Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-15

I'd just have you to know Sir that am not yet twenty
years old, and that I've been married only two weeks
last"
Everyone smiled: excepting, always the old courier.
The bride hid her bushes for a moment she realized
how easily she had stepped open eyed into the clever
trap; when suddenly bursting into the OtouS laugh of
who had had her day of fun, she broke from the
group and tripped lightly away. Then the old courier
smiled He had secured her conviction, self-confessed
and in open court Whereupon the assembled women
each twitted the other that they had been utterly
hoodwinked freely expressing their chagrn that they
had left it to to discover woman's secret.
ONa summer tour up the coast couple, about whose
~ claim to long married life much doubt existed,
gave courier such puzzle that he finally resolved
he would try little e-a-tete with the wife,
tempt catch her mapping conversational sparng
MATCH although far she had bested him every bat
tie of wit to the end Following half hours fruit
less handy of words, he Soberly said
"Now, look at seriously little girl, he could talk
to her just like that for he whte-hared old man,
with years enough to his credit be her grandfather
"Now you might just we'll be candid with me, and
rest of the party but not knew all the time that
you were your honeymoon
"Ha-ha But this you mistaken truly; and
your self-assurance makes me SMILE" she twittered
why, Harry and have been married long, long time
We have grown to be pair of such humdrum old foges
that can't conceive how anyone would think we were
wly-weds." And she said it with such delightful
nesse that only the hardened could have had the
heart doubt The fathery courier not hardened
Dut ne was experienced.
"You talk very convncingly, really you do, little
girl" and he smiled grandfatherly, condoning smile;
"but must tell you that there nfallibe rule in
variably follow in determining doubtful cases such as
you have made yours. have already applied the acid
test in this instance and although you have succeeded
in displaying outward appearance that may look to
the unpractsed eye to be about fourcarat fine
old married folk | have found that you do not ring
true"
"And tell me what is this test?" She still smiling:
little less confidently, perhaps.
well, briefly, | can always make in this way"
and he leaned forward just tre in his chair enough to
conceal the crafty smile his face. snow, after
experience of twenty years in plotting about thou
sands of newmade victims of Cupids art he continued
slowly you need not think may be the first to pull
the wool my eyes, have learned you see, that
bride on her honeymoon trip always shoes;
that"
"Ha-ha' she laughed right merriy. "And that's
just where fooled them all! cute enough to put
my shoes in my trunk, and am wearing some old"
Then the laughed The bride blushed. pulled
her deck shawl about her shoulders and scampered
away to her saeroom. The acid test had penetrated
the sham. Thoughtlessy exercising womans inordi-
nate spirit of contradiction she had unwittingly dis
closed her secret.
A VETERAN courier who has acted as conductor for
more than of years on tours to Bermuda,
that paradise of the bride and bridegroom until recently