The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-01-24
Our Daily Sbort Story

| morning. I transacted all your busi- ness, saw the clerk, the minister and Kate
 "what did she sayg Did she blame me?"
 She said very little. She was scared
 out of her wits. Thought the Judge was pursuing her. She only stayed g moment"
 En route to their Southern camp. the
 brothers seemed to have exchanged personalities. Dick was quiet and somber: Rufus. happy and jubilant- When they pitched camp and the first | mail came in, there was a letter for Dick from Kate, and he tore it open with his first expression of happiness. Rufus braced himself now for the inevitable disclosure and the hot quar- rel--perhaps fight--to follow. He saw Dicks expression of surprise at the opening line. In a moment he looked up with no trace of anger, only amuse- ment, in his bright face. well. say, Rufc. here's a good one on you. That wasn't Kate You gave my message to. She sent Lena Fax on."
 Lena Faxon!'
 Rufus felt tightening band about his brain.
 "Yes, let me read you part of my sweetheart's letter. H-m, oh, yes. here 1t is:
 "when I said nothing would keep me from you, I never dreamed of be- ing taken i'll q am well now), but the day before the one set for our we'd ding, I was seized with tonsilitis. should have come, but I was too weak to raise my head from the pillow. The only person l dared send was Lena. She never tells anything-hsr one virtue. sent for her and told her I was to meet you and marry you. and asked her to explain to you how impossible 1t was for me to come. She promised. I think she always had
 soft spot in her heart for you. She came over next day and said she saw you, but she was so provoking. Said you could only remain a moment and sent me no message, and kissed her goodbye! Now, sweetheart, love aud trust you and know you were simply
 sending me a kiss, so I am not jeal- ous as she would have me bev' ''The idea, Rufe, of your not know
 ter than to mistake another for her. I'd know Kate in any darkness, but then, of course. I would" Rufus was silent a moment. When
 he replied he spoke in a curious voice. Lena is tall and Slender, like Kate, and she didn't speak aloud, and was in such haste and fright"
 But what did she say when you told her I could not come ?" asked Dick. "I told her. but see snow that she
 was confused. and could, not have grasped the matter She called me Dick, I remember.  On the same day that Dick read her letter to his brother, Kate was alter
 nately reading and kissing one from
 Dick. Then she went to see Lena. "Oh, Lena" she said, laughing, 'I l have got such a good one on you! It
 wasn't Dick you kissed goodbye, but Rufus"
 "Rufus" exclaimed Lena, turning
 white.
 Yes; they would not let Dick off | and he sent Rufus to explain to me.
 and he evidently thought you were me.
 for Dick wrote that Rufus said I was
 fin great haste and in fear of papa. l | am mighty glad now that was sick.
 would have had my journey for noth- ing, and l wouldn't have had Rufus kiss me for the world. It's a wonder you, didn't know him. I would have
 known Dick, but then, of course,
 would"
 .
 Dicks regiment never saw actual
 service, and was mustered out six
 months after muster In, but Dick won | lieutenant's straps and the judges fa- vor. That winter Dick and Kate en- tered into the felicity of domesticity.
 and began life in a cottage of modest
 appointments, but of roseate-hued at
 mosphere.
 Lena was the first person Rufus vis- | tied on his return, and she anxiousIy | awaited his coming. You thought you were stealing Dick | from Kate, and thought I was taking | her from him. said Rufus bluntly. We were both fooled. No one knows | it but you and I, and no one ever will | The marriage is illegal. because the li-
 cense was made out for Kate, and you
 responded in her name. If it's an nulled it cant be done without more | or less publicity. There's but one way | to make it straight, and that is to | marry-under right names this time | We cant have our first choice, either
 of us, so we might as well take sec 1 ond." Lena reflected and consented.