The evening world., 1888-01-04

pressed IL to nv lips. and. moved.by a sort of
fascina ion. / answered:
" will marry you-that is-if-if you can
show me evidence of your respec,ability-
OF your position Pardon me, but you know
tLht"-
- perfectly comprehend you. Expecting
this demand, | am prepared to meet IT :" and
opening her %ret,cule she handed me n note.
no mistaking nor forging his oddly shaped
handw iting. | read as follows:
Dear Jack The bearer is in every, way
your equal. If you marry her you will not
compromise yourself"
80, then, my uncle is in this affair." |
said laughingly. My friends mean | shall
put my theories into practice. will marry
you !" | said desperately. and limos fearing
she would change her mind.
Let us exchange rings IN mutual pledge"
she said, beh nd that horrid veil.
The exchange was made. and then | said
Will you now let me seal my promise on
your far lips"
Yes y and she removed slowly her veil
and | started back with horror. Never be-
fore had man beleld So ugly n face! ] felt as
if l should fall through the floor. fairly
%staggered with the shock net oniy to my
name are you ~ A loud and mir hful and
II umphant laugh from behind caused me TO
turn round, and III the wide-open folding
doors l beheld my uncle, my friend Harry
hamilton and my Pur tan aunt, and half IA
'AoLNh 4 1 GNU CIV " bo al v
side themselves with Joy.
l sto d amazed. | saw l Lad been victim
lied! l regarded the stranger before me
with anger as the chief party to a conspiracy
against me, when suddenly | saw the ugly
vislge, which was an admirably fitting mask,
fail to the ground. revealing the lovely, beau
tiful. laughing, charming. nischleyous face
of my fair cousin!
tie subsidized and everybody had laughed at
ne as much as they could, | clasped the be-
witching Fanny, my cousin (her II me was
Frances Annit), in my arms AMI cred
Let him laugh my friends, who wins
But" | added. with a look of doubt, what
about the Bible and YOU mother. cousin 7"
Here is mother; let her speak for her
self" said Fanny, sml ng and looking more
beautiful the pretty-footed witch y than |
ever saw her in my ii e. Conlound that
clever mask how thoroughly it deceived
me
why, l have found that it is not in the
Bible, only in the last part. put III 10y nobody
knows who, that cousins shan't marry" said
her mother: and only in the old Ensl sh
Ri les. so when | saw how it was and q nj
Fanny loved you and you would have mar.
ried her if you dared, / gave my consent and
to plea Use you uncle and some others We got
mp this little deception, and Mrs Bracegirdlo
being let INTO the secret three days ago, let III
i'll by tie SIDE door into the parlot."
" Yes, doctor, = couldn't refuse EN-, so ]
unlocked Il e folding doors aud slip ed out
tnt Keys. lou KNOW l asked you TINS morn
ing it you hadn't better take a wife. :"
The re suit OF tins innocent conspiracy OF
my relatives, heartily seconded by Fanny,
who knew ] had loved her from boyhood ,wus
that ! got the best and most beautiful wife ii
the world. oh, osiug her, after II. by hel
pretty feet, and so IS nblishing nv ~favorite
III DRY that (confound that ugly visaged
mask, it well-nigh killed me on the spot {
pair of pretty feet can belong only to n lovely
lace aud person, on he principle that All.
well that ends we'll"