The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1878-09-26

come: and she, poor girl, how her
Z tender heart would be tortured by his
: imagined neglect when no answer
a would be forthcoming She, knew,
:. would suffer in silence, and / lOndiy
hoped that he would do the
same. So 1 locked the mailbag
/ and waited for the messenger
to carry it to the station. The ex-
press would pass in an hour and a
half. And then q struggle began in
my heart. The mis-stsmped letter
seemed to look reprOachfully at me
from the box into which / had thrown
il, and seemed 10 whisper to me that
one little act Of mine could send it
unimpeded on its mission.
No one, believe, unless he was in
my situation, actusted by the same
despsiring, selfishly hOpsful feelings
that were OVermastering me, could
understand what a base impulse /
conquered when at last, after an
hours temptation, took that letter
from its resting place, substituted
postage stamp for the revenue one,
opened the mail bag and let it go.
Then after it was done some hot tears
gushed 10 my eyes. It was my last
hope, and could not help indulging
some weakness over its grave.
The next mail from New York ar
rived three days after. had the
poor satisfaction OF seeing the results
of my good action in letter in the
handwriting CT my rival, addressed
to Annie, make lis unwished-fOr APP
pearance, ard shortly after DR.. Mer-
riIl took it away with him as he call
ed for his mail, IIOungeTS came in
and out Of the Office, finding me little
disposed for conversation. Nothing
vet was known in the village Of my
acquisition, so / was spared the pain
OF listening 10 congratulations that l
was i'm 10 mood to hear. When /
went home that evening / was sur
prissd to find my mother absent, and
still more surprised when, on opening
8 note she had left for me, / learned
she was with Annie at DR.. Merrill's,
and that / was to follow her there.
Hopeless as 1 felt, the prospect Of gee
| ing Annie again promised me only a
painful pleasure, but still the thought
of being near her had q sweet and sad
| fascination that / could not resist. |
| When / reached the doctors, | found |
| himself and my mother seated in his |
Office, so intent on the moves OF a |
knights gambiG that mere nod on |
my entrance showed their conscious |
ness Of my arrival. Annie was not |
there l found her in the psrlOT, |
standing upOl the hesrth-Tug, the |
glow OF the freight shining upon her |
golden hair, and a glow Of eager, |
happy expectation in her lcOk that |
was new to her sweet face.
81 am glad to see you" she said, |
giving me her hand. "I have been |
impatient for your cOming-2nd / |
will tell you why. There is a ques-
tion / want you to answer. II per- |
plexes me, and somehow L think / |
can look TO you for its solution. You |
remember a letter / received in the /
early part OF the week ?''
She hesitsted and cast down her
eyes.
"I have too good a reason ever TO
forget it," answered, bitterly.
saw her face flush. She went on.
"I answered that letter next dGy. |
1t was of vital importance to me that |
it should go then, as there would be
no other mail for several days. l /
was troubled when l wrote it, and
stamped it at my unele's desk while
the messenger was waiting to take 1t
to the Office. i found, too late, that
had mis-stRmped it. / have been ut
terly Rretched for the past few days
on account Of that mistake. l |
knew too well what the fate OF my
letter would be. Judge then
how relieved I felt when my
uncle brought me this"-taking from
tte mantle-piece the letter that had
Cv'r.a-S that EIaOT ming "1f II escaped
l., M u
letter pass the eyes of the New York
officials undetected ? This is my
question"
Her eyes searched my face
] took her hands in my own.
"Annie,D said I, sI believe 1 could
make no one understand what it cost
my jealous heart to rectify that mis-
take, but did it. l knew it must be
in answer to that letter that you
spoke of few nights ago. 1t ought
to prove to yOI how unseltishly L love
you, my darling, when L re-stamped
it and sent it on its way to him,
never thought you would find it out.
l did it to spare you moments un-
easiness. 1t the msn you love cares
for you as much as do, he will make
your life happy one"
"HOw can l repay your generos-
ity ?n she said, in voice tremulCus
with feeling. "YOu could not have
acted better II you had had peep at
the contents of that letter But
your reward may be claimed when
you read this"
She handed me the letter and glided
out Of the room. l took it over to the
shaded lamp and read the following
Dear Annie: When, beside your fathers
dying bed, we entered into an engagement /
OF marriage, felt, as he did, that The IN
terest o. the firm of winch he and l were
partners would be best sustained by our
union.
/ wrote to you, notifying you OF my readi-
ness TO fulfill my part in the agreement,
and requested you 20 be ready 10 return
With me on Saturday as my wife. You say
10 me that must not come. There Is but
one explanation to this refusal, and that Is
that you have seen some one who pleaSeS
you better than your humble servant. IL Is
but natural, child L cannot blame you.
The young should mate with the young,
and am too much your senior to expect 10
awake IN your youthful hestrI leehnss
that have long been lifeleSS in my own.
release you frOIn promise that am now
aware was made by you under the pressure
of the sad circumstances. But this fact can
never Affect the fatherly regard have ever /
entertained for the only child OF my dear
Old friend.
read no further. Here was my re-
ward. And how nearly had lost 1t
by the desire OF gratifying an urgen-
erOus impulse Annie has since as
sured me that, had Joseph Morris ar
rived on the day designated, so great
was her awe OF her fathers old part
ner that she never would have had /
the courage TO contend against her
destiny. Indeed, the circumstance OF
having made the error she did IN /
mis-stamping the letter, seemed To |
her troubled mind significant OF a |
deep meaning, and that even beyond |
the grave her father sought 10 control /
her actions.
Annie did not return to the parlOr. |
I found her seated in the doctors Of
flee, apparently interested in the
game which just at the moment of
my entrance he brought TO a victOri- |
Gus conclusion.
Check"
"Mate," 1 cried, finishing the word
for him, and, catching Annie in my
arms, needless Of the astOnishment of
the elderly pair, demanded my re-
ward.
Well, Joseph Morris, gray-haired,
commonplace and undemOnstratlve,
came to Greenwell to other nuptials
than his own. He gave away my
dear one with the best of grace, and
after the marriage congratulated me
on my admission into the firm. hy
| ignorance OF his meaning was 50 sp-
parent that with a grim smile he en-
/ lightened me. With my bride l ac-
quired 8 half interest in an East
India firm in New York and Calcut-
Ita. II Annie had chosen to appeal as
an orphan, dependent on the bounty
/ Of ber uncle, she had the after satls-
/ faction OF knowing that the love she
had won was offered to herself alone,
and not TO the golden store that at
! tracts so many suitOrs.
"My dearest" / sometimes say to
her, "WhO would think that in great
measure we owe our happiness 10
! little postage stamp ,"
The One objection Removed.
a mother was trying to break her
five-year old boy OF the habit Of lying
~, fslI;,y him that all liars went tn