Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1881-02-16
There was something so quiet and sub
ued in Faulkner's manner that r. co1ld

There was something so quiet and sub
dued in Faulkner's manner that it could
not fail to carry with it strong sppear-
ance of truth, added to which, Frank
Horton was his friend for the last two
years, and had during that period be-
ieved him to be Oh honorable and ben
evolent man.
He dropped his arm from the door,
but laid it on Faulkner's shoulders as he
looked him straight in the eyes.
How long since you have taken to
Temperance drinks ?" be asked.
Faulkner shook him off as he would
have done q troublesome fly; he was by
far the stronger man of the two.
my dear Frank, this is not the mo-
ment for foolish questions. I must
speak to that woman now, or the oppor-
tunlty may never recur. Let me thro'
the door, or by Jove! rs sure as my
name is Dick Faulkner, ILL.,
A scream-such another scream as
Frank had heard once before that ever
ing-issued from the interior of the
room. The door was flung open wide,
and Madame Rose, as she styled herself,
stood on the Threshold.
Had love conquered when she heard
Faulkner's voice, the old love for the
man who had usurped the first place in
her heart?
Strange if it were SO, after her confess
sion to Frank; still stranger since she
stood and looked ct him with a half
querying, haf-frightened look on her
beautiful face.
Dick Faulkner held out his hand to
her, movement which the lady's true
knight sought to interpose; but she re-
ceived the advance graciously, laying
her tapered, jeweled fingers in the prof
fered hand.
Horton moved away with gesture of
irritation. It was evident, he thought,
that he was being played with, and made
the victim of some idiotic connubial
quarrel.
The next words, however, TINT were
uttered arrested his attention, and
made him turn round once more.
"You have so far forgiven the dead as
not to shun the living who wishes you
no ILL.,"
1t was Falkner who spoke. She an
swered in very low tones.
81 was laboring under great mis-
take, but the resemblance is so very
strong"
He was my twin brother. Tho
from my absence at the time of your
marriage, I have never met you till now,
believe me. I have searched for you
increasingly, hoping by my devotion and
solicitude to mitigate at least some por-
ton of nv brOther's fa17lt"
81 heard you had come back, but
WAS afraid to meet you"
Exactly; so Mrs. Dent arranged a
meeting for us this evening. thought
you might be in the hotel, and I was
searching for you when"
''Your terrible likeness to the dead
produced the hasty impression that he
must have returned to life.''
"Poor Jack May he rest in peace. :"
was the brothers pathetic word tribute,
but the widows eyes flashed.
And all this while Frank Horton stood
against the wall, as tho thoro'ly petri-
fed. He did not even attempt to move
when Rose took her newly found broth
er-in-law in to look at the sleeping child;
in fact, he did not give any evidence Of
rousing up till Dick Faulkner, coming
once more into the passage, shook him
roughly by the arm, as he said, with a
laugh:
"Having supped full of horrors, my
boy, let us to better cheer"
A few seconds more and the FIVE
stranded guests were sitting round Dick
Faulkner's festive board.
He smiled on the beautiful Rose, and
babe her remember that he had ordered
the fifth place to be laid in expectation
of her coming, and that, after all the
misery she had experienced from alco-
hUi, the temperance drinks were also in
her honor, a remark at which the other
men made grim faces, and, with the ex-
ception Of Horton, perhaps, wished that
Mrs. Rose Faulkner had not been there.
AS for Frank, he was in such state
Of spooniness that if he had been told
that the price Of gazing into Rosa's love-
~ eyes was to drink water for the rest of
his natural life, he would have accepted
it without demurrer. But he had the
pleasure Of toasting her in something
stronger than temperance beverages
after all, for was it not an exceptional
night, as she justly observed. and, as
such, an exception to every rule? "Be-
Sides" she added, with a little, modest
smile, ''it is the first time I have ever
been to bachelors supper party
Six months later, when June sun
dispersed the icicles, and all nature
looked glad and bright, there was no
gladder, brighter face to be seen for
miles around than that of Rose (not
Faulkner now, but Rose Horton) and
she and Frank took possession of pref
ty cottage, where we will leave them in
the enjoyment of post-nuptial exist