A Hurried Courtship

I vis a youog man, possessed cof iifficient meansrto enable nio to livo ;it my easo and rei'rain from labor of finy kind, when suddenly there oaine a blow which Lty ti the winds, and forced me to employ my labor and wits n the general struggle of gaining i living. The blow cauio in tUo sba[t.' of the gulure oí a lirm in which all my capital wns invosted. After securing a clorkship in tbo bouso of a creditor of our late film, my íirst caro trae to look np a lnss-exponsive boarding house than tlic fashionable ono in which I was living. 1 inserted un advertiaenicnt i;i Boverai widely-eirculated city papers, asking for reasonable board in a tafnily, and of courso ro1 a multitudo of answers by next post. Outofthis motley installmcnt of c-ji::tlcs thero was but ono which pleased d to answer that ono in person immodiately. y was tho namo of the favored landlady Vliting to iac, and tbo ed that her house was entirely ■■, sli' haviiiir no boardera whatever. Iwaamuoh pleased with tho fair, adwrituDg, and an idea took ■ion of me that Graco was a young ating widow. I was not disated when I rnachcd tho houge, and my ring at tho door-bell was answeredby iv hersolf. Sho invited mo to enter the parlor in a manner that was socourtcons, and yet SO modest, "ïhnt I had fallón in o-t: with her beforo I ever crossed the thri-.-hold. lejjjoyeia vry picasant chat yrith Mrg. Kingsley. During the eonversation she ini e that her . late husband liad licoii in a fair way ot' business, and at his deatb-r-whicJ) ocenrred about a ycar previous - had lcft her ia ptetty comfortable circumstances. Tney had te oliiUl, and this item of mortality I was most gracionaly perniitted to look upon, as it lay peaoefuïly slumbering in its eradle. I'also leamed that the vis living !i the house quite ajone, and desin-; ofpr!' !'i as a souroe ofjrevenue. aclusion, the lady looked só pretty (she was quite young, bcing not more than " I I tho prioe of board was sj moderate, hor oómpanion8hip s.o inviting-, and Bhe seemod to trust in infi and look upon m ably, t lint. I would havo boen a heathen, ' fche charme and inducen . it' I hiid not caigaged board with her on the Tho next day I had ïny trunk removed to my new board ■, and porma, ustablish thete. gofore ng my tonner boaxdii , a lottor was hsmded me by the postman, but I did not tind time to examine it until I Bcpnced :n the oosy Opening the letter, I discovered it to bf from a worthy unele of mine, residing u Vermont, who regularly sent me a lotbut w-hom I had never His epistles wére always short and to the point, generally oonsisting of an uninterestinc account of the weattisr in his locality, and somo good advice to mo to táke good caro of my moriey, mu'ht bc burdened with fomc more ot' it was rauoh older, I m alwaya vi:vy glad to get this adviee from him, as ■.n intimación tlmt I v.is (o inhorit his wealth on In deoease. One day, ho worer, nbout a ye-ir previous, I Feceived a l;ítnr frota lúiu, whioh iáed another topic besides those I havc mentionod. My unole made some '■,;?; iiiquirics íespecting iny matrimonial prospecta, and gtated thfct it' I was pot already mamad, I sliouldimnicdiatc ly enter the vedded state, and let him know it, or " he would aever moro be uncle of mine." STöw, aa Biy uncir: livcd in Vcr:nont and I in Pli-ilíKiclpliífi, an.i L ncvir anti cipated the old gontleman wovl ' pay me avisitaud discover tlio falsehood I wroto to him and informcd him that ) wae not only married, but also Hu; fathei of a bouncing baby. T'uis ijitelligenpe so y unelo 'that he sent me &a i gold goblet and a silver pap-spoon, to be to my Ohild. I at first sat down wrote a very romantic leWsor tö m; unolo, thanking hitn foi the praseni then visited tln nearet jeveli store and turnod both tho goblet and spoon int o cash, which I pocketed. I had received no nwther lcttors trora niy unció until thc ono whioh I reafl in Mis. Eingsley's parlor. The postseript to this ono not only