The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1896-09-03

hsvs lhat thera hd brsu nothing m1r'
thsn . little .ool,b alrtsiioo he'veeo ih'
rouus lady sud myseIi tie stilsd th'
sirl's hand. tuck, il nader his arm, Aut
marched ~
A. Tor bsv5us.u opportunity Of meet
ins Der ssaia, vill take precious good
cate that you don't, be tareW at ne over
bic saonlier
Alas, there could he little doubt Of it.
Add the Islnrf / had 20 doubt that il
wasspote 10 Iet lorer II seemed Jast q
little bard that, anxious as ! Sas to serve
her. tbi. should be the particular service
required oi me.
A. the drsi pillar boa ! came to ! took
ont the missiye she bad gwen me. II was
her proersmme for the evening dsioty
card. folded bookvise, and secured at toe
edges by number OF postage stamps
stuck a. around it. II gss stamped with
penny stamp, and addressed 10 pencil,
OF course. bad no business to read the
address knew that well enough. l.
was, perhaps, al ungentlemsuIy thing to
do, but then my curiosity VAS greatly eI
cited. hoped that the name penclled
on the back Of the programme might be
that Of woman. But / was dissp
pointed. BY the light OF gas lamp
read
Immediate, Arthur Belliuaham, Esq"
-Furniysl's Inn HoltorD, L, c.
Bellughsmf Pellinghsm? | seemed
to know the name. For minute or two
stood trying to remember whom 1t was
I had once met that owned II. but 10 vain,
What did it matter? The siilr was at an
,nd. dropped the queer letter into the
etter box and went home to my lodg
ngs.
A few months later was slroliing along
Oxford street. | heard my name called
,nt, and looking up saw Arthur BellIng
IAN standing before me. ! recognized
lm at once-s young engineer whom bad
net once 10 country inn on wet day
n the Lake district. We bad been cspi
al friends for week, and | could not IN
lerstsnd how had forgotten him when |
,ad tried to remem ber what Bllinghsm
had known.
We greeted each other warmly, and he
would have me go With him to his cham
,ers in FurDivsls Inn and smoke Cigar
With him,
Bilinghsm, | said, as stood on his
lesrth rug, did it ever happen that you
ectived letter written an ball pro
,remme?
His eyes and mouth opened in pure as
onishment
What do you know about thstP he eiacu
ated.
ought not to have known anything
bout it but plead guilty TO having read
he address, Ipostei the programme to
on one night on my way home from q
)all.
MY friend sprsng up and wrung my
and ss if be would wiring it of,
My dear fellow, be oried, am iotnlte
, obi ged to you for your tact aud kind
ess on that occasion. II you had not
,osted that note il would have meant ruin
o me. Maud told me how awfnlly good
on we're about il.
Maud2 DO You mean -
Maud, my sister-the girl who slipped
he note into your hand.
Is she your sister?
Certainly she is. 1t is rather an
ncommon story, Shall tell it toI
on?
II YOU don't mad. confess am turn
1g with curiosity
The fact is, then, that some three years
90 my poor mother. who was q widow,
id what turned ont to be very foolish
bink she married again, and married
,ithout making inquiries. My stepfather,
ir Maddox, turned ont to be q very
ad egg My mother lost the greater part
! her fortune when she married him, and !
,e were for time practically dependent
n nv mothers uncle, sn eccentric old
eptleman rather fond OF money, called
| Iodgkinson.
Maddox is neither more nor less than
n sdventnrer, and for long time It was
he main business Of his Ii e 10 exploit my
rest nncle. At last he nearly succeeded |
Isddook and some friends OF his got bold |
I a bit of land 10 South Africa, which |
bpv wanted to sell as gold mine,
mt believe there WAS an ounce OF gold |
n the premises Bot my great uncle ssiG
bat he would buy 1t at the high hgure
hey asked for it if uonld go ont and see
!. and send him private telegram sdvis
ag him that the gold was there in paying
usntities.
OF course, WAS ready to go, and ] ives
o have sailed the very morning after the
Ugh, Of the ball that fou and Maud at
ended.
Well. Maud happened to be in the con
ervstory attached to the ballroom when
be hesrd two men talking rather indls
ree,ly. She was standing behind some
lowering shrubs aud heard every word
hey ssld
The two men were Mr.. Maddox and
.ae Of bis associstes, aud she heard enc
lab 10 mske hcr understand that the thing
ssss fr.ua, and tbs, vas 10 be male
be means OF their sWindlng Uncle Jones
N = large scale, believe the plan w's
hat they should send false telegram TO
be old man 10 my name, days before ;