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Show JM mt HOW I FOUND i MY WIFE. ! I XXX t S MY PCTCR QUINCE. I k 4 "m ; 'm J X" r"STrEIJ, Walter, nnd you l I nro nwrrled?" Y Y "Vcs, I unswered, "uiiil to the sweetest little woman In tho world." "Of course you Ihluk ho," said my friend; "hut I cannot understand how one who Avas such n confirmed cynic as yourself could bo so easily caught. Pray tell mo bow it wnsV" And so, -Willi my feet on the old desk, and myself cozlly cusconced In one of tho hugo armchairs with which every lawyer's ollleo U or ought to bo adorned, I told my old friend, Harvey Hurt, how I found my wife. "You know, Harvey, that I was, as you say, u continued cynic, sneering at nil womankind, loving to lllrt with them, It Is true, but only to kill time, or for a little nniuhdnent. When tho hot weather came on, I did not enre a llg for Ivong Branch or Saratoga; I had been to Newport nnd the Springs, nnd, by tho way, they boro you horribly; aud so I began to look about for some quiet spot where I could have ft month's llshlng nnd shooting. The vil- ligo of N attracted my nttcntlon, and I -went at once, rejoiced to think that I might havo quiet and peace, no match-making mnmmns, with murri-agcnblo murri-agcnblo daughters, no extra toilets for a dinner; but a unlet home, -where I could do as I pleased. "N , you know, Is on Long Island Bound, nnd I rejoiced In tho prospect of boating nnd bathing, without the nuisances nui-sances that Infest a fashionable water-lug water-lug place. But as tho lumbering old tngo drovo up to tho door of tho Aker-niau Aker-niau House, the only hotel In tho place, X saw at a glance that my dream of peneo was dispelled. Young women! Bab! Harvey and such young women! I nssuro you that I was eyed nnd commented com-mented on for at least nn hour by three r four amiable damsels, -who -were oil tho lookout for 'something new." I jvont to my room and made ready for supper, ns they htylcd It. nnd had the honor of nn Introduction to several of them at tho tnble. Ono nttracted more than a passing notice, nnd In the evening even-ing I found myself lllrtlng -with Miss Hall, after tho most approved fashion. Such n girl, Harvey! You uover saw tho mate for her!" "Was sho your divinity?" "No, my boy. Don't Interrupt me. No. sho -was not: but sho was tho most self-satisfied young woman I ever saw rather good-looking, gifted with a tongue, nnd a correct knowledge of Its use believing firmly InwhntThnckcrny says of Becky Slinrpe, 'That any womnn with a knowledge of herself, and a little common sense, nnd persistence, per-sistence, may marry whom she likes.' This was Miss Hall's creed. To mnko a long story short wo lllrted nil tho time, and until wo were tho talk of the house. But I began to tiro of tho game, and to wish for something now. "Ono night, ns I lowed Miss Hnll to the village, we met a party of three coming up with Tim, our porter two Indies nml n gentleman one was nn Invalid. Harvey, that fnce, with Its look of utter wenilness, hauuted me. There's no uso to describe it. It wouldn't bear It, but I thought It the sweetest fneo I ever saw. It was more than a week before I saw It again, though I had been dreaming of It continually. "One night, ns I came In from n bath, on entering the hall, I saw a pair of lit-tie lit-tie feet, In red slippers. Laugh If you will, you rascal, but those slippers, or rather, their contents, finished me. As I advanced I saw tho same face the Invalid was at Inst able to be down-Rtnlrs down-Rtnlrs and I was Introduced to Ella Benton. Of course I dropped .Miss Hnll. thereby causing much scandal. I had thought to win nn easy victory with tho newcomer, but the cool way In which gho repelled my attention's put mo nt my wits' ends, and I made a mental vow to drop fllrtlni;. By whnt particular process I came to that conclusion con-clusion It would bo difficult to explain. I tried everything. I felt mytelf fnlllng In love, nnd suppose that I showed It. I proposed on a week's ncqualntnnce, nnd was quickly refused. Nothing daunted, I determined on n chanqo of base. I asked her to ronMder me her frlend-and only that, for life a trim friend. I got thnt foothold, trusting to kindness and little attentions to win, but all failed. "I saved her life. Harvey, taking a 'old bntb, nnd spoiling u suit of clothes In her behalf, nnd got coldly thanked Jn return. Then I tried the letting-nlotie letting-nlotie process, and that was the most complete failure of nil. I announced my departure. She was sorry valued me ns n friend, nnd nil that sort of thing, but nothing more. Pique was mingled with despair In my mind I did not wnut to give hrr up. I hnd said I was going, and I must go. I proposed gnln and got 'no' for an answer. I vowed that I would ect out at one .'or Alaska, Sho told me that It really did --. I'J not coaccrn her In the least. I tot nn-gry nn-gry snd left N . But I could not) iflm her fnce out of my memory. "Thrco weeks ago while on a trip to Montreal I stopped all night nt But-' land, nnd the first nnmc on the register nt least tho first thnt I saw wos Ella Benton. I sent up my card, but shq would not receive me. I enme down In the morning, nnd turning to the clerk's, desk put my hand In my pocket for my wallet; I went back to my room no wnllet. I was a stranger In the place without money. The clerk openly expressed ex-pressed his belief thnt I was a frnudi Quite a crowd gathered around me as I endeavored to explain tlit? matter. Just at this moment n lady passed through the hall and bowed to mc, though very distantly. It was Mis' Benton. , "In n few moments ehc sent for me. I went up wnnderlugly, nnd ns I en-leied en-leied she arose nnd said: "'.Mr. Hirst, I heard nccldentnly, of of your misfortune. Will you obllgo me by uilng this cheek, which you can' replace at your convenience '' "I tried to stammer out n refusal, but sho would not hear to It. " 'Well.' said I, 'MIhs Benton, I will accept your kindness, but I have no security se-curity to offer unless unless It Is niyi self.' "'Which I will accept cheerfully,' said tho little woman. "'Do you really mean It?' said I, hardly knowing whether I was asleep or awake. '"Why, yes,' she said. 'I am very strict about money matters, and ns you have no other security I suppose I must i take you. Are you satisfied?' "Why, you know my answer, of; J course, old fellow, and we were married mar-ried then and there. But I say. Har-i vey, there's one thing I've forgotten en tlrely. I never returned thnt check to my wife." Now York Weekly. I |