The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1873-03-26
..We will see, Matte. Let me go

farm just as horrid as ever
just as herrid as ever Edith con-
cluded it was, after a weeks sojourn
at the dismal farm she had called
home during her girlhood. Her
uncle did not domineer quite so much
over the dignifed, stately lady, who
came, after five years of city life, to
replace the uniformed girl who had
left him, but he was morose and ill
tempered as ever. and the dreary
house had no added charm. Edith
found there were servants to do the
churning, baking and house work
she had shared with Matte, and
rambled about the place, wondering
a little how many weeks of it would
suffice to fit her for a lunatic asylum.
In one of these rambles, two
weeks after her arrival, she came
upon a group of men who were re-
pairing the tumble down fences and
rickety gates about the place. They
were at work upon the cid gate-post
she had turned into post-office, and
she stood listlessly watching them as
they loosed the earth around it. to
lift the rotten woodwork from its
place. The loose top was gone, and
there were wide cracks in the wood
en- slab under it, where the love let
ters of five years ago had lain wait
ing for eager hands and eyes.
Edith felt her heart beating fast,
her eyes filling with tears, as blow
after blow 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 it had
stood for so many years. In the
damp dark earth she saw a folded
paper. evidently shaken from the
hollow post by the recent blows. A
strange suffocating feeling held her
fast for moment. then she stopped,
reached over and secured the letter.
1t was not dainty missive, such as
she sent to Newport. for it was not
easy for her to find scented paper
and tinted envelopes at Hill farm.
It was a sheet of coarse paper, fold
ed, sealed and stamped with Thin
BILE top. directed in a round, girlish
hand to Douglas Fisher; the letter
she had written to appoint time and
place for an elopement-the letter
he had never seen, that her hurry
and agitation it must have slipped
through one of the wide cracks
down into the hollow post.
She opened it carefully. her heart
pityiDg even then the simple girl
who opened her whole loving soul to
her lover. The very words were so
different from those she would use
now. No polished courtesy of adj
dress. no polite evasion of the ten
der questions. but a frank, girlish
of her happy consent to
leave her hard, bitter life, and accept
the sunny future her lover promised
her. Edith was cold, inpassive and
stately in the days when she shared
her sisters happy home. Il was a
rare event to see her show emotion
in any way, and Charlie had wonder
ed more than once at his cousins
of her statuesque beauty.
But as she read now the secret of
her lovers apparent fckleness, the
record of her own young heart. the
tears fell fast upon the yellow sheet,
and sobs shook her whole form.
There was no one to see her, and
she knelt down by the fallen gate
post. and wept for her own lost
youth and broken hopes.
She was still kneeling there, the
open letter in her hand, when she
heard a footstep turn from the road
into the narrow lane leading to the
farm house. In moment it would !
be at the gate. She sprang to her
feet, and faced a tall, havily bear
led man, who paused for moment.
searchingly into her face
only for a moment, and then he
opened his arms.
Edith he said, in deep tender
ones, II never saw your letter.
She was resting against his breast.
Is she put it now into his hand, and
old him how she had found it.
..Mattie told me ALL" he said,
and / came on at once. Oh. Edith,
t seems too much happiness now to
ind you still. single. still my own"
Charlie and Matte were fully pre-
,ared for the return Of the truants
o Newport. and the autumn collect
ID a concourse of dear friends to
witness a grand wedding. few sus-
,ecting the previous courtship of the
handsome couple who were united
Ifter long years.
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