Connecticut western news., 1896-12-17

She smiled and gracefully accepted my apology. She was youIg, bright and, thought, the handsomest girl I had ever seen. She was tastefully dressed in fancy costume, with skirts reaching just below the knee.
 We were soon chatting pleasantly together, and I learned that she had gone up Cor come up, rather. that after noon from Melbourne, and had been driving before the wind above the storm, as I had myself been doing. It was, she said, only her third ascent, but she was perfectly cool and laughed gayly over our somewhat strange meeting. I hap pened to look closely at her balloon, and suddenly it struck me that 1t answered the description of the 'one the signor had lost I asked her delicately where she got it, and she said that it had come down one day in her fathers front yard, and after diligent attempt to find the owner by advertising in all of the Mel bourne papers and putting up notice in the post office she had decided to be- gin making ascents with the balloon herself, since there was heavy mort gage on her fathers farm and danger of his losing it if $500 was not raised soon.
 "She was much embarrassed when I told her that knew the owner of the balloon, and instantly said she would return it to him at the earliest possible moment. I was by this time so taken by her that I told her she should do nothing of the sort; that as the signor had got another balloon I would see that she was not dispossessed, though had not the least idea how should ever pay for it.
 "At this she blushed, thanked me, but said that mamma would not allow her to accept such gift from compar- ative stranger. I was deeply touched by her delicacy in the matter, but resolved that she should own the balloon never theless. In fact, to tell the truth, was, as you may guess. falling in love with the girl just as rapidly as it is possible for any man to fall in love with any young woman.
 "And, to make long story short, by the time the storm was over and we be- gan to descend I was engaged to her, subject to the consent of her parents. As we settled toward the earth and gazed across into her great, liquid eyes and saw there the light of awakening love I was the happiest man above the Australian continent. But one dark thought crossed my mind-that of my utter poverty.
 "We soon reached terra firma, and a delicious thrill shot through me as I touched her hand for the first time in assisting her from her basket then turned and picked up stone to use in stalking down our balloons. I saw some thing gleam on it. I examined closely. Goldl A glance showed more all about on the ground. I used my stakes in marking out claim. It became the eel ebrated Gas Bag mine, of which you have heard. and month later I sold it for 92O0,00O We were married in Woolloomoolloo.
 "See here, judge" broke in the dominic, 1T thought this story was go- ing to introduce an incident to prove that lying is not domoralizing'
 II promised nothing of the sort. !" re- turned the judge. "This story is an ex- ample, not an incident to prove any thing However there may be proof in it after all. I have told it, and I'll leave it to any one here if I am demoral- ized. "-Hayden Carruth in Chicago Post