Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-10-04
VOL. XVII.

sent for Annie to communicate the
good news to her. She was strange.
ly quiet, | thought, and there was .
troubled look in her blue eyes /
never saw there before. In fact, \
after awhile, a subdued feeling stole
over us all. Annie's diseuiet
seemed to impart itself to us. Il.
was thinking how l could venture
to tell her all my hopes, and my /
mother, guessing what my thoughts
we're, left us together most Of the
evening; but my heart failed me.
1t was only when was walking
home with Annie to DR.. Merril's
that | found courage to speak, She
led me on by saying that / must
not think from her silence that she !
did not rejoice in the happy change
in my prospects, bat no one could
be more sincere in their congratn- /
lations than herself. l. answered
that my good fortune would be
yalueless to me unless could share
it with the girl IloVed. 90 iisoa 4
"The girl you love 7" she repeat
ed, questioningly. ysa. ssol 20 b,so
1 felt her hand tremble aon my
arm, ,risr,6ms s,msb a.
rThe girl l love-" | answered in
tones that she might have iuterpre-,
ted, but failed to do so.-ob. wv
"She, ought to be a happy ,wo,
man." she continued. "May / ask
lifI know herr" ,i. .,.....i 'l,. ,. 4
faIf you know herlo ] cried. "If
you know her! 0, who could it be
! but you?" as''
! "Me?" tam 90 obeha.
She drew her hand quickly away
from my arm, and stood quite still
before me. .tl l"oa 81nsy
r 'Me! 0, did you say me?"
And then / saw the moonlight
falling on her face, and it was not
y the face Of a girl shining with hap
!, py confusion when she hears the
!. story of his love from the man she
prefers. 1t was pale and shocked,
and then she hid it from me in heI
!. hands and burst into tears. ,gag
| needed no other answer
knew my suit was hopeless. galye.
"Don't cry, dear" said I. 81
L never thought to wound you.p
81 thought you knew" she wen
on sobbingly. 81 thought my un
d, Gle might have told You, / am go
~ ing to marry Mr.. Norris, 1 got
il letter from him to-day. OF Cal
>. you forgive me?" 'f.'~..
:. She stretched out her little hand
"a imploringly. l took them IN mine
n and kissed them-they were sacreC
~ y to me; they belonged to another
:. and / kissed them while my hear
~ was breaking. "
& "Forgive you'll my darling?"
. said. Il would forgive you If yo
+ killed me, i think. Don't grievt
7 Annie; | will try to bear it,"
ia We parted at her unele's withou
40 another word, and | went home {
| the motherly heart that 1 kne
10 would suffer with me, but who's
~ tender sympathy would uphold m
: in this hour of bitter trial. i' yo
"a The nextday | sent off my resie
or nation to Washington, for m
n. mother and / agreed to leave tn
to village where we had passed s
/ many quiet years. 1t was in ii
nv afternoon of the same day that I'll
he letter Of which, had spoken, that
Is, now knew was for my rival, attraC
he ted my attention.. | took it up n,
luctantly-I felt that IwOuld &
u. readily have, touched a poisonor
,ss snake-and was just about to pl
on the pOStmark on it when saw tn
gh the stamp upon it, instead ofbeir
We, postal one, was revenue STAN
Eft and that the letter instead Of spec,
of ing off on wings Of love to. Ne
ew York, must be consigned to Il
u.s. dead letter Office at Washingto
as With a thrill Of savage delight
III flung itinto the box appropriate
os to the reception of such eastawa,
st. and went on with my evening
nd work. With that work ! went
lad mechanically, bat my thoughts we
,nc not agreeabIy employed. 4h
oor then was the answer to the missi
civ she had received. But it should
eli long before he would get it-get
to too late, perhaps, for any explain
tho ton; fgF misunderstanding |
ex- tween lovers haVs often arisen fro
at q slighter cause than the pon-arr
Yer al Of an expected letter, | pctur
hat him waiting and longing for t
/ ] letter that would not come; a
In she, poor girl, how her tenaerh
vas would be Tortured by his imagin
ked neglect when 20 answer would
all forthcoming. She, | know, wor
Z / suffer in silence, andI fondly boE
IRE he would do the same.l So 1loek
MI the mail bag and waited for I
de, messenger 10 carry tito the stati'
iSed The express would pasS in an he
be ? and a half. And then a strpgI
had began ia my heart. The mi
,rk. stamped letter seemed 10 look
hat proachfully at me from the box
me, TO which / had thrown it, a
v a seemed 10 whisper to me that
I. L. = l;tnafoot - ,,,..,a oof,ld chnd n ,