Jacobs
figured in Washington society this
w,nter-only her name isn't Fear, and