Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-12-07

said he, "and Uncle Jehoram has rea-
son to be proud of his niece"
But you'll never put it on exhibition
with the other presents" said Alice, in
credulously.
.Of course SHALL" said /.
And l did. And the girls neverknow
of the little private cry | had all by
myself when they thought L was select
ing the prettiest flowers to decorate the
big bride-cake; for | had expected some-
thing very nice from the rich old bache-
1or uncle whom [ had never seen, and
somehow the bundle of striped red a
peting was q disappointment.
But the eventful day came, with its
white satin bows and odor of dollhouse
flowers and rustic of silks and laces. and
Uncle Jehoram's rag carpet occupied a
place of honor among the silver teapots
sofa pillows and countless pretty GIN
cracks that burdened the ''present ta-
ble."
We had been married for about half
an hour, and | was standing beside
Harry under the great floral bell re-
ceiving the congratulations of my
friends, when a queer little brown-faced
man, in q faded wig and a SUIT of
clothes that exactly matched his COM
pleXion. walked up to me, bowling low.
wish you much joy, Mrs Monteith,'
said he.
"Thank you, sir" said T., trying to
remember who he was, and failing alto
gether.
But I had made up my mind he must
be the eccentric Methodist minister who
lived around the corner, and who was
in the habit of going where he pleased,
whether he was invited or not.
"I've been looking at your wedding
presents" said he. Curious thing, that
bundle of rag carpet" pointing to it
with his Inobby walking stick.
shouldn't have supposed you'd have
put that among your pretty gimcracks."
"It is rather u strange gift" said my
husband, ''particularly as it came from
a rich old curmudgeon who"
But l checked Harry with q look.
"From a dear relative of mine" said
L, 'whose kind remembrance gratities
me beyond expression
looking from Harry to me with keen,
UllSuU T. Us, ike UlOSc VI " UlIu, you TO
pleased with it, then?"
"More pleased than 1 can express,"I
answered, earnestly.
"Humph!" commented the little old
man. "Would you object to having it
lifted down and unrolled? I've some Gu
riosity to look at the pattern"
1t was a strange request, but we
scarcely knew how to refuse it, and
presently the gay stripes of the rag car
pet We're unrolled on the floor before
the astonished eyes of our wedding
guests, yard upon yard, backward and
forward, until. from the very heart of
the tightly packed cylinder, out fell u
small black leather box.
''Eh?" said the little brown man.
bouncing on it more like q bird than
ever. 'What is this? Not diamonds:?"
Diamonds in good truth. The scin-
tillating blaze of a neck-lace-the gilt
ter of solitaire ear-drops that nearly
dazzled my eyes.
"Uncle Jehoram! 1t is Uncle Jcho-
ram!' cried |, the scales suddenly fall
ing from my mental vision.
"Niece!" said the little man, as he
tremendously hung the sparkling chain
around my neck, "lf you had sc%ornfullv
rejected the old mans homely present
and sent it back to him, as some young
women would have done, you would
never have discovered the secret of the
old family diamonds" "Niece. you are
a sensible girl, and I congratulate your
husband on the possession OF a treasure
more precious than rubies."
And on this Uncle Jehoram johnson
made a curious little bow, like a jack
knife shutting Itself up, and disappear
ed among the crowd. And from that
moment to this [ have never seen him,
although he writes me a kindly letter
every year, declining all invitations to
visit us.
II am best by myself" he writes.
"When l die, you will find that l have
not forgotten you. Until then let me
live on like the solitary old oyster that 1
have taught myself to be-"
And the rag carpet covers the floor of
our second guest-chamber, which is fur
nished after a substantial style, and the
diamonds are the envy and admiration
Of all my female friends. * Cincinnati
Enquirer.
A Square Man.