The morning times., 1896-02-02

1
else to ask for you?"
Wrong again.
perhaps your wife popped the question
to you?''
Not bit of 1t. But If you like 1 viii
tell you the whole story.
when was young was what may he
called a mild youth tyou may laugh, and
greatly given to pla ying the flute. attending
lectures ON phrenology and such like dissipa
ton. stenography, too. had Just come
up, and Tor long time ! felt IL my duty to
fill up note books with rows Of strange
looking figures that would have puzzled
| Piulan himself IL make out.
''Of course had a companion In all this.
perfect counterpart, with only one draw
back. Hehad Il sister a bout seventeen years
old. I was little shy and afraid of tb.
| drawback (the sister, l mean.
| Well, / did takas the flute and play
I duets with the pianoforte. until a good
deal OF the shyness wore off. and VIZ got
on with our stenograpby swimmiBgly.
| Being fond OF knowledge myself. there was
naturally a great deal OF pleasure in i'm
parting it TO another. AT first Brown
| took lessons with Emily. bat he soon got
| tired, and we were left 10 pore over the
lesson book together.
As soon Mrs. Brown learned that we
had advanced as far as the corresponding
style-'Ah,' said she, you and Emily must
write TO each other some poems in steBog-
| raphy. How would that dO?' We could
bat try ii. and found so many mistakes that
1t WAS generally necessary to read the poems
over together afterward.
We'll. this went on for year or so, until
tired OF doing nothing mySclf-though NY
father. as every one knew, was very well
off, suddenly made up my mind to gO 10
Australia.
II at once took a berth In the Black BslI
clipper to sail in a week. AMI was. Of course.
much busi-d in preparing the necessary out
nt. n. nrst excitem.nt over. I rrmcm-
bered that had neglected to return Niss
Brown a ste nosraphic exercise. aud not hav.
ing time to call. encio~e,i II by post. with
a few words. sl-o In sicnuErapliy. accom-
panying u.
Two days before the Hack fttler vas to
sail found time % cai ~ the Bruwns. I
met Brown Just outside. WIN tnhi me 20 20
In and b. would h. hock presently.
Il was shown into ths ira WING ron. q
was empty. iamuss,i my III Tor q few min
utrs boxing over souis piciurss. Presently
thsre was a rustic az the d,-lr and almost
before I c,suld turn o. --c SIN o. might be
I fuund myself emhraoed- h-hevs even
kiss-.L
-of cuurss there va son1e mistake buf
u sIsidsniy occurred GO me that it was a
vrry Ii.asant one. ant iusi Ut tn moment
who -honid D. passing THE issor but Brown.
sr.
He se,tn~d O., take th- sc-ne in a. .
Eanor. walked up o" fne. gave mr a hearty
slap on the shoulder. and. with a laugh.
said n D. Just what ! expected OI
c,,urSe Mr.. Il. entered imms dLisly after.
and yaun- Brown came double knocking al
the ds.1r 90 make another witness Of the
little drama.
An this time Emly's head was On nv
shnulder. and she calculated searching
about my dear letter 1 was afraid to
speak. theu?' and on.
The next half hour Is blank. ! know
that letter was brpleht To me from the
agent 81 the Black Ealier regretting that
by some mistake "A berth had not been Sc
cured for me. but that the ticket would lie
available for any vessel of the company.
And. what is somewhat TO the point, re-
member that IL was settled that we were
to he married in three months.
We'll. time ruled on. We came to Aus
iraIia and soon settled down into a COM
Portable home.
''Onc day Mrs. G., putting some boxes
straight, made a grand start. and, pulling
out a piece of paper covered with short.
hand, exclaimed:
Why, Tom, here is that dear letter OF
yours that brought us SO much happiness
Letter. said /, what letter: Per
haps you will be good enough to read it,
Certainly said Mrs. G., and then read
in mock sentimental tone:
~ return your exercise corrected. ]
send it by post. as under the circumstances
cannot see you personally. l admit thai
ought TO have told you before that love
you, but really / could not Pray forgive
me. Yours truly,
THOMAS GREEN
II saw the thing at once. As have NJ
ready stated. the letter was i'll stcnOgraphy
and without vowels. ! had merely III
tended to inform her OF my departure, and
to excuse myself for the neglect of not
letting my friends know it earlier. Bm
mademoiseIle had read il 4 love you IN
stead OF i leave yon.' And that Is how
got married without popping the cues
ton.
II TOOK possession OF the precious epistle
the dear letter'-and whenever Mrs
G. is in a teasing mood | have cnly TO
draw il slowly out or my pOcEetboOk and
the tables are at once turned. We still
find stenography useful. hut are very
particular about the vowels. ''-LoDdoP
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