Year: 1877




And Laura Llndon t? Was size
really dead, as Leonard had heard
from his father ? No, it was but n
cruel scheme invented by the purse
proud old man to Illustrate marriage
in which he could see nothing but
disgrace to himself and to his son.
At the same time he had written TO
Leonard to tell him that Laura was
dead he had been to q man skilled in
such matters, and got him to forge 8
letter from Leonard, which said that
he had for some time felt how un-
fitted he and Laura were fer each
other, owing to the latter's lack of
education that he had hitherto been
silent on the matter, endeavori1g to
overcome his doubts but that he at
last felt it to be his duty to free Laura
from her engagement, and hoped that
she would ere long find q husband
better suited to her. At the same
/ time he stated that he had left his
former residence, and thought 1t bet
ter that she should not know his pres
ent address. The forgery was skill
full, the awkward appearance OF the
letter so exactly like those she had
hitherto received, that the poor girl
never for a moment suspected any
deception, all the less because Mr..
| Vincent, with q cunning foresight,
had always behaved to her with the
utmost apparent kindness, and had
openly prOfessed himself anxious for
the union of the two lovers rs soon as
Leonard should have attained his
majority. The result was exactly
L.
passing some days in an agony of
grief, had suddenly asked Mr.. Vincent
if he would provide her with sufficient
money to pay her passage to America,
and upon his refusal had disappeared
from the house during the night, and
never been heard of since. The old
man, confident Of the perfect success
of his stratagem, rubbed his hands in
satisfaction, and turned his attention
to other matters.


Meanwhile all was peace and COM
fort in the little home in New Eng
land over which Minnie Warren,
now Mrs. Vincent, presided with all
her nRtty ways. Minnie, herself
scrupulously neat and carful of her
appearances, was resolved that every
thing and everybody about her should
be no less iIreproachable, and he
would indeed have been happy man
whose wife was better housekeeper.


Leonard passed his days in elegant
leisure, his easy nature fisttered to
the extreme by the affectionate at
tentions of his excellent little wife.
1t is true that he did occasionally re-
vert in thought to his old home, aud
to tue memory OF her whom ne mad
once fancied so dear to him but his
easy-gOing philosophy was at no loss
to provide consolation for irremedia-
ble events and it Is probable that, in
such moments of reflection, his train
Of thought resulted in conclusions not
so far removed from those which his
father had made use Of to disappOint
poor Lsura's hopes.


1t was an afternoon in January.
New England weather hAd of late
been doing its best to maintain its
reputation for variability, and, while
the streets were still wet with the re-
cent rain, the still heavy sky, which
was striving to stint the daylight of
few hours Of existence, gave unmis-
taxable warning Of q coming snow
storm. Mrs. Vincent, who abhorred
gloom of every kind, took the oppor-
tunity to pull down the blinds and
light up the chandelier at an unus-
ually early hour.


"Now, Leonard" said the charm
ing little woman, as she sat down on
8 low stool at her husbands feet and
crossed her hand over his knees, do,
pray, put aside that book and let me
have 3 little Of your society"


Leonard had been somewhat silent
All day, an unusual thing for him,
and had buried himself since morn
ing in the depths Of some meta
physical novel. Doubtless, as Mrs.
Vincent had suggested, the weather
had something to do with 1t. He
now threw aside the book, stretched
himself, and yawned somewhat
dresrily."
'"Well, Min," be replied, "to tell
you the truth, I feel rather out Of
sOrts.n


Then, as if 8 sudden thought had
struck him, he stood up and took up
the newspaper that lay on the floor
beside him. Turning to the adver-
tisements OF amusements he read
half aloud


"Giobe TheaIer; 'Lsst night OF
The Wild Man Of the Prairie, '-bosh
Variety Theater Uem Thompson's
Marvellous Impersonations Miss
Williams with her favorite song
pshaW! Theater COmiqus Opera
Bouffe-ah that's better. 'Ls File de