Then, with a soft laugh that startled everyone, she threw her arms about the bride, half-sobbing: “Dear, dear governess, I hate to give you up, even to our kind neighbor, Mr. Bennett, for you have loved him so well, I know it is for your best happiness to leave me!” With a dexterous movement of her hand she flung off her veil, hat and wig in one gesture, and stood revealed, beautiful, golden-haired Leola, masquerading in Miss Tuttle’s worn and threadbare black silk gown, a skimpy thing, too short and too tight, and likely to burst with the peal of laughter that shrilled over her rosy lips at their amazed looks. They all began talking wildly at once, and staring in wonder at the veiled bride, who suddenly followed Leola’s example, and threw off hat, veil and golden wig together, showing Miss Tuttle’s pretty brown waves of hair, and her pale, rather frightened face that turned piteously to her new made husband as she faltered, weakly: “I planned this deception to save my dear Leola, because she vowed that rather than live with you, after she had paid her guardian’s debt, she would kill herself this very night. I couldn’t let her do that, the poor girl, who hasn’t a friend on earth but me, and whom I love as if she were my own child, so, to save her, I carried out this trick, and I am your wife, sir, whether you own me or not. But though I am not as young and pretty as Leola, I will be a better companion for you, Giles, than she would ever be, for she fears and hates you, while I have always respected you highly ever since I knew you, and will try to make you a good wife if you will overlook the little ruse by which I won you.” They were all so dazed that no one had tried to interrupt her, but now Giles Bennett, turning furiously on Hermann, cried: “You hound, you let me be tricked into this fraud, but it shall avail you nothing! I repudiate this marriage and the whole transaction. The destruction of that paper shall not prevent me from getting back my money from you. The law will protect me in my rights.” “I protest I had no hand in this deception. I meant honestly by you, and to prove my word I will have nothing more to do with those women, who have united in this effort to make you a laughing stock, and to get me into trouble. They shall both leave my roof to-night and forever, Giles, but I beg you will be patient with me and grant me a little more time before you bring suit to recover your money,” began Hermann, abjectly, when a ringing voice cried, “Hold!” and the unobserved stranger at the door strode, uninvited, into the room, adding: “Ah, Henry Hermann, you know me. I have come at last for my daughter, Leola, and it seems I have unearthed some villainy on your part. Will some one tell me the meaning of all this excitement?” Leola flew to him with a cry of joy. “My father, oh, my father! You have come at last!” The bronzed stranger clasped her to his heart and kissed her beautiful lips again and again, exclaiming: