Year: 1877

What a sigh was that not noisy, but
profound and eloquent at once of an old
grlei and fresh perplexity. Bob
Withers, the gentleman i'm his shirt
sleeves before the mirror, had heaved
that sigh every night for ten wears
simultaneously with the act of remoy-
ing from his head the fine chestnut wig
which conceals the almost complete des-
tltution of the natural covering. The
grief is therefore an old one, but an ele-
ment of perplexity has mingled with
this nightly sigh more lately-namely,
since having wooed and won Angie Nc
Lane in his wig he has been screwing up
his courage TO the point of revealing 10
her that it is wig, as he feels i'm fairness
he ought to do. He has just put it oft.
and put it off, never finding lust the
right opportunity for the confession.
until now the wedding is but a month
on, and the task seems harder, more inn
possible, than ever. He is at present
spending couple of days at the house
of the McLanes in the country, with a
view of getting acquainted with the
famiiy For the sake of enjoying un-
ahoycd the pleasure of Angles society
Tor this short time, he has compromised
with his conscience by resolving at once
on leaving to write TO her and tell the
truth, and by no means to procrastinate
8,fu<ther.


~ Meantime the process of getting ac-
quainted with the family does not get
on very prosperously. Bob is a poor
match from parental point of view,
and a bitter disappointment to the Nc
Lanes. Nothing but Angles resolute
character could have extorted the grudg-
ing consent which their engagement had
at length received. The family consisted,
besides Angie, of her father and mother.
and two brothers, John and George. Mr..
Mcbane kept his room, being a con-
firmed invalid. John, strong-willed and
arrogant in temper, ruled the family
with a rod of iron-George being kinder
tempered, but of much less strength of
character. Angie was the only member
of the family whom John could not rule.
and she had carried the point Of her en-
gagement against his bitter opposition.
Mrs. McLanc was a mere shuttlecock
between John and Angie, receiving an
impulse from one which lasted until the
other got hold of her. John had ac-
ceptcd the engagement with exceedingly
bad grace, and made scarcely decent
pretense of cOncealing from Bob his con-
tempt and hostility, and his desire 10
find any pretext for forcing a quarrel.
This was particularly unpleasant and
demoraliZing to Bob, because the injury
to his own self-respect by the sense of
the tacit deceit he was guilty of as to
his wig left him unable to meet Johns
oyerbearing insolence with the quiet
dignity he would have liked to assume.


After going to bed he lay awake a
couple of hours thinking over these en-
barrassing circumstances, and the delight
full fact of Angles love, to which they
were Offsets. In the course of his toss
ings he became aware that his seal ring
was not on his finger, and instantly re-
membered that, after using il for n for
felt in parlor game that evening, he
had forgotten to replace il. Vexation
at his carelessness instantly made him
wide awake. The ring must be on the
library table. IF not, then he knew not
where; and, if there, il might be filcbed
by a servant in the morning. Associa-
tioDs made it invaluable, and he found
himself so uneasy about its safety that
he could not sleep. Perhaps the best
thing he could do was to quietly stem
down stairs i'm his stockings without dis
turbing anybody, and make sure about
IL. He knew that nc could. even i'm the
dark steer his way straight to the
library. In this sleepIess, excited state
Of lnind the slight tinge of adventure i'm
his plan had an attraction.


Jumping out of bed he put on part of
bis clothes, and, softly opening the door
Of his room, went across the hall and
down the stairs 10 the ground floor. II
was quite dark, bat he found his way
easily, having a good topographic in
stInct From the lower hall he entered
the .dining-rO0m, aud from that the
library. The sea-coal fire in the CRATE
was still hickering brightly, illuminat-
ing the sumptuOusly-furnis room
with faint, soft glow Of peculiarly rich
effect.


There on the table his ring glittered
10 the ftful frelight, and, "a he slipped
" on his iiu0cr he felicitated himself ON
his successful enterprise The room was
so charmingly cozy that he felt IL wouId
be sin not to linrer awhile. So. throw.
ing himself IN n sofa before the crate he
3ell into delightful reverie.


Just there, in that chair, Anpie had
sat during the evening, and there no
pictured her again, finally going and
leaning over IL in a careesinQ attitude
fODdly cheating himself. Over there
had sat Mrs McI,ane, and the chair.
back at once transfxed him with two
critical eyes, till he was fain ~ lnot
away. The brothers were there md
there.


Bob chuckled with loud sense Of
surreptitiousness IS he thought how