Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1871-03-02
Miscellaneous.
rom the Ladic. Friend
THE EMPTY ENVELOPE.
~ MARTHA rAHQtAE>n>.


y letter for yc. Miss Granger.
and Bridget laid II on the table beside
The Young lady. and went away.
t,iith took 1t up and bri.h blush
>uiiGsed her cheek n She recognize
TIE handwriting Of it, address. SID
opened il with a little hu,ter Of joyou,
expectation, and glanced about the
room ia pleased recognition Of the
fact that She was alone.
She had read it all once and again /.
vYcrv word was engrayen on her heart :
yet she would read It many more time.
ere she grew weary Of the pleasant
task.
And he loves mc--askcs me Ia hc
ui~ wlic. She muTmercd, folding and
pressing il 10 her heart. How strange
when Belle j. 50 much more beautiful
ami attractive in every way than |.
Al ! am surely the happicst girl IN
the land
She sat musing for some minutes
;he glad. sweet smile still playinr
about her mouth. the love-lIgAt vet
shining in her eyes-ihen turning 10
her writing desk and selecting tiny
sheet Of delicatcly tinted and perfume,l
note paper, ami envelope 10 match. ; he
wrote a few lines on the one. and an
address on the other She looked
hNcdly at the latter for a moment. then
threw it aside and directed second
with more care. Her hand had trelnbled
little in writing the address on the
first.
Miss said Bridget, again appearing
this time with n card, there's a lady
in the par!or askin. to see ye.'
Thank you say that will be down
IN moment Filth answered and As
the door closed on the servant she be-
gan careful pcrusal Of what she had
written. She would not for the world
that he should find in it the smallest
mistake, and she would satisfy herself
that II Was not lacking in proper maid
eniy reserve, nor yet too cold and for
NAL.
This done, it was quickly folded
and put into the second envelope. and
| tual sealed anu stamped.
She had been writing TO home friends
and others, anu a little pile Of letters.
all ready for the post, lay ON the table
beside her desk. With a smile ami a
blush this was slipped in among them.
Then the other. TO which it was an an
swer, received another, though hasty
perusal, was again pressed TO her heart,
and the next instant had found a rest
lng-place within the bosom of her pret.
! ty morning dress. 1t was far too pre-
cious to be exposed TO the gaze of 9TH
er eyes.
A glance in the mirror TO see that
nothing was amiss with her toilet, and
Edith tripped lightly down stairs and
into the parlor, where a fashionable
young lady friend somewhat inpatient
ly awaited her coming.
The call was allowed to become
rather unfashiouably long, it being
one of farewell for Edith was to leave
that night for her distant Western
home in Chicago. Then another call
and another succeeded till she grew
restless with the thought of the impor-
tance that her letters should go by the
next mail, and the fear that they would
be too late for it.
And though she knew it not, worse
consequences than that were to resul,
from her unwilling detention in the
parlor.
Fearing that her delay had already
exhausted the patience of her caller
she had hurried from her room with.
out gathering up her papers, or clos
ing her writing desk. And thus Belle
Stanton found it on her return from
some errands. for herself and her guest
on which she had gone out very soor
after breakfast.
From Bridget, who admitted her
Belle learned that Miss Granger was
in the partor detained there by callers
and that she bad also received a cit,
letter.
At that last piece of intelligence
Bellies face paled and flushed and paled
again.
Gould it have been from him!' SHE
muttered, as she hurried up the stairs
unceremoniously opened the door OF
her friends room. and walked in.
One hasty glance around showed heI
the open desk, the pile Of letters by its
side, and that no one was there tc
watch her movements. With quicl
but cautious step she drew near the
! table and taking up the letters, she