Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1901-05-15
The Trick Was Exposed.

HWAS a young man possessed of
sufficient means to enable me to
live at my ease, when suddenly
there came blow which scattered my
prosperity to the winds and forced me
tolabor in the general struggle Of gain
ing living.
Securing clerkship in the house of
. creditor Of our late firm, my first care
was to look up less expensive board
ing house. l Inserted an advertisement
In several city papers, asking for rea-
sonable board in strictly private fam
lily, and received multitude Of an.
swers by next post. Out of this motley
installment Of epistles, there was but
one which pleased me, and decided
to answer that one In person immedi-
ately.
Grace Kingsley was the name of the
favored landlady writing to me, and
the letter stated that her house was
entirely private, she having no board
ers whatever. was much pleased
with the fair, delicate handwriting, and
an idea took possession Of me that
Grace was a young and fascinating
widow. ] was not disappointed when
reached the house, md my ring at
the doorbell was answered by the lady
herself. She invited me into the par
Tor In manner that was so courteous
and yet SO modest, that l had fallen in
love with her before even crossed the
threshold.
Before leaving my former boarding
house, q letter was handed me by the
postman, but did not find time to
examine 1t until was comfortably en-
sconced in the parior Of Mrs. Kings
ley'ss cosy establishment.
enr-- 4, I discovered ii to Be from-
uncle, residing In Vermont,
larly sent me letter every
whom had never seen.
a year previous my uncle
ne pressing inquiries respect
matrimonial prospects, and
lat II wasn't already married
ID Immediately enter into the
state and let him know Of 1t
would never more be uncle Of
as my uncle lived in Vermont
Il in Philadelphia, and never
pated the old gentleman would
pay me visit and discover the
hood, wrote to him and inform
lin that was not only married,
also the father of bouncing boy.
intelligence SO pleased him that
ent me gold goblet and silver
spoon, to be presented to my child.
first sat down and wrote n very
lantic letter to my uncle, thanking
for the present and then visited
nearest jewelry store and turned
h the goblet and the spoon into cash,
ich pocketed.
lind received no further letters from
nv uncle until the one which I read
m Mrs. Kingsley's pnrlor. The post
script to this one not only astonished,
but absolutely frightened me. It read
Is follows:
"P. ST. have never visited Philadel-
phia, so have decided to do so at once
and get a look Mt you and your wife
and child. You may expect me about
the 10th Of the month";
"Good gracious; my uncle coming to
! visit me-" exclaimed, and 1t is past
the 10th Of the month now! / don't
know at what moment he may pop in
What am to do for wife and child p,
At that moment there came terrible
ring at the door bell, as IL the man who
pulled 1t imagined he owned the
house and could make as much noise
as he pleased. A sickening sensation
took possession Of me. for had mis-.
giving 1t was my uncle.
Now, as good fortune would have It,
Mrs. Kingsley had gone out for few
minutes and had requested me to have
an eye to her child while she was gone.
z AZ i glanced at the cradle, and thought
of my uncle at the door, bright idea
entered my mind. determined In
case the visitor was my uncle to claim
the youthful occupant Of that cradle as
my own.
The visitor proved to be my uncle.
knew him by the picture of him had
seen, and he likewise recognized me
by my photograph. After mutual rec
ognition and Handwriting. ushered
my honored relative into the parlor and
presented to him my newly claimed
offspring.
90 far had succeeded in deceiying
my uncle, but the worst feared was
that when Mrs. Kingsley returned she
might object to my claiming ownership
in her child. Besides, to carry out my
deception must find wife as well as
an infant, and Mrs. Kingsley was the
only one could conveniently claim.
The only difficulty was to get her con.
sent to the deception, and this might
be done II could secure private CON
vsrsation with her before introduced
her to my uncle.
] watched my opportunity, and gain
ed an interview with her before she
entered the room. told her. in few
brief, hurried words, the extent Of my
difficulty, and how had taken the lib
erty Of acting as papa for her little one.
Ithen told her must find wife some
where, and begged her to allow me to
introduce her to my uncle in that ca
pacity. She laughed heartily at the
suggestion, said she could comprehend
my difficulty, and consented to my pro
posal. but warned me roguishly not to
neNallme tlDon the Occurrence