Year: 1877

What sigh was that not noisy, but
profound and eloquent at once of ap ol,.
grief and fresh perplexity. Bob
Withers, the gentleman in his shirt
sleeves before the mirror, had heaved
that Sigh every night for ten years,
simultaneously with the act of removing
from his head the fine chestnut wig
which conceals the almost complete des-
titution 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
to her that it is wig, as he feels in fair
ness he ought to do. He has put it of,
and put it off, never finding just the
right opportunity for the confession,
until now the wedding is but month
of, and the task seems harder, more i'm
possible, than ever. He is at present
spending couple of days at the house
of the McLanes in the country, with a
view to getting acquainted with the
family. For the sake of enjoying unal-
loyed the pleasure of Angles society for
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
further.


Meantime the process of getting ac-
quainted with the family does not get on
very prosperously. Bob is a poor match
from the parental point of view, and q
bitter disappointment to the McLanes.
Nothing but Angles resolute character
could have extorted the grudging con-
sent which their engagement had at
length received. The family consisted,
besides Angie, of her father and mother,
and two brothers, John and George.
Mr.. McLane kept his room, being con-
frmed invalid. John, strong.willed and
arrogant in temper, ruled the family
with 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. McLane was mere shuttlecock
between John and Angie, receiving an
impulse from one which lasted till the
other got hold of her. John had accept
ed the engagement with an exceedingly
bad grace, and made scarcely decent
pretense of concealing from Bob his
contempt and hostility, and his desire to
find any. pretext for forcing quarrel.
This was particularly unpleasant and
demorafizing 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 over
bearing 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 de-
lightfuI fact of Angles love, to which
they were offsets. In the course of his
tossings he became aware that his seal
ring, was not on his finger, and instantly
remembered that, after using it for a
forfeit in q parlor- game that evening, he
had forgotten to replace it. Vexation at
his carelessness instantly made him wide
awake. The ring must be on the library
table. Hnot, then he knew not where;
and. if there, it might be filched by a
servant in the morning. Associations
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 step downstairs
in his stockings without disturbing any,
body, and make sure about it. He knew
that he could, even in the dark, steer his
way straight to the library. In this
sleepless, excited state of his mind the
slight tinge of adventure in his plan had
an attraction.


Jumping out Of bed be put On part