The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1894-02-07
WAS 1T A RUSE?
BY 8. A. WEISS.

eyes and dimple in each cheek, and
the more Mr. Bowers looked at her
across the boarding house table the
better he liked her.
He was himself n widowcr of forty,
and had been paying some attention
to maiden lady with auburn hair and
sharp black eyes, who, he considered,
would be good manager for his
household; but from the moment
when pretty Mrs. Wren seated herself
opposite him at Mrs. Brooks table,
aud said, in her sweet, low voice, 'Tea,
if you please, with sugar and cream"
he felt az intuitive conviction that this
was the woman whom n kind fate had
especially designed for him.
From his landlady he gained some
information concerning her; that she
had been recommended to the summer
clearinghouse by Mrs. Brooks own
pastor, whose relative she was; that
she had lost her husband nearly two
years since, and was very well of as
regarded money; and finally that she
resided with sister in Mr.. Bowers
own city-all of which was very salts
factory to Mr.. Bowers.
So, forthwith, he commenced an
assiduous courtship of the widow, and
80 favorably were her attentions re-
ceived that one old bachelor-Mr.
Boggs- wagered silver dollar with
another old gentleman-Mr. Wingo-
that the couple would be engaged be-
fore the end of the second week.
As it happened, it was on the very
evening of this wager that Mr.. Bowers
and the fcI widow were seated in a
little rustic summer-house on the lawn
.as the sun set slowly beneath the dis
tant mountain tops. She was looking
at the evening star and he at her.
II think" she said, pensively, "that
that must be the star of my destiny,
else L would not love it so. ,"
"And believe you are mine" he
answered, tenderly, "else-may 1 say
it, Alice?"
"Say what?" she answered, inno-
Gently.
"You know-that 1 love you so !"
Her long lashes dropped.
"We have known each other for so
short time, f." she murmured.
''For a whole week, dearest, and in
that time have become better ac-
quainted with each other than would
have been possible in months of or
dinary intercourse Oh, Alice, say
that you will be minel"
And when, IN hour thereafter, the
couple returned to the house, and en-.
tered the supper-room in the full glare
of the gaslight, Mr.. Wingo quietly
clipped silver dollar from his pocket
and with, Il sigh, laid it upon Mr..
Boggs' knee, under cover of the table
cloth.
OF course Mr.. Bowers called upon
his betrothed as soon as she returned
to the city, and between them ar
rangements were made for a speedy
marriage.
But in all this time he was pur
posely nursing in his breast a guilty
secret which the widow little sus
pected. For not once had he hintec
to her that in the home to which he
proposed to take her he had thre,
rough and unruly boys to whom sht
was expected to be tender mother,
SIT will never do to let her know i
before we are engaged" Mr. Bower
had at first said to himself.
And when he found himself en-
gagged, he was still haunted by the
doubt whether she might not, forget
iul of her plighted word, be tempted
to ''throw him over" when she found
out about those terrible children.
But at last matters had progressed
SO far--all but the date of the mar
riage being fixed-that he felt tina
he could not longer, with propriety
withhold from her matter which s.
nearly concerned her.
"Alice, darling" he said, one eve
ming, with sickly smile, 81 have
little surprise for you. ! have bee
80 absorbed in you that 1 forgot t
tell you about my-my three littl
boys at home"
''Why did you not tell me before?
"Because- --ahem las I said, wa
thinkinp of Won only Rut surelx