The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1895-12-15
III ll-==s;s go IT,;
= e. " F.. - 'll=Siil
A TRICK OF FATE. U
BY A. w MiTcHrLL III
BY A. W. MiTcHrLL-


"A. harm is built Of round cobble stones
49,. tbs lake shore. Back ~ the barn an
.,,l, orchard strotches to the banks OF the
s,.t To the right arc fragrant meadows
a buehwhsat. In this good home Nathan
o,nlsbover and hls Wife. Ann, were now en-
t,,lns a comfortable and prosperous old
w.
rtey had two ehildren--Joel, a eschslcr
AZ IS, who supcrntcndcd the farm work,
ssd Mlss Julia. who never looked into the
bn,,y Bible beoauso It contained the date
:, her birth. joel and Miss Julia had besn
"a the district school down near Two
pridsss. and afttrward had driven In daily
h The high school IN Alton. They we're.
from the beginning ecber. respectable and
Industrious. and sober, respectable and In.
Su,,r,ous they would always continue. They
Looked very much alike, and also Ike their
h.Aer and mother, between whom there was
IL reseu hlancs common 20 old couples
they were tall and heavy. with dark hair.
lIfh, hlus cYes, faces broad at the chin
dul. brown complexion and indennitc eye
trows and eyclashes They bought their
tv,hes ready made IN Buffalo. These were
,i,sn expensive. but the effect was irregu-
N. Miss Julia likod touch OF bright color
Y b her ba's. Joel gave bis fancy rein In
he matter OF necktier.
Neither Miss Julia nor Joel had ever
Known love affair This was nc, the re-
ri, Of determined cel,bscy. Cupid had
ever aimed their way. Joel had orcc taken
s.llJ Calthorpe TO drive, and all the way
had talked about the crops. particularly Of
The ravhsea OF the cabbage worm and a
device OF hls own TO uefeat that h.lliyerent
animal When he went 20 announce his
victory the following Sunday. Miss Sally
vas gone with another man.
The elder Glile8owcrs we're very anxious
iihst Joel should marry. First, because It
vr material an right" and second, be.
Cause they wanted to see an heir to the
GIllleGower acres. Their son wac likely
t,saay, wel-to-do What more could a
scmsn wsntf As Tor Julia, that was OF less
Importance. Old maids wero more In the
order Of nature. A bachelor was mon
itrosly. Old Nathan talked seriously to
I'a abent II "a they husked corn In the
tsrr
Why don't -or git yer q wife. JOEL Yer
rio.hsr'n mo air ett'n' tired OF ws,tln for
ycu an Julia. seem's II you Jest get round
al expected the Lord to fix yer UP rib
samts lilo DID for Adam. Yer mssiu' yer
best years tell you Why, married yer
nohsr when l wsrr't but 20 year old. Yer
needn't take a beauty. Any smart, healthy
nrl will do, There's Matilda Bridses Why
don't you make UP to herr Old Martin
Bridges amt another chick nor child In
To world. II zero ocalrt about II, III sound
~ old folks fsr yer"
Bu. joe hastily declined hie fathers kind
isa Nadia Bridges weighed 200 pounap
tnd ss cross-oyei, and Joo had his
tnirA, They showed him trim young
v'nan- with black eyes and hair aud
turlst lips, resembling a summer bosrder
vas onr' stopped IN tho ne,Shborhood This
'fon appeared when cabbage worms were
vsseent.
Gs evening, as he drove home from the
y thinking OF his single stsie, he saw
k1led IN the teGce in mammoth letters
Mvertlse' lie read no further. but took
Msord IA prophetic message. lie knew
enN maiden to his fancy but, Of course
" sofid held ono SON ewhere. He would
ek her through the omnipotent press. The
Eefe DC thought OF It, the more tho idea
leUed him, Without the ordeal OF ask
ft hs would know IL the maiden were
sMlrs lie could enumerata the necessary
eAfesuoua. 40 that uone others need ap-
N' And finally everything could be On.
had UP before the spring planting came
"a
ms wording Of the sdvertisemen, took
ntth thought He decided 10 keep his
pan entirely secret. Aster twenty Slim OF
per were torn M. the following notice
Us sent to the weekly to which The ellie
tcssrs had been subscribers for many
INs' "A good-looklns" (mother always
nN 70, that's all know about 10. "well-to-
CO. steady young man would like TO cor
tiponi With modest, amishle aud indus.
nsap lady object, ma,rimony, Address j..
When Joel took the weekly from the mail
ga saw that notice. on the nrvt paxc he
elushed violently, II seemed 10 him that
WH'oody must know who seat tine advsr-
msment, He was almost afraid 70 give hls
n'ner the paper, lest they Should suspec,
am at once. But the old man took no
ufthcr notice OF the all important para
Eiph than TO remark to hts wife, who sat
sth her knitting on tho other side Of the
aoe' Here's another darn fool sdver-
1ns for his piste."
!oel and Julia had gone to ths prayer
sseung at Deacon Podscrs'. They drove
Sons u silence, and strange to say, both
esW thinking OF ITO same thinr. julia
silie1ower had long suffered from the
sesvy Weight Of the commonplace She
vased 10 throw of Tho bonds Of convention.
NY 10 feel some OF the Wild emotions she
,ead about In novels In short. she wanted
!, get married. She had seen that notice in
vac weekly II was wild a dreadful thjne
ansNeru
that uight before she slept. Miss Julis
ss,mpotsd The following letter: Jay: Dear
w S have seen your advertisement in thu
MeAiy' AMI would like % c7rrcapoud
~ you, II agreeable. | an affccticnate
muusulous and well on, and wiling n
hhse' fultabls partner for lie have
20 10 ach0ol and 70. high school |
svu,d be willing to do anything FOR nv hus.
vvAuo' Please address Evelna, Buffalo, n
D.. hles Julia also wrote 70 a friend In
s.naio to forward these "Evelina" letters Il
aer Under cover
a.. IN Wree days loci received bundle Of
s,Nefs u his advertisement. he took them
~, An - the mai himself and read them as
n, Clover iaEly iingled the sic rhbelle on
A., noneWsri foed, They were a motley
~, several addressed him rs Darling
~ which be thought INDIGENOUS. one oi
la made unpleasant puns on his initial
49, Finally no took GU, p dellcatell
4, envelope Of the twenty-five cents q
r. ,order. The handwriting. hough slight
disguised. was cf that delicate, cnpyb0oh
,ua which Joel AID Julia hal been laugh
ss.nlre al school The address nestled
ssuY toward the bottom o. the envelope
uf went through Joers fingers al
~. cpea,h he end The contents we're ex
,tg 70 bis trGfe II gssu etrnad ssI1valf~a q