ting to my Mexican girl," said he.

"I thought you had got over that a long time ago?"

"So did I, but I hadn't. I've been trying to please somebody else
besides myself in this matter, and I'm done. I'm going to work for Bill
now."

"Take an old man's advice, Billy, and don't write that girl a line--go
and see her."

"Oh, I can fix it all right by letter, and then run down there and see
her."

"Don't do it."

"I'll risk it."

A week later Billy and I sat on the veranda of the company's
hash-foundry, figuring up our time and smoking our cob meerschaums,
when one of the boys who had been to the office, placed two letters in
Billy's hands. One of them was directed in the handwriting that used to
be on the old Thursday letters. Billy tore it open eagerly--and his own
letter to Josephine dropped into his hand. Billy looked at the ground
steadily for five minutes, and I pretended not to have seen. Finally he
said, half to himself: "You were right, I ought to have gone myself--but
I'll go now, go to-morrow." Then he opened the other letter.

He read its single page with manifest interest, and when his eyes
reached the last line they went straight on, and looked at the ground,
and continued to do so for fully five minutes. Without looking up, he
said: "John, I want you to do me two favors."

"All right," said I.

Still keeping his eyes on the ground, he said, slowly, as if measuring
everything well: "I'm going up and draw my time, and will leave for Old
Mexico on No. 4 to-night. I want you to write to both these parties and
tell them that I have gone there and that you have forwarded both these
letters. Don't tell 'em that I went after reading 'em."

"And the other favor, Billy?"

"Read this letter, and see me off to-night."

The letter read:

"Philadelphia, May 1, 1879.

"DEAR BROTHER WILL: I want you and Mr. A. to go down to Don Juan
Arboles's by the first of June. I will be there then. You must be
my best man, as I stand up to marry the sweetest, dearest
wild-flower of a woman that ever bloomed in a land of beauty. Don't
fail me. Josephine will like you for my sake, and you will love her
for your brother.

HENRY."

Most engineers' lives are busy ones and full of accident and incident,
and having my full share of both, I had almost forgotten all these
points about Billy Howell and his Mexican girl, when they were all
recalled by a letter from Billy himself. With