Litchfield enquirer., 1878-01-24
WHOLE NO. 2e95

where the ink was so fresh as to leave the inn pression. It was quite faint, but Angie slowly read: ''I like Frank I am very fond of Frank, and have come back to- that word we couldn't make out for the express purpose of seeing her"--We looked at each other.
 ''Its Walter Raymonds writing" said An gie, and she began to cry.
 ''Let me have it, said l. The moment I looked at il, I recognized Marion Halletts bold handwriting, more like mans than a wo- mans; but what was the use of saying any thing about it? I had never seen Raymonds writing and what Angie called her knew was hins
 If Marion Hallet had been there at that mo- ment, believe should have annihilated. her. Everything that had happened came up before me like flash. All the walking and singing together, that night before she went away when they sat off by themselves and never spoke to anyone else all the evening, and various little attempts she used to make to bring Frank and me together when every one was around and she couldn't have him herself, all came upon me with such force that for amoment thought I should die. But I didn't; was too mad.
 ''Here," said to Angie, who was still cry ing, ''give me that paper. We don't want any one else to see it."
 'eNo-o-o-o !"' said poor Angie, with fresh burst of sobs.
 And no one need know anything about it if we don't tell 1 had just as soon not have any one know that we had been reading shis plotting book, hadn't you?"
 ''Yes-s-s," choked Angie.
 "Then let's cut upstairs quick, for the girls are coming up the avenue and they'll ask what you're crying about" Once safe in our room, 1 eXhorted my un- knowing confederate to dignity and silence. I sympathized with her on the fickleness of man, and assured her that for my part, ai- thoug was much taken with Walter Ray mond at first, found him tiresome on longer acquaintance; but I thought he would do very well for domestic little thing like Frank Sea bury, all ears and no tongue. And so well did succeed that Angie (partly on the princi- | pie which made the grapes sour) was pleased | to come to my way of thinking, bathe her | swollen eyes and make herself presentable for lunch For on this day of all others, Mrs. Putnam had decided to depart from the usual country hours and give a grand dinner party at six o'clock.
 Frank and Raymond, who had been playing croquet with the girls came in to lunch, and Il | felt obliged to be rather attentive to Raymond to cover up Angles deficiencies in that direc- | tion, and don't suppose that tcnS particularly polite to Frank. After they had gone, went | upstairs again, and presently Marion came in. | 1 felt that the moment had arrived. She be- gan very mildly by saying how fond she was | of her friends, and how anxious she was to help them out of trouble, and that sometimes she was afraid she might be thought to be med ding with what did not concern her. Then she began to talk about Frank; what a noble fellow he was, so true-hearted and faithful. She couldn't bear to have his heart thrown | away by one that didn't know the worth of | it.
 Then turned on her, and said that if his | heart 1CGS thrown away, 1 guessed there was l some one else that would be precious glad to get the leavings. She said she didn't know what 1 could possibly mean; tha: it was evil dent to every one that he would be devoted to me if would only let him.
 ''As devoted as y0u would let him, l said. kitty Caxton," said she, ''what on earth do you mean ?" , "What do I meanl That 1 know little more of your planst than you think do. You've played pretty smart game, getting people to think you were going to take Ed Steyvesant just to cover your designs in another direc- | tion."
 ..KittY. how dare you say that :" And her sl{ sXeR {e began @ to Hash. ''How dare you mscon- the way in which voN fIslNVE- StuYvesant after mond Poor Frank this is a worthy reward for all his devotion. To be accepted only to | be dropped for the next fancy 70 ''POOr F4dnE Why don't you spend lit | tie of your pity on Fred White; that you've sent to Texas to work out his life for you, so that you can have full swing here? It's so con- venient to keep a lot of fellows ill a row, like a string of dried apples, ready to pick off the ! one that looks the most promising. l used to | think you were a little more honorable than the rest of the family, Marion Hallett, but I've come to the conclusion that you're the very worst But you haven't fooled so many as you may think for all the people at home know | about Stuyvesant, and of course Jennie White will tell Fred!
 II don't believe that they ever heard the name of Stuyvesant."
 Belle wrote about it in her last letter." replied. Don't you breathe word of how uoy came to hear, miss. You seem to judge that can stoop to such low manGuvres for miserable fellow like Frank Hendley. If ,oGs | once leased into something like half engage ment with him, thank goodness I've come to my seuses, and resign him to you with pleas ure. Here's the ring he gave me; you'd better wear it it would be of piece with your oth- CT performances. But after you've got Frank and Stuyvesant safely landed, and on the i string along with Ainslie and White and the little lawyer at home, you'd better look before | you decide Perhaps you can find GitOther I until he thinks you are the most perfect crea- ture in the universe. Of all the meanes:, des- picable girls ever saw, think you are the l worst"
 With that flung Franks ring across the room and ran out. listened downstairs for some time, and 1 should think it was nearly
 half an hour before heard her come out and go slowly down the hall to her own room and
 and go in, locking the door after her.
 We'll, after this scene, just imagine me hay ing to dress for dinner and make conversation
 to a silent young man through eight courses.
 I think ought to have the credit of being a
 pretty good actress, for would defy any one l to have told from my manner anything of the | exciting times had been having upstairs.
 It's all over now, thank my stars, the con- pany gone, and Angie has been sleeping off her l troubles tor two hours. 1 was so nervous and excited that thought l would write to you | and see if I couldn't get it off my mind but l don't seem to succeed, so 1 must put out my light and go to bed: 1 Yours in tribulatiOn. KITTY. l PS. 1 forgot to tell you, found Franks ring lying in my jewelrY box. | (FrGnk Seabury to her nsother.) IDALIA July h. 1S-.
 DEAREST MoTHER-This letter is to be
 strictly private, devoted to your eyes alone, and
 shall only permit you to extract such bits for