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Show I AN IMITATION WIFE. H Ibil aljusletl my tli', lalen up my lit and tvui nreriarlnir to lento tiheii at door slowly opined nud my uiotlitr Ooliig oat, are 5 ou Tumi" tM tlio. M." burHto ucctucr part)?" "That tnakca thrco thli veil, iloctn't tTouJ" "Yci. WVro hurrjlns to not tlirougb. Wnj to talo .Mill Ilomfott toiillit, uJ thcu 1 ui llono with tho Jolly club'i Mdti rHomcliOKcrcthrrilliln't fm lolhlnk r ry mucli of vtliat I iwM "I im, 1 n-Uli j uii oolJ ki t uiarrleil," tU lal 1, with a trotiblM furr. "I bo iitM you woultl stay at houin tnorv.'' n til, I urn u ml tlrctl, inulli-r, anil ctmj lolily v orii oat," "Thf a why lloii't yon null 11" "Tin lioit ruonln tliouorM.tnotlirr. lunn Itlirr tnKiKnl nor In line, but in willing to 1m liuth." ItnaiKctllnglalu col ttnrtl nftrr tM, bat tlio sad liiolc on lny titolliprs Uce k t ino to thinllng. M mother U lbltuiniUiintliovorlil,oin If I It wy It ui4ir, ami I Mt worrlo.1 iloathrr, Wjo wa rlslit. I u.i out i illy crTycnlng thii tmnltitf nt rx-f tlon, next Hum at a lull, thcu a tiu iter party an lmi on. , Of coimo 1 cuuU oll nlTonl It, for nyaUry m cruhlcr nt Hart' wit a lllc irj wio. Hut I wii not lull Ihb n pi uny, I5J tay homo folk rw, ir iuw mo except it tho tibli!. Kvi poor oM pjtlcnt anther wai complaining. Eat 1 to Iinrliiit lot of fan. Tliero ru tLat Iieaofcrt drl- ho wni a Ui.o nt CoiiU iUiho any ihinec, talk olmut injthln an maio,you luta tho fluent t mt In tho world. Then thcro ww'Vrao Wrlnht. Bho oall play n caiao with n fellow, go J in, (katinn nnythlni; for fun i n, Veno had inoneyj t liat w an un im-I-tUnt Itim. Why flMilln't 1 tacklo !1U Veno on tho ubjw of niatrlmou) ? "Tin inn, old mii," riildl lu injHlf, " tlio i tho one." Bat Veno eoinchnw oraother did not (Mctlymlt tho oim, a!l mynilnlre-Ttittd mynilnlre-Ttittd to XIIm Ik-aufort. tvho km amart. Irctty.ntylUli and tulud Utter, but 1 Imw uothlni; about lierUlnanel il rtand-li. rtand-li. Thtauiui an lmiutaut matter to im in thouo dayn. Mciuwlillo the rnrrhiKni npproaehe.1 111m lleaufort'n. I hi 1 in cr lain tin ro U fore, and to my nirprlio found It to 1 n very tinprittntioniltmac Icon, fm 1 wai disappointed. 0 ctpoctol tn lilio up tu un rlegaiit mniujon, la mh rl Into n lino reception nim I y n renant In llicry nnd then, nivalttho coming of .11 lu llsaufett. Tlien 1 ox-pwled ox-pwled lo inoko n buld dnhfolicr licnrt rroiWM, and pa-wibly lo art-vptM or ileillnnl by tho tiino tho party win over. Uut not m. A Ilttlo 1 uly with f.rny hlr opined tho door, nnd alio imi Introduced Intro-duced to mo by JIIt lieanfort !(. "uiam-ma" "uiam-ma" Mist lUaufort win ritidy and waiting, to wowalketl out tollliocar-rinuo. tollliocar-rinuo. ' "Mr. bilver," Ml tho at'' wo had featcd annehni, "don't jou think thi ro Is a crcat ninount uf tnoblxry in MxJely wi 1 lota of downrlnht foolUlmesit" "Well.jtu.-talU. "I'or imtauco," auiil the, "hero Is an elcRant carrlago lliat )ou haio brounht forme, and Jit tho pari) It not halt it lnllonwny." Thit certainly wu. very ref rmhlnir. 