The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1876-01-14

never seen. Was not the sin as much
hers as Luna's? Ought she not TO re-
sign her situation, rather, and trust To
Providence for another? But there We're
the twins-two little baby sisters, with
only her 10 look to, only her between
them aud the poor-house. Had she "A
right 10 ieopardize their welfare for
scruple, a. Luna had hinted' This was
no; the first time, TO be sure, that she
had lent herself 10 the fraud; but on
each occasion she had wrestled with
herself and had been worsted by neces-
siiy. In fact, she had been trapped in
10 il at the beginning. Luna had yawn
ed one dav and said :. Come, Silvia,
dear; Max has been away a fortnight,
and haven't written him once. We
were never separated before. i
never wrote him line in my life ;
but, goodness, how his letters are
accommodating tossing "A half-score on
the table, land something must be
done. / hate writing. ! was never
taught. learned 10 flirt and dance and
parley rouS in boarding-school. i learn
ed small talk-very small falkland
crochet; but my handwriting i all pot
hooks and skewers. Max would never
speak To me again If he once caught
sight of II: | know he wouldn't. And.
a 10 composition, lcan't say boo! to
goose, on paper; haven't any head
for II. And his letters are real poems.
DO lash OFF something, that's love.
Let me see what you'd say, supposing
YOU had lover like MaN-which would
he an impossibility, Of course. But
there are his letters. Read them
And so, in frolic vein, Silvia dashed
of loyc-letter in the merriest mood to
an unknown Max, with just enough love
in il for iiayoring and coquetry. just
enough To iantalize and make a mans
mouth water for more, and signed il
"your devoted Moonshine,n in trayesty
Of Luna's name.
Splendid cried Luna, reading il
over >ilvia's shoulder "What prac-
tice you must have had. :"
Il never wrote a love-letter in my
life, = said Silvia.
Why, what are you going 10 do?''
asked Luna, precipitately, arrc>ting the
half-dried sheet that Silvia waved in the
air
:. Tear il up, Of course"
" Never, It's work OF art. Let me
read il again, myself, before YOU make
away with it,
But Silvia fired with Indignation later.
when she learned that my Luna had
dispatched the letter to Max a her own.
" oh, how could YOU? How could
YOU ?n cried Silvia
I, ..-..- s..-s 81 a. .aat.a. apl .fa rsna@
est thing in the world. Tie had left me
an envelope All directed 20 himself, for
fear | should forget And he gives me
no end Of credit Tor my brilliant talent
calls me a Sevigne, whoever she may
be. Ha. hal
:. Haven't You any conscience Lnas''
Ny dear, you have enough for us
both"
But every little while since then Sill
via. cons cience. n well IS her common
sense. had taken alarm bat all the
same the letters Were written, and Max
delighted She usedto Tie awake nights
trying TO devise a scheme for eNtrcat-
ing Luna aGd herself from the ,itua-
ton; and, after all, the only one which
she could invent was that. which Luna
scorncd. and would none 81.
After Luna had taken herself of 10
the promenade, Silvia dipped her pen
into the gold and ebony ink-stand, and
wrote freels, ~ II she were indeed hold
I inr sweet converse with familiar AZ
iinitv. Ii was something, AZ least. q
be able to utter thethoughts thst surged
in her soul, to express herself under this
mask Ii was an opportunity for com
partnership, from which she was, in a
manner, cut of in all other directions
The opinions and fancies of Silvia John
son. a needy day laborer, counted fol
nothing in the society about her, and i
was only when she put on her disguise
and wrote to another wOman's lover
that they hit the mark, and were re
ceived with eHcorcs. How wonderful
that he should appreciate and RESPOND
To all her extravagances and tran
4 scendental notions, as If there had al
ready been some secret magnetic IN
derstanding between them, before cir
| cumstances had thrown them. mental
liz. in each others way. Was il onlN
love for Luna, or was il theunconscioui
groping Of soul for it, twin, which
caused every word Of Silvia's TO receive
such hearty appreciation, and ever
truth she expressed seem an Unborn in
stinct Of the others being?
One day she tried an experiment. Sh,
wrote in this wise: II must tell you o.
the strangest thing that happened TO Al
acquaintance Of mine. She was ambi
tious, very naturally, to appear well il
her lovers eyes. One day, he fool
ishly went away, and, being bad pen
woman and aware Of other mental def
ciencies, which. however, only needed
time and care for their Improvement
she employed friend to write her Low,
letters Imagine her lovers dismaN
when he discovered the fact, How
\ should Won have acted in his placeP''