Show A LITTLE SURPRISE II 11 HAD i been married ric 1 just joist a t w v c e I 1 v c in 0 nth rii W a I 1 s I 1 bei acre iv c I 1 I 1 lad had got 1 iu cry 0 I 1 y deare nearest st M I 1 mile I voi oman an in the aiu olli for lily wife tile the year just juat cou con rl chik laded had in ID 0 0 consequence q lien C 0 n C been the le happiest of if iny illy exis t enc and I 1 r rc e to make my partner a I 1 little e present in brance of the event which lad had made us as one for lifa As I 1 know giov much more delight lal n a girt becomes when it is atad I 1 said nothing to my wife of iny in intentions wishing to take her buik b 1 s s ir the accompanying hilj I 1 think show hov completely complo tuly I 1 hiie buc ceedee in that endeavor endo avor my business lay in tile tha city whither it was wan my custom to travel every mornia gnap from the quiet of if a little suburban sibbi ban residence returning home in ill time tor for a cozy dinneen din dinner nein ill the carh evening it was ivas ray my invariable P r atice to lo carry ry with mi a small glad gladi gladstone i jnue bs bag and an d on the day clay in question after placing int into 0 this along with a few other oilier till th inars the articles 1 ti I 1 had purchased for the purpose named and which couch led of a gold fold handle bartz le a a pendant fur for the neck lieck with ruby rab v star attached annd a amill diamond brooch broch bro ch I 1 took train at cannon ct in tile the very lightest of spirits on my journey home seating eating myself in tile the corner of the first clas cl iss care cariago iago ill it which I 1 rode with my lily bap ba in haild I 1 nos I 1 as for a time the only occupant 0 1 tile the compartment but as the train was on t tha lia paint of starting I 1 was wab jollied joined by a person of very gentlemanly efte ri 01 fruitlessly 4 ly dressed who stepped into the carrie carriage ge with an air of some home concern like my belf lie he curried carried a baa bag a circumstance not at all striking in itself but botic noticeable et on tills this Ocea occasion sion by the solicitude solicits itu de aich it seemed to c cause lose its owner who seating himsel r opposite to nice ine first farst put the thin thing under und r the ta ie saat ther then by his side and finally elected to carry it as I 1 was v as doina mine it was vias not long before we wei were e in conversation the season of the year was iva late summer aud and the subject that naturally sug suggested ested itself was that of holiday making my companion lad had evidently traveled a great deal for he be discoursed discourse fluently of on tile continent 1 11 comar g adventures it in tile alps trips up the rhine r ami excursions into italy lie told of the beauties of the friera Ki viera the delights of baden aud and the of berlin erlin li and waxed enthusiastic over the charms of continental women the fair girls of france and the dark beauties of italy but after all there are arc no women like tile the english concluded my cozo panion more inore quietly they may lag ing behind the continental girls gills in ill the matter of personal blaut bs aul but depend upon it they make up for it in all other quadi qualities ties this was quite in accordance with my tastes for my iny little wife at home was 1 am proud to say an all girl and fully bore out liis his estimate I 1 warmed to my illy companion at once on his saying this aud and it was not noi loll 1011 long belore before I 1 had informed him a 0 rood good deal dea I 1 about ray my private life drawing a glowing m picture of my country home ionic lad and the little genius who like in aa ansel angel presided over it il lie appeared so interested te that I 1 even went 1 a I step farther ili ID tile the lightness of my illy heart and told him not lot only that tills was tile the anniversary of my wedding weddin lay day but that I 1 was intending to surprise ply ny wife ovi on my return home with a little unexpected present ru in exchange fir ajr tins tills frankness my bly companion also aliso became confidential hardly think lie said speaking ilia in a lov lo v voice is as lie he leaned over toward me inc that this has bag IL ich I 1 hold in my hi hand ill contains jewelry corti close on to ten thousand pounds sterling would YOLO you all ali you look su J and yet it eigas but very little try il i t jewels ire are not necessarily heavy ai tides articles I 1 said bau balancing ba lancin the big bag critically alch seemed no heavier than llian my illy own hut but I 1 added smiling while a Il litter passed through my lily frame at holding liol lieff in my bunds lunds to so much wealth it is noue cone too wise to trust a stranger ii with ith so precious a an or article as this is it oh I 1 have no fear of you yoo lie r replied with charming candor 1 I think I 1 know a roue rogue v lien hen I 1 bee one in C in my line lice of business I 1 have ce occasion cadion to to alix with all sorts of people pe opi c aud and neatly a lifetime of experience lias has 1 giden I ule inc it il ailt jils insight lit i into to tile tho characters e of men inen to be able almost to lEre thern them at a glance 11 II 11 on dering ho my companion corri could cou ILI be but coin laced in my lily 0 own a mind ini nd eliat hu he was some one of importance and flattered hoin ehat hat by liis his confida confidence I 1 handed hini him lick back the bag ba aich NIli cli lie claued on oil the seat beside mine il liole and im ill started another run ran of tn cn lerta i inin ding coil conversation versa tion considerably to my lily regret this IN was as interrupted by f tire the train into tile tho station all ah here is ib my destination sold said the stranger risi rising ngat at once and takina up hi bag good afternoon I 1 hope you will allow ile to wish you many nappy happy of the lay in another moment he be was gone and I 1 felt ante etc sorry to lose tile comp companionship in of so bo inte interesting besting a fellow triv trav eler cler friendships 3 ire are of ten formed at first sig sight t and had lit this is man mail I 1 chained 11 iu my company much lona longer cr I 1 felt coil it would