omfort to you.

"Now, my darling, this is all; but I hope you will not love me less when
you learn your mother's sad story and my weakness and sin in not boldly
acknowledging her as my wife before the world. Oh, if I could hear but
once, your dear lips call me 'father' I could ask no greater comfort in
life--it would be the sweetest music I have ever heard since I lost my
other Mona; yet it cannot be. But that God may bless you, and give you
a happy life, is the earnest prayer of your loving father,

"WALTER RICHMOND MONTAGUE DINSMORE."

Ray was deeply moved as he finished reading this sad tale.

"It is the saddest story I ever heard," he said, as he folded the closely
written sheets and returned them to Mona, "and Mr. Dinsmore must have
suffered very keenly since the discovery of the great wrong done his
wife, for his whole confession betrays how sensitive and remorseful he
was."

"My poor father! if he had only told me! I could not have loved him less,
and it would have been such a comfort to have known of this relationship,
and to have talked with him about my mother," said Mona, with tears in
her beautiful eyes.

"Well, dear, we will begin our life with no concealments," said Ray, with
a tender smile, "And now, when may I tell Mr. Graves that you will come
to me?"

"When you will, Ray," Mona answered, flushing, but with a look of love
and trust that made his heart leap with gladness.

"Then one month from to-day, dear," he said, as he bent his lips to hers.

And so, when the roses began to bloom and all the world was in its
brightest dress, there was a quiet wedding one morning in Mr. Graves'
spacious drawing-room and Mona Dinsmore gave herself to the man she
loved.

There were only a few tried and true friends present to witness the
ceremony, but everybody was happy, and all agreed that the bride was
very lovely in her simple but elegant traveling dress.

"I cannot have a large wedding or any parade with gay people about me,
for my heart is still too sore over the loss of my dear father," Mona had
said, with quivering lips, when they had asked her wishes regarding the
wedding, and so everything had been done very simply.

It is doubtful if so young a bride was ever made the recipient of so many
diamonds as fell to Mona's lot that day.

Mr. Palmer, true to his promise, had all the recovered stones reset for
her, and made her a handsome gift besides. Mr. and Miss Cutler presented
to her a pair of beau