The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-11-28

You must have found something precious
In there-jewelry or something-wfiicA
makes you anxious to martyrize yourself.
It's mine however, and am not as anx-
ious to part with it as I was-not till I've
looked through it anyway"
AS be turned the key Al remembered
that his own photograph was lying IN
conspicuous box and exclaimed:
''Wait until after dinner, then. am
half starvedr'
Perhaps 1t would be better" was the
answer, and they passed out together.
When fairly down stairs AL said he had
forgotten his handkerchief and flew back
three steps at a time to get it. Securing
the picture and placing it in an inside
pocket, he said to himself:
"Surely there is nothing else to give me
away. But I must wheedle him out OF
the trunk"
After dinner Fred "went through" the
contents of the trunk, making boyish re-
marks concerning each article as he threw
it aside. AL inwardly WINGED at these re-
marks and could scarcely restrain himself
from knocking him over on the spot.
"What makes you so crusty?" queried
Fred suddenly as one of his choicest jokes
was met by gruff fH'm!' There's 10
fun in you, and why you want this stuff
beats me. Your sisters would turn up
their noses at secondhand clothing, if it
is pretty. But it isn't worth fussing over,
SO take it along. No doubt it would prove
a white elephant on my hands sooner OF
LATER
Not until the trunk was safely in his
room could AL breathe freely. Even then
it was no easy matter to keep it out Of his
sisters sight. They made both pet and
a confldant Of their one brother and had a
fashion of dropping into his room at all
hours to tell him of their schemes and
woes. He had pushed the trunk under a
mahogany table in the corner, the old fash
Toned cover of which reached almost to the
floor.
When he told them he was going away
for little business "trip, - they beset him
with questions and petitions to be taken
with him, finally declaring they would
clean house while he was gone and ssort
out his trash
So behold him, in the dead of night
carrying the white elephant up the mar
row attic stairs, humping his head on ev-
cry rafter and getting cobwebs in his mus
tache He covered it with old clothing
pushed big box in front of it and then
crept down stairs feeling as guilty as if
he had been concealing soma crime. At
breakfast the girls both talked at once
about the burglar who tried to get in and
how they pounded on AIS door and could
not even get an answer.
At noon he was off, and as the train
whirled onward he became possessed with
fears. She might not be at Hastings; she
might not care for him after these three
years; she might even be married or dead
Arriving at his destination at last, he
only stopped to leave his bag at hotel
and walked rapidly to a familiar house in
the suburbs. Ringing the bell, he in
quired for Miss Burr in matter of fact
way, as II he had seen her the day before.
He watched the girls face as she spoke
and saw no trace of surprise She simply
said:
"Miss Burr may not be able to see you.
but come in and will ask
Presently he was shown into a small,
sunny room, where, on a couch lay the
one girl he had ever loved. He meant to
explain at once the cause of his foolish 60
ing and eager coming, all of which he had
framed into frank beautiful sentences
but somehow they forsook him, and he fell
back on the commonplace. She received
him with quiet words Of welcome and then
said:
pardon my position, but I am such an
invalid that it is a trial to sit up"
IAN invalid" he echoed family.
eyes" she answered. "Did you not
hear Of my accident several months agoi
On coming home from visit stopped for
a day or SO In London hotel The build
ing caught FIRE few hours after entered
it. The horror of the scene is so stamped
branded would be a more appropriate
word-on my memory that cannot bear
to talk of it. lost everything except the
ulster which was wrapped about me, and
would have lost my life but for the brave
fireman who broke my fall. Oh, no, am
not seriously injured she continued, in
answer to his half spoken question,
Though have boon ill ever SINCE 1t waa
such shock, you know
By delft questioning he succeeded in
making her say:
Yes, lost my trunk. 1t was left at
the station Il expected to go on in a day
or two}, and the deposit ticket was de-
stroyed with my pocketbook. Railway
people are necessarily particular about
identifying luggage, and for weeks was
too ill to even remember it. Besides,
had only gone for a short outing, and it
held nothing of much value, except some
keepsakes that were dear to me-
deep flush stole over her face at these
words. He watched it for one delicious
moment, and then gathered her up in his
arms, exclaiming:
II will bring them back if you will pay
tho reward want"
Then-or, rather, after he had tortured
her impatience mercilessly-he told her OF
Fred's "bargain" bought at auction. She
begged for it, coaxed, pleaded, all in vain
He declared she could only have the little
leather trunk as a wedding present. And
q very happy wedding party it was too
London Tit-Bits.
WIT AND WISDOM