Year: 1878




get it" answered bitterly.


/ Raw her face Hush. She went on.


4" answered that letter the next day.
1t was Of vital importance to me that il
should go then as there would be no
other mail for several days. 1 was
troubled when wrote it, and stamped
it at my uncle's desk while the messen-
ger was waiting TO take it to the Office.
1 found, too late, that I had mis-stamped
il. have been utterly wretched for the
past few days on account Of that mis-
take. knew too wei what the fate of
my letter would be. Judge then how
relieved felt when my uncle brought
me this - taking from the mantelpiece
the letter that bad come that morning.
"If It escaped your keen observation
how did my letter pass the eyes of the
New York officials uadetected2 This is
my question"


Her eyes searched my face.


/ took her hands in my own.


"Annie," said /, al believe could
make no one understand what it cost my
jealous heart to rectify that mistake, but
did it. knew it must be an answer
to that letter that you spoke OF few
nights ago. 1t ought to prove TO you
how unselfshly I love you, my darling,
when I restamped it and sent it on its
way to him. Inever thought you would
find it out. did it to spare you mo-
ment's uneasiness. If the man you love
cares for you as much as do, he will
make your life happy one"


How can I repay your generosityP ?"
she said in voice tremulous with feel
ing. You could not have acted better
if you had peep at the contents Of that
letter. But your reward may be claimed
when you read this"


She handed me the letter and glided
out of the room. took 1t over to the
shaded lamp and read the following:


"Dear Annie-When beside your
fathers dying bed we entered into an
engagement of marriage; l felt as he
did, that the interests of the firm of
which he and I we're partners would be
best sustained by our union.


1 wrote to you notifying you of my
readiness to fulfill my part of the agree
ment, and requesting you to be ready to
return with me on Saturday as my wife.
You say to me that must not come.
There is but one explanation in this re-
fusal, and that is that you have seen
some one who pleases you better than
your humble servant. 1t is but natural,
child: cannot blame you. The young
should mate with the young, and I am
too much your senior 70 expect to awake
in your youthful heart feelings that have
long been lifeless in my own.


release you from promise that
am now aware was made by you under
the pressure Of the sad circumstances.
B It this fact can never affect the fatherly
regard l have ever entertained for the
only child of my dear old friend


read no further. Here was my re-
ward. And how nearly had lost it by
the desire of gratifying an ungenerous
impulse. Annie has since assured me
that had Joseph Norris arrived on the
day designated, 80 great was her awe of
her fathers old partner, that she never
would have had the courage to contend
against her destiny. Indeed, the cir
cumstance of having made the error she
did in mis-stamping the letter, seemed
to her troubled mind significant Of
deep meaning, and that even beyond the
grave her father sought to control her
actions.


Annie did not return to the parlor. I
found her seated in the doctors office
apparently interested in the game which
just at the moment OF my entrance he
brought to victorious conclusion.


"Check--"


Mate" / cried, finishing the word
for him, and catching Annie in my
arms, needless OF the astonishment of
the elderly pair, demanded my reward.


Well, Joseph Norris, grey haired, COM
mon-place and undemonstrative, came
to Grenwell to other nuptials than his
own. He gave away my dear one with
the best of grace, and after the mar
riage congratulated me on my admission
into the firm. My ignorance of his
meaning was SO apparent, that with
grim smile he enlightened me. With
my bride ! acquired the half interest in
an East India firm in New York and
Calcutta. If Annie had chosen to ap-
pear as an orphan, dependent on the
bounty of her uncle, she had the after
satisfaction of knowing that the love she
won was offered to herself alone, and
not to the golden store that attracts SO
many suitors.


"My dearest" I sometimes say to
her, "who would think that in great
measure we owe our happiness to little
postage stamp ?"


A Wooden Watch.
| The RaadinO (Pal E10Ie sava that