The Monitor-register., 1896-07-17

the contents of the trunk, making boyish
remarks concerning each article as he
threw it aside. AL inwardly WINGED at
these remarks, and could scarcely restrain
himself from knocking him over on the
spot.
What makes you so crnsty ?" queried
Fred, suddenly, as one of his choicest
jokes was met by a grnff "H'm!'
"There's no fun in you, and why YOU
want this stuff beats me. Your sisters
would turn up their noses at second hand
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 or later"
Not until the trunk was safely in his
room could AL breathe freely; wei then
it was no easy matter to keep it out of
his sisters sight. They made both a pet
and conldant 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 fashioned cover of which reached
almost to the floor.
When he told them that he was going
away for a little business "trip thew
beset him with questions and petitions to
be taken with him, finally declaring that
they would clean house while he was
gone, and ''sort out his trash"
so, behold him, in the dead of night,
carryir & the white elephant" up the
narrow stairs, humping his head on every
rafter and getting eobwebs in his mus.
tache. He covered it with old clothing.
pushed a big box in front of it and then
crept down stairs, feeling as guilty as If
he had been conoealiDg some crime. At
breakfast the girls both talked at once
about the burglar who tried to get in,
and how they pounded on Al's 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 Hast
ings; she might not care for him after
three years; she might now even be MAJ
ried or dead.
Arriving at his destination at last no
only stopped to leaved his bag at the
hotel, and walked rapidly to a familiar
house in the suburbs. Ringing the bell.
he inquired for Miss Burr in a matter. of.
fact way, as if he had seen her the day
before. He watched the girls face as he
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, whore, On a couch, lay the
one girl he bad ever loved. He meant to
explain at once the cause of his foolish
going and eager coming, all of which he
had framed into frank, beautiful SEN
fences; but somehow they forsook him,
and he fell back on the commonplace.
She received him with words of welcome.
and then said:
pardon my position, but l am such
an invalid that it is a trial to sit up"
can invalidl' he echoed, family.
EYES," she answered. "Did you not
hear of my accident several months ago?
On coming home from a visit l stopped
for a day in a London hotel. The build
ing caught fire in a few hours after |
entered it. The horror of the scene is so
stamped-branded would be a more ap
propriate word-on my memory that |
cannot bear to talk of it. l lost every
thing except the ulster which was
wrapped about me, and would have lost
life out for the brave firemen who broke
my fall. Oh, no, l Am not seriously in
jured," she continued, in answer to his
half-spoken question. Though l have
been Ill ever since. 1t was such a shock,
you know"
By deft questioning he succeeded in
making her say:
"Yes, | lost my trunk. 1t was left at
the station Il expecting to 90 in a day or
two) and the deposit check was de-.
stroyed with my pocketbook. Railway
people are necessarily particular about
identifying luggage, and for two weeks l
was too i'll 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-"
A deep flush stole over her face at
these words; he watched it for a delicious
mon,en and then gathered her up in his
arms, as he exclaimed:
81 will bring them back if you will
pay me the reward l want"
Then-or rather, after he had tortured
her Impotence 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 a very happy wedding
party it was, too.