Arizona republican., 1891-11-07

up and made them into that jacket l wore 10 the station yesterday"
 Cut them upw exclaimed Tom, in consternation, winch soon gave way to uncontrollable laughter,
 While he was laughing, l was des- perately considering. l had always been considered truthful; had always been truthful, whether from inherent goodness or lack of temptation, can not say, but have n humiliating sus- picion that it may have been the latter, as, now that temptation presented it. self, l was willing to falsify, or rather, to have some one else do SO for me. When Tom had subsidod sufficiently to near me- 1 said: "ren him tramp stole the clothes"
 "A likely story" replied Tom, that tramp should find his way up into my closet and select that particular suit of old clothes as booty"
 "Well, tell him we thought the clothes were yours and gave them away" l urged.
 'I shall tell him the truth" said Tom, in tone of moral severity quite unusual with him.
 He went up to his room, where Mir. Mercy was waiting A few moments later followed him up the steps and slipped into my own room, which ad- joined his, that might see, or, rather, hear, how he performed the delicate task in hand. Other emotions were too strong within me to permit me to feel any scruples IT playing ieavesdroppcr. When reached my room heard Tom assuring Mir. Mercy, in grave tone, the frequent tremors of which gave evidence of suppressed emotion, that l had deliberately appropriated the miss. ing articles to my own use.
 Tom, you are trying to sell me-" said Mir. Mercy.
 No, she cut them u-u-p," replied Tom, the crescendo on the word up" being caused by burst of laughter, "and made"
 determined to go in and explain the matter myself It would be easier than meeting Nr. Mercy after he had received Toms explanation, don't know what l siid, hut made him un- ierstand the situation, and he assured me the matter was of no consequence.
 "I should have had but little further use for the clOthes,n said he. "I in- tended to talse them nome for my mother to maSe over for my little brothers; and l doubt not the boys would give you vote of thanks, if they knew, for they don't like wearing made-ovcr garments
 My heart went out, at once, to the little brothers
 Mir. Mercy managed somehow, with delicacy of which am sure no other man could have been capable, to con vey to me compliment on the feminine ingenuity which could produce so pretty garment from such poor materials, and even expressed the hope that l would continue to wear it. But that l averrcd never could do again, when Tom put in;
 "See here, Bab, if you go on wearing it, not even mother need ever know but what the things were mine; but if you don't, the truth must come out, and you never will hear the last of it from Ludora and Isabella"
 Reflection convinced me of the truth of the argument, and l concluded that 1t would be better to wear the jacket occasionally, though knew l should always feel queer" in 1t.
 This ludicrols incident made MT Mercy and me feel better acquainted in a few days than we should other wise have done in weeks; and that the attack l had nude on his wardrobe did not forever disgrace me in his mind was proved by the fact that at the end of his visit he asked permission to write to me, and within n year asked me to be his wife.
 l have told this bit of personal ex- perience, not merely, as the casual reader may suppose, to make known how l happened to become Mrs. Ran dolph Mercy, but to point the moral to parents that the garments in which their children are clad may seriously affect the events which clothe their life's history. Martha Gion Sperbeck, in DemoresCs Mon nthly
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