1 had actually squandered onoionnd to havotbUcurrlafo for tlio tuning, and thowat not pleated with it. I know Veno would liaio enJo)cd n rldo In It. "Mr. hllvcr," tho rtmarle-l agiin, "this Is tho last i iriy I uin going to this V Inter," "Well, wh)P Midi. "Aren'tjoiigo-log "Aren'tjoiigo-log to tako In tlio German club lull uud tho others?' "No," said the. "Manimi hain't tho lnoneyi tho can't afford It l!tdc, Mr. hilirr," tho continued, ' can )ou really afford to spend tu much money on to- Hooked at hor. Ihironat honetty fairly thiiniirf out of her pretty black ()C4, ovcnlf uhoiMiu't very jiollte, so 1 ansncicd her hnuettl) i "No, Jilts lleanfort, I cannot! I haven't tucd n penny this winter, nnd 1 get n U salar) too. 1 1 Huron Idiotic." "lhivoinct)otia,) freueutly I foci nultowsll aciiujlntod with sou, llmiigh 1 expoct I li imi been a lfttlo Impolite." "No," said I. "1 am glad tiiat )on lake that much Interest In inc." Then wo changed tho subject I hid a tplcml! 1 tlmout tho pai ty mi 1 enjo) cd Miss Itojufort's company cry much, I found her leul headed aitl blight, If slow at loo frank, Tlio noxt day 1 tol 1 mother r.hout it. Ehotaldsliondmlrid Jil i lleanfort for lu r common seiifo, tluiupli tho h id nui cr mn her. Then iho referr d ualuto tiy getting luurrled. ' tiuijiosc," ay hoj "that ) ou pretend fornweet or so fiat jminto warned and seo how it goes?' "An Imlutlon wifti," sal.l I. "Why notrsho said. "I will writ tho nnmo of n )ounc lady on n ivnl, wal It In un smclnpo and )on ran lock It In your desk. Then lit us stiiipoto )ou ai-o marrlol to 1h r for say twovuoks, Uur-lug Uur-lug tliat tiino 1 want )on net jiut ns If tho lady wire hero In person nnd jour I lawlully wedded wile," i "WIhjm namn iiro ) ongoing towrlto onthorardr said I, "Never mln.l," sal 1 slw, "1 will wri'o my irtfennco mil n. Itlirr of us 111 hrwiui u word uuout itils tuullilng jul." Wo agreed on this. Mother wroto tho name on tho card mil sfnlcdlt In Iho cmtlcpe, 1 know It was Veno Wright's uaino, to I ilccMid to iinagluo that Veno was tliero in inrson, nnd to wo commenced tho week. Moudiy night lame. That km tho night of tho Uerinun club UII) but I staid nt homo and talked to mother. Thin 1 played drafts Willi htr for nwhlle, nnd wo mauiged toliuiun tty enjoyalilocietiing Next morning mother met mo at tho tablo Willi miles, nnd ntnnt Ilia lt breakfast I had eaton for n long while, "Von must iinagluo that )imr wlfu raw to this breakfast," sho whlsa rol. Uoing to tho cil) this morning who rhnuld got Into tlm bus but Miss Ikati fort. I lamed tolur gnu efull) , jiaaM,l her faro tn tlio cundm tnr, and wuanbout to sit down by her thlo w in u 1 Imp-penvil Imp-penvil lo think of my imitation wifo nt home nnd kept in) sent b tlio donr. ".Mariletl men h no no busimwi talking talk-ing to tho )oung lailies," said I to lny-self. lny-self. Miss Ileaufurt looked nt me riiher iji eerly, but said nothing, nnd 1 thought tho 'bus would luur g t to tho (it). Thursilay was tho tuning I win to call on Vtne, and 1 forgot to send her an excuse. On X'rid t) a m to camo from htr, which mullur took IheliUily of GiHiilng,ii4r.lio tliottght I wnnll not care, mid sho fdt like rtpresi nilng my wife in tlio ileal. Itwua n tender nils-site, nils-site, and somewhat