nstonished, but aliso latei? frightcned rao. It read as iollows : "1'. S. : I havo nevor visitod l'hilinl'iphia, so T have deoided to do so at onco, and get a look at you andyour wife un ! child. You may eXpeot mo about thc lOth of thc month." "Qood gracioos! my unció coming to visit mo," í exclaimed, " and it ík past the tenthof thc month now! I don't know at what moment be iñay pop iu. "Wíifti uní I to de Lf a 9tiLe anáclnldV" At tliat momient thcro oame a tornillo ring af the door bi'll, is if the man who pulied it imagidod he owned thc house and oould imiko asmuohnoiseaB.hepleascd. Asickeningsensution took possession of me, for I had a ini.sgiving it was ni y unclc. Now, as good fortuno would havo it, Mrs. Kingsloy had gono out to a neibboring store lor ;i few minutes, and had reqnested nio to havo an oyo toher child whilo shc was gonc, 8O that tlio child would not feJl out of the eradlo and hurt ! glanced at the eradle and thought of my unolc at the door, a bright rdraymind. I determinad, in thovieitor waa my unolo, to claim tho youthful occupant of that eradlo as my own. visitor proved to be my únele. I knew hún by the pictnres of him 1 had geen, and ho likowiso rccognized me by my photograph. Aftera mutu nition aini haiid-sliaking, I ushcreil my lative into tho parlor and pre! him to the newly olaimed offBpring. "There, únelo," I said, "is tho firs pledge of onr married life. I take pleasure in presenting to you my oh 'U's a fat little youngstcr," said m ancle, gazinrg at it admiringly. " By th way, what is it, a hoy or giri r" That was a knotty question fox me i rer, f or I was as much acquamtec witli its gonder' :i He was. But it would never do to show ignoranco on the sub10 I answorcd at hap-hazard thut it was a boy. " I'm sorry it's a boy," said my uncle ; " there have been too many boys in the family. Now, if you liad only produced a pretty littlo blue-eyed girl, it wóuld havo been more sensible." I assurcd my unclo that I wtr sorry tho gende'r did not suit, but hoped in the . ishea would bn gratified. So far I had saocei ded in deceiving my unelo, but the worst I feared was that wlicn Mrs. Kinifslcy returned shu might object to my claimwg ownorship in her child Besides, to caiTy out my deception I must find a wife as well us an infunt, and Itrs. Kingsley was the only one I could convoniently claim. The only diffieulty was to get w.r consent to the deception, and this mïght be done it' I could secure i private conversatiön with her before I inlroduced her to my unclo. I watohed my opportunity, and gained nu interview with her before sho entered tho room. 1 told hr, iu a fow brief, hurried worcis, the exteut of my diffioulty, and how I had taken tho liberty of acting as papa for her litÜe ono. I then told her I must find a wife somewhero, and begged her to allow me to introduce her to my uncle in thutcapacity. Sho laughedhoartïly at the .suggestion, aaid sho could oomprehend my ijilfioulty, and consented to my propos!, but warned me roguishly not to presume upon the oceurWc then entored tho parlor, and I introduced her as my better half. ry unclo was mach pleased with hor, and complimented me upon my good choico in the seloction of a wife. Mrs. Kingsley, of course,. colorod most charmingly at this compliment, and I could seo that sho could scarcely rcfrainfrom laughin "You have a fine little boy here, Baid my unclo to Mrs. Kingsley, pointing to íhe on ir," said tho lady, eoloring apagain, "it's a littlo girl." I was dumbfouuded. 