Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1883-12-06

piercing shrek. and retrsatsd to the
fnrthernost corner of the room.
Louise I he eiacnla1sd, appealing
~ il that you
Oh, You monster I screamed Louise.
Who are ycu2 What do you want 2
.Dont you know me. Louise? |?
Leave, You villain ! If You don't,
l i rouse the neighborhcodl Nv hus-
band will be here il moment
Tut. tnti for heavens sake. don't
make any moro noise. There's ter
rible mistake somewhere. I am DID
your husband. D0n't YOU recoQ-
nize my voice
Mrs. Bashford was not a cowardlv
woman Consequently not having
lost her senses. she did recognize her
hnsbaHd svoiee. and became somewhat
Esassnred.
What does this all mean, Dio 2 she
said, stepping forward cautiously.
Why are you disguised 50 frightfully,
and who is this You have with you 2
Mr.. Bashford's bewilderment was
so great that he had entirely forgotten
that he was still supporting the Turk
isk lady, and he now neerly dropped
her.
But recovering himself he conveyed
her to a couch and laid her down.
Haven't you been to the masquer-
ade |? he demanded Of his wife.
To the masquerade Certainly
not.
Then who is this P he asked, point
ing to the form on the couch.
That How should / know ? Why.
as I'm alive, it's-Oh, Dio. what under
the sun have you been doing2 This is
Emma Bureh 7
Emma Burch? Nonsense Are you
sure?'
Certainly
And Mrs. Bashford bent over the
PROSTATE form and set herself about
applying rest6ratives. They soon
had their effect. Miss Burch sat up
right, and looked about her in a con-
fused manner.
Louise, is it you?' she exclaimed
with glad look, and almost fainting
again. And am I really safe I? Oh,
horrorsr
She caught glimpse of the noble
Injin.'
There. there, never mind him,
said Mrs. Bashford soOthingly. It's
only Do
'Diol your husband the one who
kidnapped me? Oh, what does it all
mean?
Both ladies looked at Mr.. Bashford
inquiringly, who was now forced to
explain everything.
He did it with very bad grace, a
good deal of stammering, and many
bushes that would have been visible
bat for the paint with which his face
was bedaubed. When he had con-
cluded, his wife said:
And SO you thought the suit was
for me, when only had it brought
here to accommodate Emma. The
same clothes fit us both, and had it
fitted TO me because she wanted TO be
very secret about her costume. Oh,
Dio, to think you should have so little
trust in mel
Mr.. Bashford had not a word to
say. He sat down moodily.
Louise and Emma regarded him in
silence for a moment and then burst
out with hearty peals of laughter.
They tortured him with their jeers
long and numerically.
At last, when their merriment had
in degree spent itself, they began to
look on the practical side Of the stu
alton.
Emma's friends at the ball would
be troubled at her disappearance.
They must at once be informed of her
whereabouts.
OF course there was no one 10 per-
form this errand but Mr.. Bashford.
With mournful appreciation of the
necessities of the case, he divested
himself of his disguise as speedily as
possible, and donned a respectable
suit Of clothes. He then had to walk
full mile to the ball, for the carri-
age in which he had conveyed his
prisoner home had been driven off,
and no other was in sight or hearing.
He arrived home again in the wee
small hours, much the worse for wear,
and miserably depressed in spirits.
He had for once in his life been fair
ly heated. ronted, ignominiously de-
feated.
The leopard connot change bis
spots, neither could Mr.. Bashford
alter his nature; but the lesson
taught him was a lasting one. He
has learned not to entirely dis
trust his wife. and deigns Of late to be
more communicative with her, less
imperious toward her, and, more
over. maniEests generally a certain
respect that was always her dne,
though it was for long time with
held.
4E Corn, burnt on the cob, and
the refose-which consists almost en-