The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1890-07-25

study before ne recovered his Self-DOS-
session.
A venerable gentleman rose from a
large chair, and greeted them with cour-
tesy.
'You remember me, don't you?" said
the girl, before Drane could open his
mouth. I'm Nellie Blake, or | was be-
fore you married me to Mr.. Drane, last
Tuesday"
She simpered in most distressing
way and looked up at Drane. He felt
his hair stirring at the roots, for he saw
now that lunacy was the only explana-
tion of the girls conduct.
| 81 ought to explain" he began.
But tho minister stopped him with a
wave of the hand.
''No explanation is required, Mr..
Drane," said he. 81 remember YOU per-
fectly, and do trust that nothing has
happened in this short space to mar the
happiness which sincerely wished you
when made you one"
"But my dear sir" cried Drane, in
horror. Nellie interrupted him with a
giggle.
"You see, sir, it isn't really much of
any thing" she said, "and perhaps we
ought not to have bothered you about it,;
but the truth is I've lost the certificate
you gave me. Pm just as stupid as l can
be, but 1 can't help it.''
| "Oh! if that is all"
| ''But it isn't all. 1t isn't half of it,"
Drane exclaimed. 'The truth is"
"Now, you naughty boy" cried Nellie,
putting her hand playfully over his
mouth, 81 shan't let you go on this
%ay."
Rev. Mr.. Knowles, smiling good-naturcd-
ly. 81 have no doubt that it can be re-
paired as easily as the loss of the cer-
tifcate.'
"Sir," said Drane, breaking loose from
the restraining hand, II assure you that
| it is your duty to-
'And l assure you, SIR" said the old
clergyman, with dignity, that it is
| your duty, as it is your privilege, and
should be your delight, to be ever kind,
forbearing and gentle with the woman
who has given you tho honest affection
of her heart, and whose hand l joined
with yours in this very room. Look at
| her now"
Nellie had fallen upon sofa and was
sobbing with industrious Tigor. "You
| have brought tears to her eyes" Nellie
pretended to wiring out her handker-
chief. "She might faint with the disap-
| pointment at your very feet!'
Nellie began to faint with rigid de-
| termination which alarmed Drane, and
| called forth moro remonstrances from
| the kind-hearted old man. Together
| they made her comfortable upon the
| sofa and famed her till there was a
small cyclone in the study. When she
was quiet Drane saw his opportunity,
| and, in voice as calm as he could mako
it, he said
'My dear sir, you are wholly mistaken
| in this matter. l am not the man who
married this young woman, and have
never had tho pleasure of seeing either
her or yourself before to-day"
"Do you mean to say that she doesn't
| know her own husband?" asked the
reverend gentleman, with great sur
prise. This is preposterous."
''Shc knows perfectly we'll that am
not her husband" said Drane. .For
some purpose of her own she has lured
me here, and has claimed me before
you, and you have pretended to recog-
nize me. But for the honesty that read
| in your face, sir, should be tempted to
say that this was all great conspiracy
| to entrap me-"
"Young man," said Rev. Mr.. Knowles,
with deep severity, Il never forget a
face. l know you by your necktie!'
1t was the one article of conspicuous
apparel which he had retained since
the first exchange with the tramp in
| the Turkish bath. He cursed it in his
soul.
''But look at me more closely; look
into my face!" he exclaimed.
Rev. Mr.. Knowles pulled a pair of
| spectacles down from his forehead and
| approached Drane with grim de-
| termination to make sure of him writ
ten all over his usually benign coun-
tenance. Drane lifted up his head and
looked straight at the glittering gold
rims of the glasses. He felt certain
that he should not fail of an acquittal if
once he was properly inspected.
But Rev. Mr.. Knowles made an error
which is alarmingly common in cases
where personal identity is at issue. He
| fixed his gaze rigidly on the one thing
which had previously misled him-the
necktie-and to all intents and pur-
| poses his scrutiny went no further. And
oh, how he did identify that necktie.
How he reached in and pulled it's secret
out! How dead certain, how immovably,
unutterably POSITIVE ne was, wnen ne
raised his eyes from it and pushed up
his glasses again, that that was the ver-
table necktie with which he had for
ever united the fate of Miss Nellie
Blake. Then he glanced at Drane's
| face with his unassisted eyes; saw
simply a physiognomy with the Gus
tomary number of features on it, and
was convinced.
81 was not mistaken" said he, ''and 1
am at loss to understand your con-
duct"
1t takes really good man to be fixed
in error; but doubt is the eternal por-
tion of the unregcnerate. The Rev. Mr..
Knowles was moro certain that he had
married Drane, than Drane was that he
hadn't.
why" continued Mr.. Knowles, ''if
it was your intention to cast this woman
off did you bring her here where your
iniquity was almost certain to trans
pire?"
81 didn't bring her here, said Drane,
despondingly, ''she brought me-"