Year: 1871

this evening, anc your ma sent me over
here to bring you home


every WE'LL


SO the two started together along the
hoonlit road. After great amount of
st&mmering, Tom made the proposal
that widow Dean had anticipated He
told her that he had "loved her without
saying nothing for ever so many years.
and he painted the delights of the Pop
kins farm iii glowing language.


Lucy meditated Frank had said fare
well, forever; she would show him that
another man would be glad to marry the
girl he had cast aside, if she accepted
this Offer; besides her mother would be
placed beyond the reach of want. She
resolved to assent.


",Thomas," she said


"Call me Tom. I'm more used to-
Oh, gracious! Look there?" And with
sudden bound he rushed away.


Lucy stood still, as if turned to stone.
Right before her, in the middle of the
path, was a skeleton. The pale moon
beams fell upon the ghostly object, whi-
tening its bones with their light.


"Lucyr' it said in a well-known
voice.


Had Frank died, and was this his ghost
come back from the other world to re-
proach her?


The skeleton drew its mantle around
it, and called her name again. At this
juncture Lucy tainted, and the skeleton
sprang forward and carried her to the
nearest house, which happened TO be her
home.


When she came to her senses, or rath-
er when her senses came to her, her
mother was engaged in pouring some
liquid down her throat, while not far off
stood Frank himself in a tight black
suit; upon. which stripes of white stuff
had been sewed to produce the effect of
bones, and make him look as much as
possible like skeleton.


"My darling Lucy!'' he began. and
dashed Immediately into an explanation.
Here it is. He had taken the train for
an adjacent city after his parting from
Lucy. There he endeavored ito obtain
work, but his talents in the artistic line
were not appreciated, and he was very
glad to get a situation as scene painter
to one of the theatres. This lie obtain
ed through the kindness of person
whom he had known in Angleside A
raw head and bloody bones sort of dra-
ma was just then in progress, and our
hero was pressed into service to do duty
in the role of skeleton As he was not
obliged to say anything, and his only
business was to look horrible, he per-
formed his part for thirty nights with
great success. He was standing at the
side of the stage, waiting for the light
| ing of the green fire, in the CLEAN Of
which he was to appear, when the man
from Angleside came in.


"Good evening, Frank he said Il
got d letter from the old place yester-
day"


"Any news ?" asked Frank, eagerly.


"None, except that DR.. Browns Wild
ow has married again, and Lucy Dean is
dying of fever"


Lucy Dean dying! He seized large
cloak, and threw it over his stage cos
tune in few moments lie was seated
in the wake of locomotive, fastening
towards home. How slow tile train
seemed to novel


He reached Widow Deans gate just in
time to meet Lucy and Tom Popkins.-
You know the rest After the eXp.ana-
ton came q reconciliation.


"And, my darling;'' said Frank, "you
need not fear that your mother will not
be provided for. A merchant in the
city has offered to give me weeks trial
as clerk If suit him he'll give thou
sand year."
Well, what is the use of making a short
story long? In short time The young
people were married tall Tom Popkins
and the other Lucy being the attendants.
And the happy pair get along very well
with Franks thousand year.


"Td rather she'd took the. Squire's
son." commented Widow Dean, "but ]
won't say anything agin the match, fol
fools will be fools.''


| Which is very true.