Nevada County picayune., 1891-09-24

breach of promise of marriage and force i'm in the witness box to give his reasons for jlting you What did I tell you, Lamai This Sawbones Isn't the man for you, and you're damned well rid of him"
 Mir Smith, Mir Smith, please re. member your manners before ladiesl" cried his better half
 Mrs. smith," said her husband who was somewhat overexcited by what he had read, ladies, or no ladies, 1 re, peat. Lamia's damned well rid of him and think she'll agree with me that I've been perfectly right all along, and that I'm justified in saying so"
 The long and short of the matter was that Mir Smith undertook with Lamia's consent, to write reply to Dr. Carious. which reply, as may be imag ined. was clothed in language rather more strong than courteous. and in which he told him that nothing could exceed his regret that he had ever been engaged to his daughter except his joy that he had now ceased to be so
 few months later Dr Carious read the announcement in The Times of marriage between Michael Careless, of Montreal, Canada, and Lamia, daugh. ter of Joseph Smith Esq, of Rabnet Manor. Crampshire. He at once sat down and dispatched a small, carefully packed parcel to the bridegroom,
 
 Why, Michael, here's belated wed. ding present, l do believe" cried Lainia the morning after their return from their honeymoon to her fathers house It's addressed to you, and do believe the handwriting is Dr Carious'."
 Let's see it, said Careless. and forthwith he proceeded to undo the parcel Under the paper was wooden box with sliding lid As he pulled this away a piece of paper tiuttered to the ground Lamia picked it up and read aloud the following extraordinary Lote
 sIR--lneosed l send you what circumstances force Be 10 believe are your father-in-law's toes You will. no doubt do as you think it about returning them, after so long a separa- ton, to their original owner l am yours faith. fully, C.C.
 While Lamia was reading this letter aloud Michael was gazing with broad smile upon his face, at Il small bottle which he held in his hand and which contained in spirits of wine a very re markable object. Th!. object was the toe piece of a stout boot with a felt sole containing five human toes and the fragments of thick wooden sock cut as cleanly off booted foot a: though 1t were the section of Ger man sausage Pasted on the bottle was a fragment of newspaper dated just forty years ago, Michael volun teered 10 read it aloud.
 It contained partial description of what had evidently been n ghaStly tragedy Among other things it stated that the room in which murder for the sake af plunder had been com fusion. which evidenced that desper ate struggle had taken place, and that the deceased had evidently at one time during the encounter been in possession of a large ax which lay on the floor, since the only trace of the murderer left behind was the toe piece of his boot cut clean of. with the five toe; remaining in it.
 These last words were underlined in red ink. and in writing was added, evi dently by Dr. Curious father
 Owner of the tee, stlI at large, and now two years since murder was com mitted ,--John Curious"
 And what the deuce does it all mean" cried MT Smith.
 Well" said Michael, rather shame facediy, for he was uncertain what sort of a reception his story would receive, the fact is saw this curiosity in Dr. Carious' museum the night dined with him and when he came down to shoot with me l took the liberty of blocking up all the toes of your right boots and and he chose to draw the unwar tantable inference"--
 You mean that you chose to make him believe to forward your own per soma! schemes, you dog, roared Mir, Smith that l--that your uncle-that his future fatherinlaw was q toeless murderer at large" and what between Indignation and laughter, Lamias fa ther was within measurable distance of succumbing to premature fit of apo plexy. Boston Courier.