Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1876-07-14
LucILLA's LOVE LETTERS.

Arc there any more of these silly let
Iters?'
u When her father asked this question
10 an awful tone, Lucilla Richmond conlt
q uot say mo- and dared not say YES;
e giso. as IN intermediate course, she burs
e into storm Of tears aud sObbed bebi,l
q ner handkerchief.
Bring them to me. Lucills,' said bel
itsther, as il she had answered him. q.
indeed she had. and the girl, trembling
and, rose to obey.
Then Mrs. Richmond, her daughters
very self grown older. came behind he,
lhusband's chair and pa,ted him On the
lshoulttcr.
Please don't be 30 hard with her, my
dear she said, cosxinglv He's very
} nice you,g 4 man, and it's our fault, after
j.'l, rs much as hers, and you won I
break her hearl, l am sure
'Perh .ps you approve OF the whole al.
ta;r, ma'am.' said Mr.. Richmond
'I-no-thst is, only, '-Qaspeo tn.
little woman; and hearing Lucills coming
lene sank into CHAIR, blaming herself for
mot having been present ut all her daugh-
tiers music lesso during the year.
For all this disturbance grew out Of a
music master-a black.eyed young man,
who had given lessons to Miss LuciIla
Richmond for twelve months or more.
and had taken the liberty of falling In love
with her, knowing that she was th..
daughter of one Of the richest merchants
il this city.
1t was inexcusablc in . poor music
master, who ehould have known his Mr..
Richmond declared. and he clu,chcd tl,..
little peri 1omed billie. that had fallen into
his hands rs he might q scorpion. anu
waited for the others with Q look upon
his face thar seemed to tell me Of no soft
ening. They at last came, just six littl..
dainty white envelopes TIED togeth, witt,
blue ribbon, and were laid at his elbow
|by his dispsiring daughter. He gathered
them up with scoin.
Lock up these until re,nrD home thi>
Evening" he said 10 his wife; L will
re.d .shssn Meantime I.,,c,IIs 20 -, -
see this music master upon any preience .
And then LucilIs went down upon ber
knees, anh said:
Oh, dear p'pa! dearest papa, please d."
not say am never 10 see him again. II
,ouldn't bear il, indeed, I could not bear
ut. He is poor. know. but he is gen
|tl-man, and like HIM 80 much, my
dear father
No more Of this absurd,ry. my dear.
>aid NJ. Richmond. raising as he spok !
He has bee" artfuI enough TO make you
believe that he is perfection, I suppose
Your parents kE0w what il best for your
'appiness.'
With these words Mr.. Richmond put on
his hat ard 0v-rcoat and took hist way
toward those my ysteri0us precincs known
to wOma"ho0d in general only as lii |
city,
The" Lucilla and her mother took the
opportunity to fall into each Others arm
9 1t is naughty of y0u,' said Mrs Rirh
mo'd, but, oh, dear, cant blame you;
il was just % with me. ran away with
your father. you know. and my pare"ls
obi, cted because of his poverty. feel
the grratest sympathy for you, and Fred
erick has such fine eyes aud is 80 very
nice. wish l could soften your papa.
She coaxed Lucllls to stop crying. and
then 10 her own room to put the letters
in her desk; and IS she placed them in
one pretty pigeon hole she saw in an0, her
bundle TIED just as those were aud drew
them out.
These letters were to Q Lucia, slso:
one who had received them ,wenty years
before; and she, now mstrou old enough
10 have daughter who had heart troubles,
unfOl'isd them one by one. wondering
how it came 10 pass that lovers letters
were all 80 mucn alike!
Just half dozen; just the Same num- "
Der- and much more desperate than thoselI \
Inc music master had written to her
laughter. A strange idea came Into
Mrs. Richm0pd's mind. She dared mott
oppose her husband; by no word Or iook
lad she eyer attempted such . thing.
But she was very fond OF her daugh Ct. p
When she left the desk she looked guilty y
md frightened, AMI something rustlei in s
Yer pocket - she moved. She said moth. o
ng TO any one on the subject until din Q
Ter came. and with it her husband, an .
,rier and more determined than ever. 9
rne meal was p.ssed In silence. Then,
laving adjourned to the drawing room p
much q an executioner and .wo culprits y
night have proceeded to The gal,0ws, .
dr. Richmond sealed himself il great g
rm chair and demanded the letters. .
Mrs. Richmond put her hand into her u
'eckst, and pulled ii back with : fright q
led look. II
M. Richmond repeated more sternly j d
Those absurd letters il you please, z
- 'am.' u
And then the litile woman ialtsred ont: y
I-thss ISL 6sl.sve-yes, dsar, think !. =
have shem:' and gave hlm white pile u
{ envelopes, escircled ~ blue ribbon, II,
nth . hand that tsembled life m aspen Io'
1T so
And llr. Richmood dropped the hrssl ia
,ttes and took up another. ~
Tue same stu6,' he cormsnced. sl'o
ope you don'y bslisvs word he says. o'
plain, upright. eaFsest man would nev. ~
D into any snch Saphsodiss, an surs. y
nd now in number thrss, this blessed -
llow calls mr. ~ angrlr He is drs-
- A. = -