The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1889-03-29

ns 'nat \ now nave no hesitation In
asking that question which so long
have desired 10 ask. VIII you be my
wifc?'
expected she would quietly and in
q happy tone, reply: Yes" 10 my
surprise. she fairly gasped:
"Your wifc?"
Yes, darling; you know ! have al
ways loved you. that | am now amply
able 70 supportyou in that style which
you arc SO well qualified TO grace"
'iour proposal j. 50 sudden. 50 un-
expected"
You know ! should ask you some
timc?r
Honestly. ! don't think I had an
idea that you loved me SO very. very
much as you do
~ thought ! had manifested my
love In every possible way: that we
fully understood zach other, though /
have preached the subject or our
marriage. simply on account OF my
poverty
~ must have time to consider this
NATTER she said.
'~'Ccrtainly. dearest; take all the
time you desire and. after a brief
conversation, | left her.
This interview was on Wednesday
evening.
During tho two following days / was
50 busy had no opportunity TO cali on
her. Saturday morning ] received an
invitation from my friend to be pres
ent At his house that evening, on occa-
sion OF . wedding that was to t%ranspire
there at seven. The James Of the con-
tracing parties We're no: mentioned.
and IL was a mystery 10 Inc who they
could be. dispatched a note to the
young lady," informing her what
was to occur. and that ] would call for
her TO accompany me nj 6:i5.
| did call, rs per notification. only
10 find the house where she resided en-
tirely deserted. What could il mean?
III no cnviablc frame OF mind | wend-
ed my way to my friends" He an
swered my ring in person.
Why didn't you come sooner?;"
were his first words on seeing me.
Seven was the appointed hour l
returned.
lit is quite a half-hour later than
that now. / think" he said.
Our times must differ very materi-
ally, then" ] replied: and looking at
my watch ] found it indicated $3.50, the
time I had supposed it was when left
my home. My watch had stopped, a
thing | had never known it to do before.
But come in. and let me present
you to my wife"
Your wife, said l, astonished.
never having known him to be atten-
tive 10 any lady.
Yes" smiling. .Ah, here she
comes. My dcar." he continued. adj
dressing d richly-attircd lady who was
approaching the place where we stood.
'lct me-
An exclamation, by no means pious.
that fell from my lips. stopped him Mt
this point in his remarks. And well
might | use a profanc expletive. The
lady. now his wife. was identical with
the idol OF my affections. What would
be fame. wealth. any thing the world
could offer TO me. without her. dearer
TO me than all else. but whom | had
lost forever? Gone we're the anticipa-
tions Of aught but a future OF sadness
and desolating misery. And then.
that she. in whom | so thoroughly
trusted, should prove faithless. OH
II was a crushing blow! The lines OF
Motherwell rushed to my mind:
"As for woman. she can claim
name and title al her own-Deeeit."
Here was a living exemplification
OF the truth OF the poets words.
Ny friend whose restorcr TO life l
had been. must have known my long
continuing attachment. and had I'M
doubtedly won her from me 10 himself
in some unmanly manner. SO he. too.
was false to me. His gift" was in
competent TO make up for such treach-
cry. In a voice trcmulous with i'll
rcprcsscd passion. ! shrieked:
MAY my eternal curses be"
AT this instant | auokc. to find
the FIRE nearly burned out. my
mccrschanm in fragments on the
floor and the first rays Of mora
ing light trying TO force a pass
age through the curtains. / shook
myself once or twice to satisfy my
mind that ii was all a dream. and
Their entered the room where the
corpse lay rs quietly as when had
last looked at il. Ny doubts were
dissolved.
The gentle girl blue eyes. and
50 forth. will become my wife next
Thanksgiving. profession or no pro-
fessiOn.
We have settled that matter. Fred
+. Foster. in Ballou's Monthly.
C~hooi.Girise En;tanh-