have rc in my got contracting acting a now new one ilow v delight fill it would have been I 1 thought to ask ic him hia hi a to make inake cue oi of oil orr r little dina der party that evening vv ahat bat 1 a I cha charm rin would his interesting converso conversation tion prove to my wife whose knor knowledge fedgo of tile the world like my lily own was bately riot not based bared on a very extensive personal experience with an indistinct intention of autin lepou this half formed file idoa I 1 rose rosa from my seat und and p arod through tile the carriage carria sc door but tile the man had gone out cf sight and I 1 sat down again with a feeling akin akan to disappointment in ten more mi minutes however I 1 w ns as at my illy own stopping slopping place with my thoughts hta end and steps both homeward turned the brightness of 0 the evening roll the lightness I 1 of my heart made mada my p quicker and more mora elastic than usual cubby bubby my illy dear I 1 said gayly to in my Y wife when I 1 readied reached home borne addressing dr essing her by a familiar ILI nickname can a me you von know what today to day is our wedding day ll 11 was her quick response yes I 1 said returning her liss and ive got a little surprise for you in tile the shape of a small present to mark the lay clay I 1 knewt knew it would be welcome news ne WS you dear creature how 16 kind nd of you exclaimed my wife simply cla clapping P pi ing her hands in delighted delight etl excitement ent 1 I am io 0 o inquisitive already tell tall me what is it see for yourself I 1 said handing her the bay bag band and my bunch of keys at the same time unlock the bag and see bee what it contains what that are you von waiting for I 1 asked presently as bubby babby seemed a lone ions time turning the key 1 I cant move it she replied after several futile attempts to fit tile the key into the lock give it to me I 1 said and took tooh bunch aud and bap bag from her ilow tiresome I 1 supposed I 1 was vas nervous or excited egeit d or both but whatever the ilia reason I 1 WAS no more successful thin than she ehe I 1 wriggled and twisted until I 1 got illy if itt t 0 a W t e 0 f perse 1 I 1 I 1 W I 1 11 ll J A L i C ciar NT rove jr ir SUP sue but all to no purpose pir pose tile key perform its office itans either too big or too little albeit it illiad load always hitherto fitted easily enough I 1 examined the bag yes that seemed all I 1 light ight a although it certainly did didlock lock a trifle more shabby than akan I 1 imagined it to bu be there must be some dust in a the be key I 1 said after several futile attempts to turn it my wife immediately produced a pin gold aud we picked both lock and key but amt I 1 with ith no better i lesida this was avas annoying to say the least of it already already my little surprise was robbed of liala its effect and the eager look on my cifes face was nas getting tinged etli dia du eliut t tb the 0 tiling thing not dot be IN holly spoiled by a billing ti allm occurrence theares the present was in ili the bag baa and liuboy must have it at osce o it would lose half its value 3 by the only course open under tile circumstances us its to burt burst tile bag la open und and tills aliis I 1 ut at once proceeded eded to do G it firmly lit in both hands I 1 gave two to or three sharp r reaches enches and with 1 betic it came asunder I 1 saw in a moment it was as not sly my badway companion 1 had I evidently taken lily 1113 bag be in ili mistake for ln his i own and 1 of coal cluise so lad got ot his it wis an all un unfortunate fortunata cibor anyhow and inight tako take days to rectify of it coin so se I 1 harl had to tell my NA wife ito all about my illy companion of the railway carri carrir ac e in old older er that she might un der bertand dofita tand nd 1 hov I tile the mistake occurred and as 1 1 r recounted to her whit I 1 could coula do at tiie the Ino iliciA of tho the con coil vei winch haj had so me inc and non oal my liy attachment to the anler td illing Str anuar hubby s face lit up willi unco unwonted aad interest und and 1 I more ever regretted not lot carrying oil out t my half forbid intention 0 of asking ilia him home As I 1 bouc I 1 recollected about the jewels and wondered what the owners feelings bo be oi 01 ill covering wo vering ii hi loss part of the iffa affair wa was that although I 1 hal told tile the gentleman a deta of if my privat Ir irato affairs I 1 had not disclosed to him either cither my biame or address nor lial lie he iid i in parted his to me therefore the idea of direct communication could not lot bi be entertained col ahat would be bes boat t to do I 1 hardly knew lubbus a womanly wom adiv interest in the jei jewels cis was naturally treat great and as my curiosity was also cons considerably id ca bly aroused we decided that we would empty tir the e C bag bi in ill order to have a look ai at them we began to do so ot at once at tile top was wai a quantity of paper which we carefully removed arri unfolded unfold od fearful lest a valuable diamond should roll out ont unheeded nothing of tills this lind hind however occurred and we went on eagerly he be archin liht tot at tile the bottom of the ba baay we cam came upon the valuables they consisted or of a small hand chisel a coil of stout rope several skeleton keys ind and a 0 box bos of silent matches I 1 will not attempt to describe ray my feelings feeling it was quite unnecessary to tell tel in me that I 1 had been nicely robbed and abat my entertaining fellow trav eler cler was it a beastly fraud and his ten thousand pound worth i of jewelry was a detestable myth I 1 am afraid I 1 looked as small as I 1 felt bubby could not resist a smile at my dejected appearance a ppe arance this is indeed ti 1 I surprise r she said trying to put a cheerful aspect on the affair refair cut but never mind dearest iio bhe added kindly try to forget ill all about it and ad I 1 will promise not to bo be disappointed I 1 need lived no lie present save yourself I 1 kissed her for her goodness ot of icart heart but felt that I 1 could never forgive myself tor for being taken in so easily tit bits |