Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1873-05-03


las urged me still more earnestly to leave tho
farm and be his wife He wrote me one day
tbathe mus, soon leave Seaton, and begged me
to write upon slip the time aud place where
/ would meet him, and the train by which We
should leave Seaton after became his wife
f." Darling" he wrote, | am rich. and Matte
shall come to US as soon as you will. Tell me
where to meet you, and will have clergy
rnaa ready to make you mywifs. Trust your
life TO me, Edith, sad you shall never regret
it" Matte, I wrote him letter, appointing
time aud place Of meeting. went there
He did not come. Three days went almost
hourly to the gate post for some word OF ex-
plasatou. None came; and when next
heard from Seatou, Douglas Fisher had gore
away"
Without writingG 70 "a" ~'
Without one word He had written tha:
the letter I,told you of was his last appeal
81 have urged you so often" be wrote, that
IL you do not reply fsvorably to this, l'shall
know il is coquetry, not love, that makes you
smile upon me- ;" -
Coquetry y said Matte disdainfully. /" As
| if you ever knew the meaning Of the'wcrd !"
!" Probably be repented. Matte, and thought
a poor country girl would not grace his city
home. But whatever his motive, he left me,
and confess | shrink from meeting him."
Certainly you do. I will not urge you to
stay now, dear but after we return from New
port, where suppose Charlie will have Doug
las for his guest, you will come home again p
1--WE will see, Matte .Let,me go now"
al am afraid you will find Hill farm just as
horrid as ever"
Just as ihorrid -as ever Edith concluded it
was, after weeks sojourn at the dismal farm
she had called home during her girlhood. Her
uncle did not domiueer quite so much over the
dgui6ed, stately lady who came, after fvo
years Of city life, to replace the Uniformed girl
who had left him, but he was morose and i'll
| tempered as ever, and the drcary house had no
added charm. Edith found there were servants
to DO the churning, baking and hOuSs-work she
had shared with Msttie. and rsmbled about the
place, wonderi little how many weeks OF It
would suffice to ft her for lunatic asylum.
In one Of these rambes, two weeks after her
arrival, she came upon group of men who
were repairing the tumbe-down fences and
rickety gates about the place. They were at
work upon the old gate post she had turned In
10 a post-office, and she stood listlessly watch
ing them as they loosened the earth around it,
to hft the rotten woodwork from its place
Theoose top was gons,aBd there were wide
cracks in the wooden slab under it, where the
lovc-letRrs Of FIVE years ago had lain waiting
for eager hands and eyes ,s - 4r'
Edith felt her heart beating fast, her eyes
filling with tears, as blow afterrblow fell upon
the hollow post, cracking, bending it, till it fell
to the ground, just as The MONDAY bell called
the men TO dinner.
When the curious eyes that might have seen
her were safely in doors, contemplating meat
and vegetables, Edith went close to the old
post, and looked into the hole where ii had
stood for so many years In the damp dark
earth she saw folded paper, evidently shaken
from the hollow post by the recent blows. A
strange Sutfocatihg feeling held her fast for a
moment then she stopped, reached over aud
secured the letter.. 1t was not dainty mis-
sive, such as she sent to Newport, for il was
not easy for her to find scented paper and
tinted envelopes at Hill farm It was sheet
Of coarse letter paper, folded, sealed, and stamp
ed with thimble top. directed 10 a round,
girlish hand TO Douglas Fisher: the letter she
had written TO appoint time and place for an
elopement4-the letter he had never seen, that
in her hurry and agitation she must have slip
ped through one Of the wide cracks down into
the hollow post.
She opened it carefully, her heart plying
even then the simple girl who opened her whole
wing soul TO her lover The very words
were 50 different from those she would use
now. No polished courtesy Of address, no po-
lite evasion Of the tender questions, but frank,
girliSh outpouring Of her happy consent to
leave her hard, bitter life, and accept the sun
ny future her lover promised her. Edith was
cold, impassive aud stately 10 the days when
she shared her sisters happy home. J.. was a
rare eyent'to see her show emotion 10 any way
aud Charlie had wondered more than once at
his. cousins edmira.ion Of her statuesqus
beauty. =, 80
But as she read DOW the secret Of her lovers
apparsnt fckleness, the record Of her own
young heart, the tears fell fast upon the yell
low, stained sheet. and sobs shook her whole
form.'~.There was 10 one to see her, no one to
hear her, and sue knet down by tho fallen gate
post, and wept for her own lost youth aud
broken hopes.
She was still kneeling there, the open letter
in bsr hand, when she heard footstep turn
| from the road into the narrow lane leading %
/ the farmhouse 10 a moment it would be
at the gate. She sprang to her feet, aud faced
tall, heavily bearded man, who paused for a
moment, looking searehIDgly iato her face
only for moment, and then be opened bis
arms.
edith" he said, in deep tender tones, Il
never saw your letter J"