The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1877-04-05

said there vas some letters fersWH-
iEtens folks, and ! Ietcied EN- over =
Amt got my glasses with ms5 50 !
/ don't know who they're writ.lto; but
SereasS Soc AH well2 That's right.
Good Sysning.p q @
And away .dtove leaving Jane
iwithtwo lettsrsip her hand, one for
therself and one. faf Annie GDnyers.
hef owb yss from her mother. She
knew the writipga the other-well,
she knew behapd that dineted that
also. 4 ,st.a I
1t was from Mr. Craig. .
"And am | to give it to'het?F Fmnt-
tered Jane, between her teetbgIIgs
81 iils Alse Wiiieh
seemed TO her unconqucrable, she
ran away towards the woods hiding
both letters in. her pocket.
AT least she could delay her rivals
Happiness for while, she would not
carry it to her at once.
Then alone in the green shadow
che took the letter from her pocket,
and looked long and curiously at the
supersCription.
Yes, it was from Craig, and what
had he said? Perhaps after all he
was not in earnest. Could she but
read what he had written, she would
know.
She took pin from her dress, and
drew it along the edge of the envel-
ope, 1t opened a little space but the
rest clung as closely as before. I'M
patient at this, she forgot all pru-
dence, and drew the pin across She
paper with a sudden push. 1t cut
its way through, and now the mis-.
chief was done, James heart beat
hard and fast with terror, but she
had gone too far to stop.
~ shall know the TRUTH" she said,
"and letters are always being lost in
these country post offices; Ill read it,
since I've torn it." Then she pulled
away the envelope, spread the sheet
of paper on her knee, and read the
following words:
"DEAR MISS. CoNYERs: 1t seems
odd that u man of thirty should be
afraid to stand face to face with a
girl of twenty, and tell her that he
loved her; but l could not summon
courage enough to do so, nor to ask
the question that follows such a con-
Ifessien. So far from you, | commit
my hopes to this paper, and having
in plain words said | love you, ask
pou palmer words still-do you love
me enough to be my wife? 1fyou do
write to me at once, Ipray, and make
me the happiest man on earth by
tellingme so. Ifyou do not, then pain
neither of us by a refusal: SIMPLY
leave my letter unanswered. can
bear it better so. But | shall pray
for q letter, for love you better than
my life,
HARRY. CRAIG"
Jane drew a deep breath. $50 it
has gone as far as this" she said:-
"What fools men are! She will be
glad enough to say "yes;" but if l
should destroy this bit of paper, he
would neyerknow it; and then-well,
then he would do his best to fill her
place. Mems hearts never break,
land there is no one whom l know
suits me better. That old man who
gave me the letter never read, the adj
dress. There eau be no inquiries
made, It would be- safe enough to
destroy It, dangerous,notto do SO now,
even if wanted Annie to read it."
Then. Jane tore the letter in two,
thrust it in its envelope, and looked
about her, 1t would be dangerous to
tear it to bits in the. woods. Its
white fragments might attract some
eye amongst the greenness of the
grass. But hard by pretty stream
babbled away over stones and pob-
bles Once thrown into the water,
that was the end Of it.
Jane hurried to the water side, and
looking over her shoulder, as one
might who expected to see ghost,
tossed the little package in. 1t fell
with the closed side downward, and
listened by the torn note, which was
rudely thrust into it. The surface
was hard and highly finished, and
shaped so as 10 resist the water. A
little breeze that had just sprang, up
favored it, and away'it hoatcd, like
little boat, deftly clearing the. shore