Year: 1877

lUtn OF the month.


Good gracious, My uncle is coming
to visit me-" exclaimed, s'and it's pas
the tenth of the month now. DOM
know at what moment he may pop in
What am / to do for wife and child?'


At that moment there came terrible
lpull at the door-bell, as if the man wht
pulled it imagined that he owned the
lhouse and could make as much noist
as he pleased. A sickening sensation tool
possession of me, for fhad misgivins
that it was my uncle. Now, as good for
tune would have it, Mrs Kingsley had
gone out to neighboring store for few
moments, and had requested me to have
an eye to her child while she was gone
so that it wouldn't fall out of the era lie
and hurt itself. AS glanced at the era
die and thought of my uncle at the door
a bright idea entered my mind. deter
mined, in case the visitor was my uncle
to claim the youthful occupant as my
own.


The visitor proved to be my uncle.
knew him by the pictures of him l had
seen, and he likewise knew me by my
photograph. After mutal recognition
and hand shaking, ushered my honor
ed relative into the parlor and intro
duced him to my newly claimed off:
spring.


There uncle" saidI @is the first
pledge of our married life assure you
1 take pleasure in presenting to you my
child"


at is fat little youngster," said my
uncle gazing at it admirably. by the
way what is it, boy or girl"


That was knotty story for me to an
swer, for he was just as much acquainted
with its gender, as was But it would
not do to show ignorance on the subject,
so answered at hap-hazard that it was
boy.


Il am sorry it is boy" said my un
Gle, there are too many boys in the
family. Now, if you had only produced
little blue eyed girl, it would have
been more sensible


assured him was sorry the gender
did not suit, but hoped in the future his
wishes would be gratifed.


So far l had succeeded in deceiving
my uncle, but the worst 1 feared was
that, when Mrs Kingsley returned, she
might object to my claiming owner
ship in her child. Besides, to carry out
my deception, l must find a wife as well
as an infant, and Mrs Kingsley was the
only one / could CONVENIENTLY claina.
The only difficulty was to get her con
sent to the deception, and this might be
done if could only secure a private
conversation with her before / intro
duced her to my uncle; then it would be
all right


l watched my opportunity, and gained
an interview with her before she enter
ed the room. told her, in few brief
and hurried words, the extent of my diff
tiGulty, and how had taken the liberty
of acting as papa for her little one. /
then told her l must find wife some
where. and begged her to allow me to
introduce her in that capacity. She
laughed very heartily at the suggestion,
said she could comprehend my difficulty,
and consented to my proposal, and very
roguishly warned me not to presume
upon the occurrence.


We then entered the parlor and | in
troduced her as my better half My
uncle was very much pleased with her,
and complimented me upon my good
choice in the selection of a wife. Mrs
Kingsley, ofcourse, colored most charm
ingly at this compliment, and I could
scarcely refrain from laughing.


"You have fine boy here, said my
uncle to Mrs Kingsley, pointing to the
cradle.


Excuse me sir" said she. coloring up
again, "a girl"


was dumbfounded. was exposed
in my iniquity. Would my uncle be
leve me after this? He looked from me
to my pretty landlady with puzzled
countenance.
Your husband told me il Il was boy"
he said, and. rather suspiciously, TOO, |
thought.


We'll, | always took it for a boy, was
my reply, putting on bold face. but |
suppose my wife knows best"


Here Mrs Kingsley fairly screamed
with laughter, and my uncleis stern face
assumed an ironical smile.


You are nice father, amt you?" he
said, touching me with the point of his
umbrella, mot TO know the sex of your
own child. Why, 1 knew it was girl
the moment looked at it" gr


But, Charley" he said, again address
ing me, what did you do with the COB
let and pap spoon sent to the little
one?'


"Oh, they are perfectly safe, assure
you" I replied, Il have taken good care
of them"


"Yes, but where in the deuce are they;
would like very much to take another
look at them.


well, I have deposited them in
bank for safe keeping, but can readily
tIoA rh
a weeks time"


He told me to do so, as he wanted to
see them, and then got out of the room
for fear that he might ask me some more
perplexing questions.


A short time afterward Mrs Kignsiey
came TO me when ] was alone in an ad-
joining room, and | saw Immediately
that something very humorous must
have happened, for the corners of her
lips were breaking into smiles.


'Do YOU know, sir, into what an awful
predicament you have got me?" she in
quired as she took q seat on the lounge by
my side.


Explain yourself" | said.


why, your uncle came to me short
time ago and asked to see my marriage
certificate, and he said he had some
money to settle upon US Immediately,
but wanted to be sure that everything
was right first"


Did you expose me?' Inquired anx-
iously.


NO, sir, Ibid not for L neuer enter
L. or an,-th;nrr nlcn h..