The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1890-11-22

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her pocket.
"You had better arrange the curtains, v
he said, "for can't tell the tops from
the bottoms"
"Very we'll, my dear; you needn't
hurry" she answered, as she left the
room.
Mr.. Hornbill at once opened his let
ter, and smiled when he saw it was
from his sister, who had arranged lit
tie surprise for Hannah in the form of a
play called 1.-THE Tin Wedding" which
was to be given by herself and her
brother Horatio the next night, and
which was to be kept a profound secret
by the two performers. The words of
the play were inclosed.
"Let me see," said Mr.. Hornbill, in
soliloquy, as he looked at the play: II
am in love with Arabella-quite nat
ural-and as we part l say: One more
kiss, Arabella,' and then"
Hero he was interrupted by the very
sudden entrance of his wife, who asked:
What did you say?"
Nothing, my dear"
"Who is Arabella?" she asked.
"Ara-what?"
"Arabella."
"Was she invited to the tin we'd
ding?"
"Never! Where is she?'
81 don't know her, my dear"
"You should not speak to persons
whom you don't know. Horatio, 1
heard you say Arabella, as / entered,
and want you to explain"
Certainly, my dear; for you see I
was reading aloud from the paper and
read her name"
Mrs. Hornbill thrust the paper in her
husbands hands as she said: ''Show
me the name of Arabella in that paper
if you can"
Mr.. Hornbill took the paper with
trembling hands and looked up one col
umn and down another as he remarked:
81 don't remember whether it was in
the market reports or Congressional
proceedings"
perhaps it was shipping item, Z"
suggested his wife.
"Yes, very likely" he said.
"Or perhaps it was a-a-lie," she
said, as she burst into tears.
He tried to soothe her and to explain
that it was only joke, and that he said
it was in the paper just to satisfy her.
Forgive me, Hannah" he said. SIT
was my first fib. You only imagined
that you heard me say Arabella."
"Then leave me TO compose my
nerves." she answered. And he had no
sooner left the room than she brought
her mysterious letter to the light and
saw that it was written by her brother,
who said he had a surprise for Horatio
in the shape of new dress-coat which,
! to quote his words, sis a much better
present than tin wash-boiler." Mrs.
Hornbill's reflections were interrupted
by the door-bell and the arrival of the
tailor's boy with the coat referred to.
She could not resist the tenn mptation to
open the package and take look at it,
though John had said not to open 1t,
and to keep 1T a secret until the next
evening; and so great was her delight
at the sight of 1t that in moment of
playful thought she put it on and
was brief, for she heard her husband
coming, and just as he entered one door
she went out Of the other and, leaving
the coat in the hall, returned to the
sitting-room.
"Whera has he gomez" asked Mr..
Hornbill.
"Wbo?" she said.
''rhat man."
"What man? There was no man here.n
''But saw him go out of the door,"
"Oh! that?"
"Yes, thatw
'Oh, IL was the postman who had lost
letter and thought he might have left
it here"
MRS. Hornbill, when did the post
men change their uniform?"
"What?" she asked.
'When did the Government of the
United States OF America prescribe
swallow-tail coats for postmen?"
"Horatio, 1t is all a mistake, for there
was no one, and ! only said that to sat
isfy you. / beloved you about Ara
bella"
II say there was no Arabella!"
"And say there was no man; SO we
must believe each other. 1t is now SO
late we will let the curtains go, and, as
am going upstairs, you can lock up the
house."
Mr.. Hornbill was not satisfied about
the man, and Mrs. Hornbill was not sat
isfied about Arabella; and while he was
looking about the room she was listen
ing outside of the door, Then for
moment he forgot about the man. as
the play that had to be committed to
memory came to his mind; and he sat
by the candle to read It, Now, Mr..
Hornbill hadn't much Imagination, and
he felt that he could do much better If
he only had Arabella to practice with;
but as that was out OF the question, he
did the next best thing to aid his imag-
ination by building dummy woman
out OF an umbrella, shawls, wraps, a
bonnet, and pair OF his shoes, and |