Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1863-07-17
THE JOURNAL.
The Lost Love Lettcr.

"Well, wonders will never cease u
1t was bright little boudoir, with sea.
green walls and carpet Of the softest emerald
velvet, the windows dim with the branching
greenery Of fragrant lemon.trees, and . silky
black spaniel coiled up on the rug in front Of
the fire. Miss Melissa Jones sat in the mid
die Of the room, her false curls stirred by
some inward agitation, and her forty-year old
cheek flushed with bloom more genuine
than she usually wore, while her gypsy like
niece, Nelly Howard, dark brilliant beauty
OF seventeen, leaned over her shoulder and
eagerly perused the open letter that lay in the
worthy spinsters lap. She it was who had
made the above remark, to which Aunt Mel
issa answered testify:
F." Wonders don't see anything 10 very
wonderful in the matter. If Gerald Plumer
chooses to fall in love with me I can't help
it! N'
Won why .ns ;, a4nty he is only twenty-five and
"Only thirty mine I" calculated Miss Melis-
81, in rather beliggerent tone Of voice.
land he is handsome, and-now, aunty,
beauty p
Miss Melissa's cheek grew scarlet.
Mr.. Plumer possibly recognizes the power
OF intellectual charms" she answered, tartly
And more than this," pursued the relent.
less Nelly, everybody supposed the young
man IN question to be desperately in love with
our little Efie-where is she, BY the way
tone up stairs, suppose, to cry over her de-
taulting cavalier. Well, shall counsel her
to call pride to her assistancel But, by the
way, aunty, you haven't told me how and
when this epistle arrived. BY post or through
amessenger ?"
1T WIS yesterday evening"" she simpered,
mt. Plumer Gerald, should say" nelly
made grimace)-''called. He only stood :
minute, talking, by the fire. I supposed,
foolish thing that was, his short stay was
owing to Effie's being away from home But
ne had not been gone five minutes before
discovered this folded paper lying on the floor
at my feet. Was it not an exquisite way of
proposing? See, he calls me his 'deares:
one, and signs himself my ever devoted
slave ="
"Fiddlestick, Aunt Melissa !" exclaimed
the irreverent Nelly. "He only wants your
forty thousand dollars It's just impossible
tnat young man like him can really have
fallen in love with your
Aunt Melissa rose IRON the chair with a
countenance of such lowering wrath, that
MISS Nelly wisely remembered the axiam
about discretion being the better part of valor,
and beat hasty retreat, only stopping once,
to laugh, on the stairs But her countenance
changed as she entered the room where q
young girl sat- with her forehead resting on
the window ledge, and her violet eyes spark
ling with tears.
Crying, Fife! Let me wipe the tears
away, darling-he isn't worthy one of those
diane nd dropsr'
"Oh, Nelly, was so secure in the certain
ty of his love!' s---t
Forget him, dearest |" urged Nelly. shay,
don't sob so piteously-summon up all the
pride there is in your gentle nature, and meet
him in future as coldly as though he were
stranger ~
And Efie through her sobs. faltered out
that she would try.
Miss Melissa blossomed out that evening
like peony, in gorgeous crimson silk dress,
with gigantic bracelets on her arms, and sat
in state in the parlor, her false ringlets glossy
with pomatum. -.
"For Gera.d's note said he would call soon,
to receive his fate from my own lips" she
simpered.
But, to her inexpressible establishment,
Gerald did not call that evening, nor yet the
next! Miss Melissa was puzzled-in all the
novels she had read, she could not recall any
such hardness on the part of an eager lover.
"What does it mean, do you suppose ?'' she
asked of Nelly, as she reluctantly turned
down the gas at the close of the third evening,
and went slowly up stairs to bed.
81 don't know, aunty, I'm sure" returned
the malicious damsel. "Perhaps he's like the
boy who has pulled the string Of a shower
bath, and lodges back in terror at his own
holiness. Suppose you send committee TO
bring HIM to sense Of his situation !"
Aunt Melissa slammed the door of her
room, with bang that made the very police
man in the street below open their eyes.
Gerald Plumer's room at the-Hotel was
literally blue with cigar smoke-a fact easily
accounted for when you glanced at the recun.
bent figure of his roommate and boon com.
panion, who was lazily watching the fire and
smoking as if for wager. 1t was pretty
room. full of elegant bachelor knick- knacks,
only it looked as if pair of wild horses might
have torn through it, and nobody have pick
ed up things afterwards For the flower vases
were on the floor, and the slippers were on
the table, and the boot.jack reclned on the
mantel, in companionship with wash. pitcher
and an odd boot, while the bronze inkstand
was crammed back of q heap of crumpled
newspapers, and pair of lavender kid gloves
lay in the coal scuttle.
."What do I care - remarked Fred. Powers,
as he surveyed the scene of desolation from
behind his fortress of wreathiug shoke. 81
can always find thing when 1 want tiff
only look long enough! Halo, Gerald" for
his friend had hastily entered the room.
"what's up now? What are you throwing
all those papers about for? how do you know
but that they're my love-lettersp Why can't
you tell a fellow what you're looking for?-
Don't believe it's under the coal box, nor yet
in the soap-cup. Own upl What piece Of
carelessness have you been perpetrsting,
now ~
slave you seen folded note. lying about
here, Fred" suddenly questioned Gerald.
"Pve seen the wash woman's bill and the
-tailor's little account, rendered in to your
humble servantr'
'sPshaw-I mean note in my own writ.
ing!"
"No, haven't" said Fred, raising himself
on one elbow. "But why are you SO anxious
about it, my boy? / hope you've not been
forging my name to check for forty thou
sand dollarss'
"rm fool, Fred" groaned Gerald, biting
his lip as he leaned against the mantle piece.
$50 I've always told you, you'll please to
remember. But in what particular instance
has your folly developed itself this timer"
"Well, I've been trying to muster up cour.
age these six weeks to tell Efie Lee how much
loved her; and at length, in despair, was
foolish enough to write declaration of my
sentiments" !.
You made a donkey of yourself that time,
my boy" interrupted Powers. ''These things
are awkward in black and white! !"
.sFortunately, there were no names men