Her Wedding Present

Young Mr. Smithers, having eaten an excellent dinner, sat down to smoke a good cigar while his wife ran up stairs to make her toilet for the theater. Sü peaceful was his state of niind that he did uot eveu look accusingly at his watch when, after the proiuised "minute" had developed into 60, she entered the rooin. "Seerus to me that you are lookiug very uice tonight, ruy dear, " he remarked. "I am so glad you think so, darling. Of conrse I care more for your adrniratiou thau that of any one else. Besides the Skinners sit right behind us this evening, and this dress will give her a bad headache before the secoiid act is over. ' ' Mr. Smithers looked anxious. "So that is new, is it? Wasn't the old one good enough?" "K-not quite, dear. Besides I earued the nioney for this one niyself. " "But how did you eain" - ' ' Oh, after you lef t I feil to thinking what a lot of money $25 was to spend on a wedding present for Marie when I really needed so rnany thiugs. Then an idea struok me. I remembered all those pretty things I found in your big trunk after we were married - the ones that horrid girl, whoever she was, seut back when the engagement was broken. I wouldn't have one of theni ïnyself , but it seemed a pity for them to lie there, so I went up stairs and looked them all over. I selected that lovely silver backed mirror andcleanedit upuntilit looked just like new, and then I" - "Sold it to buy the dress? I see !" "Nothing of the kind. I bought the dress with the money you gave me. The mirror I sent to Marie with our best wishes. Won't she be surprised, and - why, Freddie, are you ilïi" "Not at all, my dear! ïou are quite right. Marie will no doubt be much surprised, for, you see, she herself was the irírl who returned those presents ; that is