rurpriecd mowhei I saw It. llctnhnt coull I do? Mar-rieil Mar-rieil men lino no busiiiis fitting lender len-der llolea from young ladh s. liiustuiuh as I had contracted to carry out mother's plan for two wtks, I left Iho nolo for mother to answer, Wiu It a trry truthful woman, bit lu answirlng tho unto she J rovaricated. bho said tliat I wosiLryslik, nndoia rtnturil co!!tciuciico Veno callral that nf teruoon to reo me, but I was at bitai. liens, nnd mother hod to Intent another stor). Tlnn sho had to romonlt tlio wny to Hum film to us tt ktip mefioiu coming homo my usual w.i) fur fear e no might cateh us. 1 1 iiighed A ii'xl deal nt mother, nnd Veno did not fmd us out but Mrs Jnnet an awful gowdit met lu r, and Veno told her 1 was si. k, nnd tho next elny all my society frien Is c 11110 roun 1, aiuon,; thimMlsalleallfort. Mother me t he r nilher col lly, but In-liteil In-liteil her tosta) nubile, "I siin,oso Mr. bill cr It almost worn rut Willi so much going out"' slid tho )otinglady. "Ho is inuch Isttrr," said mother, "but I lo not think ho will go out for uicr.il weeks. I think th it 1 shall keep him at home," "I am to glid," nld Miss lleanfort! "not that )ouurogolntokeephimat home, but that ho is not ge lug nut so much. I am getting no Uut I fairly detest de-test sotlet). Hero win ii woman who had my mother's lews, and tin v both thcrcuiun hud n tontileiiti.il talk mid plueacd i ach other mightily. Then sho oaked tho tinter tocnllon her mother, which tho did. Meanwhile I was tti)lng nt homo e-ir) e-ir) c cuing und wan gctlin pntty tired e f It, at tho two weeks vcro drawing to uile. "Don't ) ou think n man ought to t ikn lilswifoout onto in n whilePtaid 1 lo Mother. "Why not?"' said the. "Then 1 II tako her to tho thnater tonight." to-night." Ho I took n coutloof rosoruil teats at Prur) I.ano thenterfor the following fol-lowing niftlit and mother, who rcpro-ttntcd rcpro-ttntcd tu) wife, wtut with inc. Wo h id hardly taken our se alt lieforo I noticed that thty wt ro adjoining thoso of Miss mid Mrs. lteiiufort. 'o went homo together that night and laughed and talked u good .lml. I think mother told Mrs. Ilcnufort hat wo had been doing, but I did not hear It. J know that stunt days later, ufter my two weeks of married lifts woro uur. I went to tall uu Miss Jloaufnrt. Wo had u i leasant llmo together, un 1 just ns l was ubout to loaio tho old 1 idy camo lu, ' I forgot lo nsk )uit, Mr. bilver, wl at joil thought of marrlod life," tald the, Mlas Ilcnufort looked horriUed, but laugheil. "Mother Inn been telling JO'J, has shor" said I. "bho his," said the. "Well," wild I, "dining thotwowccLs I wot married 1 rend thrco good liesiks, gained four pounds lu wtilit, tuned 13 10s , letldet paying! mother for my wifot 'board and tho tickets to lJrury Ljne," "And who wero )oii married to?" asked Miss lleanfort "1 forgot tn look," mi 1 I, I liiirrle.1 homo to too who 1 1) wife hud botu, Tho mulopouM Justus 1 had placed in In my ihk dnwtr. I loro it open, and thcro was tho namo of Miss Beaufort. "Wi II," tald 1, "i' 'her mado her nn linltatl u it If i, now I will try to muko her n r ilom." And tn I did. New tevrk Mercury, |