The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1865-12-02

bled into determination. 1t was 70 write,
write sir, to Mary Horner, and learn the
wo:st or the best All. can Jest upon it
now. | wrote. The thermometer stood at
twenty. There were blocks of ice in the
river like horehound candy but | let my
fire out while at my absorbing task.
wrote l have a bad habit Of spoilin. sew
eral sheets of paper when write an impor-
tant letter. | can show you fac simle of
this, discarded because of the capital Ms
being of two varieties. There it is, read it,
This was the letter.
London, January 3
any Dearest Mary cannot call you By
any other title and speak truly. Forgive me
if the truth is diStasteful to you. In all our
happy associati II | have not dared-yes that
is the word-to tell you this. "A faint heart,
YOU will say; but .'he bright particular star
always seemed so far above me. These are
| calm words. dear, when my love is warm :;
these are cold words. when my heart is beat
| ing wildly. | would rather re td nv sentence
| If it is to ,e hanishment; but OH [ would
| ten tb. usan times hear 1t, if it has one
| word OF hope. Let me have but that word
and | viii De with YOU In any case, | feel
! that you will deal tcnIerly as we'll as truth
| fully with me.
yours devotedy,
.FRAxT"
SIN the same honr" he continued, L de-
cided to tell Marv Perciva of what had
done. There is pretty ..ccuratc copy of my
, Letter to her"
1t rSu thus:
'London, January 3
Il know, dear Mary, thai | do not look in
vain for sympathy from you. need it
greatly to-day You will believe this when
tell YOU what have done. | have written
To ask some one % give me her heart. Can
you guess who It is? | am not hopeful, but
| | am not Gesparing ! cannot say more
now than that in nv fort nes | am conf
! dent Of your sisterly regard.
Yours atftctionately,
| FRANZ
| When l hal read this without remark,
| BIuu,leil went on with his narrative.
Il had finished these letters sini folded
| them, when there WAS a rap at my door fol
| lowed Immediately by the entrance of my
| opposite neighbor. We'll, | neverr was his
! exclamation, are vOu out coal? | looked
| round upon the h ach crate tor answer, hav-
ing nrst put the letters into envelopes and
| fastened them Il came To see if YOU were
| inclined for state, NY visitor said i tired
| the ice on the Ornamental Water Yesterday;
it was pretty good. They say it is capt. !.
! to-dtr; bat come and have some lunch with
me before we go Iou are miserable tere
! accepted the invitation, and, wishin. to
| get ri o. him. said, 'You 90 and order it
When he was gone, direc-ed the envelopes
! containing mv letters, aud followed him,
| takinT them with me to post on my way to
/ the Park. There we're IL great many skaters
/ aud the ice WAS Tor the most part strong Bat
! here and there. is al Sdys the case except at
/ ter Il prO;rIctei tr st, were weak places. On
! to one Of these | SIX ted at a rapid pace and
/ went down. without a warning crack. MO
| the bitterly cold water. TIE ice was above
me when rose, but could hear voices near
ne before sank again. | came up once
( more. but 1t was to feel u heavy blow, to be
| N an explosion of fireworks, and thea to
! lose all consciousness. The clumsily given
| aid was uear'v being a. fatal to me as the ice
! PRISON would have been. How | vas carried
! pom, - my fathers house, and sutfercl tor
! many DAYS from the combined effects of the
| plunge and the blo@ ! could tell You only as
/ II wls toll me-. | was fcn2 unconscious. and
! for come time after the dangerous symptoms
! ahatcd could take no notice of what wls
! passing around me. | was gradually recOv-
/ crinI, however, both physically aud mentally:
and one morning | became aware, upon
| awakiug from a dOz., that | was not alone.
! Some one had come in while'l slept, AMI was
| sitting by mv SIDE. \ soft hand was laid On
| mine. and. a. | Looked round. gentle, vel
| known voice spoke 1t vas Mary PercTal's.
| i am 81 thankful. dear II said, so very
| thankful | was still 50 we .k, Il criel.-
4 ES,',. stopped aud kissed my forehead. Bless
/ Won she whispered. ;tHd with an srcl nile,
| continued, L. wa. {. funny letter tor yo4 I"
write to me. Besides, I thou1nJ, -sh'
| paused, looking at me. Then she said, i
must talk 10 you about it another day. and
| scDli voG: bat thank y1n for it now a thou
sand, th usand times! came to give you
/ my answer, and found you here. Oh. Frank.
/ hJw could YOU be- i,'raIl Of me? How could
| vou doJ'bt n,Y love? Bat that IS all passed
/ now and | IA lst not tire Won even with my
| happiness. Good bye, dearest And she
sen; ont very quickly, the tears binding her.
ut Is a snlme to speak Ut this, but you
are my friend, and it is necessary, If you are
to understand my feelings. Inu can i'm
| asine them. What hal come TO IN or to
| them? What had come to me or - her? |
! scarcely needed: | made no response to her
words but This she doubtless attributed to
my weakened state !; and when she left me
J lay looking wonderingly II the door. AT last
a thought struck me. rang my bell. 1t
was answered. by mother. asked her II
there were any letters for me She feared |
| WAS not equal to exertion, but went to fetch
them as soon rs | was alone again l
searched for one. | carel for only one.
found it. You shall see it in the original
He handed me the letter 1t was written
in firm, clearly cut characters. more Greek
than Italian, and was fellows
:.Shalowford Rectory, Jan. 4.
"My dear Fralk-it was so kind of you tl
depend upon my sympathy. Be assured you
t have it. | do hope yol will be accepted
4 but of course you will, and be lmmensei.
: happy. You cant think how glad | was Il
: hear it, Do you know f,ncied. like vaii
; thing. tha yOL were just the least bit IN tn
. world what Fred would call 'spoony' upo'
/ sonaebody here should have been so sorr
D -dout b. angry-for Oh ,rles aud l hav
t been engaged the last two years. We haV
= said nothing about it, except, of course, t
i papa and mama; and the same post thu
|. brought your letter brought one for hin
offering kim long expected living. NJ
Y we hope 10 be married this year. Dear oi
e Charley! He i. so good shall we a
/ shall be anxious o know more from you
=. What weather! Fred is skating. lie say
! of US, of Charles aud me and you, 'Pp'
/ rhinp, poor thimgsr We don't think o, d
: we? | hops. some day to see and love yo'
r wife. | can guess who it is? l know yc
e Ii e the name of MAry. With good wlSh
l. from all of Us for the new year, believe m
!, your sincere friend,
'MARY HoRSER.'
lie Blundell was standing near me, lookI'
70 over my shoulder. as | read.
II, 'I took in the truth at once, he sail
'd Don't ynu?'
,d 'Why.1 | gasped, 'you reversed the dire
IN tors. | SAW that ut a glance, when you ga
n me this.