Evening star., 1903-10-03

plenty named Bessie Williams in the world,
put 1t put an idea into my head. l clipped
1t out and inclosed it to Cousin Philip ask
ing Tor fresh postponement of our meet
ing time. l didn't say that the accident
had happened to me, but of course the in
ference was plain enough. However, it
! turned out that l needn't have tibbed, for
scarcely had l dropped my missive in the
mail when l received letter from Philip
written the day before mine, telling me that
he had been i'll with smallpox. He added
that it was hoped that he would not be
much Scared, but that he was still weak
and would be glad to postpone our meeting
for another year. l could imagine his APP
pearance after having a choice assortment
of pockmar rkS added to his already horribly
| ugly features-for of course, l understood
what his optimistic remark about not being
much Scared must mean. So lost no time
In writing again and gladly accepting the
proposed delay.
But finally the last June of all drew near
the June when we must meet and decide
TO marry or lose both income and principal
of a half million dollars. Mother and
would be sadly pinched without this money
and l couldn't help letting my thoughts
wander to my distant cousin nor refrain
from wondering whether he might be possi-
Bile aIter all to. l ended by writing to ask
him whether there was not some way in
which We could arrange to divide the mon
ey and cheat the frendless cats, without
having to take each other for better or
worse.
III Ieply 1OuSlu flllllp wrote lIldl
he was sorry to say that he could
see none. II appreciate your feelings per-
fectly," he concluded, lat being obliged to
marry somebody you never saw / feel the
same myself, though, of course. in less
degree, being a man. But l don't want to
give up this money any more than l sup
pose you do. Why not let us meet without
prejudice, the lawyers say? It's just pos
sible that we might fall desperately in love
with each other at first sight. In that
event everything would be all right. If
don't there will be no harm done, and, any,
way, If we decline to become lovers we
may at least become friends"
was something cold-blooded about
this, but there was something sensible about
it, too The more l thought of it the more
l liked the idea. So at last l wrote that l
should spend June at the place designated
in the will and should hope to meet him
there.
But as the time drew near 1 could not
make up my mind to so to be inspected like
animal for sale. Finally, when just
about to throw up the whole thing. a bril-
liant idea struck meat least, l considered
it brilliant then. 1 would take my friend
Nell Jones along with me and would change
Identities with her: She should be Bessie
Williams and Nell Jones. Then, if l found
Philip impossible, 1 could easily get away.
So 1 did it. We went to the springs, and
mother wrote her name and mine and
Nelrs on the register, the names
of Philip Stacy and Frank Thomas, both
of st. Louis, written just above them in the
handwriting 1 had grown to know so well.
Philips got friend with him. too" said
mother, meditatively. You both evidently
need some one to help you through"
We met of course, almost at once, and,
strange to say, we all became very chum-
my. Nell was always ready for fun, and l,
feeling entirely at ease in my assumed
character, could afford to be as jolly as any
one So in spite of the fact that Cousin
Philip undoubtedly the ugliest man
living, we got on famously together for two
weeks.
OF course, we soon paired off. Philip had
to be especially nice to Nell-whom he sup
posed to be me-and Nell. acting for me.
had to be specially nice to Philip. This left
me-the real me-to Philips friend a big,
broad, six-footer, handsome as poor
Philip was ugly.
AS l said for two weeks we got on IA
mously. Then the situation became strain
ed. The fact was-I can confess it now
Cupid began shooting biindly and hit every
one of us. l had found that Philips heart
really golden, but. all the same, L
couldn't quite make up my mind to his
other qualities. Besides, l found my fancy
straying altogether too persstently to his
friend, Frank Thomas. Nell, on the other