Year: 1867

BY S. ANNIE FROST.


swell don't think anybody can
ever deceive me again, on that day.
Once in a lifetime is enough for any
sensible person to be tricked on the
first of April" And pretty Mabel
Hughes looked defiance of all jokes,
tossing back her sunny curls with a
little white hand, and flashing a
merry saucy look at the company
around her.


There was quite group OF young
folks assembled to dance out the old
year and the new year in. Mabel
Hughes took precedence at most of
the village gatherings, by right of
acknowledged belleship,an her faith
er's large hospitable house was the
rendezvous on the present occasion.
The young folks had been discussing
anniversaries, and while on that
theme, April FOOLS day had place
in the list of memorable days of the
year Mabel had been fooled the
year before by gift of an exquisite
basket containing apparently clusters
of rich red strawberries, far in ad-
vance of the New England season.
With little cry of pleasure she put
one of the luscious looking berries
into her mouth, to find it a painted
deception. Laughing, yet thorough
ly in earnest, she had viewed never
again to believe in a gift or speech
of :he date again.


AS she now made her speech she
looked full IN the face of the sup
posed perpetrator of the last years
joke, and was answered by pair of
sunny frank eyes, that looked fully
equal to fun of any sort.


81 can deceive you again." he de-
clared, in answer to her implied
challenge. "You have no idea how
pretty you looked when you curled
up your nose and puckered your
lips over that berry"


"Why, where were you?"


"In the hall enjoying the joke"


"Well, make the most of the rec
objection for you will never see me
in a like scrape again"


''Until next April"


"Neverr'


"We'l see! 1 shall take the next
three months to invent something
absolutely impenetrable."


II defy you"


"Hark.''


Slowly the peal of bells from the
neighboring church sounded the
midnight hour. AS the first stroke
fell upon the air, the group rose to
their feet, joined hands in ring, and |
SO stood motionless till the last eche
died away. Then "Happy New
Year. burst simultaneously from
their lips, and after joyous greetings
all round, the party separated, and
the house was soon wrapped in
darkness and repose.


$50 John Martyr will play me an
other trick this year," thought Mabel,
the next morning, as she stood be-
fore her glass twisting the bright
curls round her fingers. "He may
try his best, but he will not catch me
again. Heigh. .ho! he will have other
things to think of by that time, and
perhaps forget me altogether"


For John Martyr was going into
the world to seek his fortune. One
year ago he had left college, having
spent his whole small patrimony to
obtain an education. He had left
home frank bright boy, with un-
formed manners, rough ways, a coun-
try bred youth in all senses. He
had come home frank and sunny as
ever but with that quiet courtesy of a
gentleman, and an education won by
intense application during the entire
college course. One year he had
given to home though alone in his
little, cottage a brotherless, sisterless
orphan. He had not intended to
stay so long, but there was a mag
netism in Mabel Hughes dark eyes
that bound him to the village, until
the admiration deepened into sincere
earnest love, and then the conviction
grew that be must win wealth before
he dared tell his passion.


Mr.. Hughes was wealthy, a lawyer
in good practice, but there were nine
children in the luxurious home, and.
the estate would give but moderate
competency to each one.


John Martyr was not the man to
WOO Mabel from her home, unless he
could offer at least comfert of his
own, and he had drained his purse
in the year following his return from
college. Somewhere in Texas he
had an uncle who had written to
him that he had an opening for an
enterprising young man, as stock
farmer.


81 am very DID," so the letter ran,
sand very poor, so you must not
come up here with the idea of find
ing wealth made to your hand. You
will have to work hard-yery hard,
but If you. are not afraid of that, I |
will give you start, some practical |
advice drawn from experience, and a
shake down in my rancho"
( So he had written, and his nephew
gladly accepted his invitation. He
had remained to see the New Year