a time when life ceases
to be sweet. Hih, hih!"

The poor cripple threw himself over towards the wall; and, with a
shivering moan, died.

Guly gave the remains of his friend a decent funeral, and afterwards
proceeded to find the strong-box, which his last request had been for
him to seek. He found it in the designated place--strong-box indeed, and
very heavy. On lifting the lid, the following words, scrawled on a bit
of paper, in the dwarf's own hand, met his eye:--

"For Gulian Pratt--the only man who ever gave me money without seeming
to begrudge it."

Just beneath was written:--

"Love ye one another."

Upon counting the contents of the box, Guly found himself the possessor
of forty thousand dollars, the miserly savings of his crippled friend.
Verily, "Cast thy bread upon the waters, and after many days it shall be
returned to thee."

He had enough to wed Blanche now! With a bounding heart, the boy hurried
to her side, to tell her all. He did so, in the presence of Mrs.
Belmont.

"It required no fortune on your part," said the lady, kindly, "to have
made your suit prosper with Blanche. To have known she loved you would
have been sufficient, for to see her the bride of one whom I know to be
so noble and good, is the highest boon I could ask for her. You are
both, however, too young as yet to wed; but if, in two years' time, you
find your love unchanged, you then shall have my sanction and my
blessing."

Two years! dear reader, they pass quickly with young hearts, and they
were soon flown. In the softened shadow of the old cathedral windows--at
the altar, where once before they had stood with Della and
Bernard--Blanche and Guly took their places, side by side, with no one
to divide them now or ever, in after life. There had come but little
change upon them since we saw them last, save that Guly's hair had more
of the brown and less of the golden about it, and his face grown even
more noble in its lofty expression. As the ceremony was ended, they
turned to leave the church, but a stranger, tall and dark, stood in
their path.

There was a moment's doubtful pause, then the brothers were clasped in
each other's arms!

Those who had filled the building, to note the marriage ceremony, filed
slowly out; and the wedding-party still stood in the dim and shadowy
aisles, forgetful of all about them in this new joy--the delight of this
unexpected meeting--and the hurried explanations which, even here,
Arthur was i