1 id iu my iniquity. AVould my unclo believe me af ter this? IIo looked froni me to my pretty landlady with a puzzled cxin "' countena " Youi" husbiind told me it was a boy," ho saldi rather suspiciouualy, I thought. " Well, I always took it to be a boy,'' was nry reply, pulting on ;i bold i'aco, " but I suppose my wife knows best." Here Mrs. Kingsley fairly screamed with laaghter, and even my uncle's stern fac3 a8sumcd au ironical smilo. ou are a nice father, ain't you?"ho said, tóuohing uu with the point of bis umbreba, " not to know the sex of your ówn child. Why, 1 knew it was a girl tho moment I looked at it." " lint, Charley, my boy," ho said, again addi-essing me, " whit did you do with the goblet and pap-spoon I sent on to the young o): "Ou, theyare safo onough, I assuro you," I replied. " 1 take good care of them." " Yes, but wlioro tho douoo aro thcy V I otber loot " Woll, I liu.ve depositad them in a bank ■ - that 13 - 1 C'tn Vü tiltil.'." !!,■ ' he wanted to : ud thun I got out oí' iho room, i r iu miglit a;k more; perplexing A short time aftorward Mrs. Kiagsley to me, whi-u I was alone in an adoining to'.' aw immediatey tlmt biagvary Kúmorous raust havuhaplenod, corners of liir lips were uto boaming sm " Do you know, aíx, iuto what an ;iv.pkvard predicament you havo rot he iii'i'.ii'í'il, ;i ■; s!:i' took a sout on tho ouiigo by my side. 11 xplain youraelf," I siil. "Why, your únele camo to i'.io a short j see my marriage oertifleate, as Jic said Jic had sorae money to settle upon xi itoly, but wantrcry.thing wos right íirst." " Did you expoBe me .'" 1 iuquired, iiuxioualy. " lío, s'.r, I did not, for I never enter into a deception óranytbingdlseby halves." ! was so elated thal 1 csuld not withstand the tomptation of embracing her. 'is i!ii not inako hei angry'for si tled her head oosily on my shoulder, and i calmly and Berenely. " What answer did you make himP" I askod. Shu hesitated a moment, and thon said : " I promised to produce tho marriago cortificate." Bijl we hven t got any, I remaried. She indulged in quiet iittlo laugh to herself, bot xnd nothing. '■ v i ;. Kingsíey - ïiay, my doar madam - no, I wil] cal] you my darling - we are, both in , and ttere is but ono o get out of it. We must get marimediátoly. AVillyou bemywiíéV" "Ishallbe delighted, Bhe answered, frankl] my hands. "I'in tbr a frolio ot' any kind." " Thcn wi! must. lose no time," I replied. ' ■"' my ancle is so anxious tohave my marriago oertiflcate, lut us put noobstaole iii bis way." lost i'." time, í aasnre you. I don't iliink Mra. Kingsley over got in1 i Bunday olothea io auoh a hnrry bi whilf! i spoilad fcwo pairs ot' Buspemders in my frantic oilbrts to be " on time." We quite i ■ tin; paarsoA by our liaste, md at the conclusión oí' tho oeremony 1 would have forgotton to give him the usnal "lV.i'' if he had iiot reiuinded ruó of it We liad socurod tho coveted man certifijíite, pigned and sealod, nnd were now safoly out of our diíKculties, as we tought. We had omitted one precaution, as wc fourjd whcn ve pi'csonted the iiiiiniagc cortiticuto t.o my unció. It waa ill right, with tho oxeeption ot' tho dato being too modern. " Why, how is tliis?" said my unció, gazing at tho docamont through bis i ieo8. " I thought you woio raarried over :i yeai "go." i we vete, unció," I s:iid, solenmly. " How carne it, then, that tho cartiflcato is diiied to-day r" ho askod iu a voice of thunder. We were strook speeohless, both my wit'o and I. "Come," said my unció. "I seo thoro ■n Miim: triojtery llore. Own uj) to t, or I will nuvrr forgive yon." I did own up to it, and told him thc wholc story. I expeoted it Tronld makc íim angry, but it didn't: for lio laughed loartily, and said I waa a clcvor rascal, mil lio w.is ptoud of me. " Jiut how about tho gold goblet and pap Bpoon r You havent bgentryíiiíx to dniw tho wool over my eyos about 1 told thu ti-utu about tho goblet and p sjioon. " Why, you aro a ívgular trie'.. s:iid my únele. "I believq you could leooive oíd Satan himself; but I woa't ge :it you, íor I usod to play tho samo gamos when I was young.' I ii a word, wo bucamo thoroughly re concilod, and my unole Bottled apon mi a sufficiont incoinc to cnablo mo to (juit my irksoine-duties ás a olerk. lti bas gono back to iriiiont, and I can but gay, in obnolnsion, that when ln paya us anothur visit, can show him - " little people " that I oan cali my own, and without tolling any ïalsthood.