Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-06-03
THE STOLEN I0vE-LETTERS.

a. A.
light pretty Maggie Leslie sat pull.
ing a rose to pieces. Her sister Kate
watched her few moments impa.
tiently, and then said: sWhat are
you doing, Maggie? Tired of your
new lover, eh9
| What nonsense | am not tired
OF my new lover, but I am angry at
my old one
! Very likely. When a girl has dis.
carded a country clergyman with
$500 year for baronet with $780,
600, it is likely she will be angry at
the poor lover troubling her memory
4 should dismiss the country cler.
gyman very readily from my mem
ory, IT he permitted me. i never
thought Archie Fleming could have
been so mean ) and Maggie threw
the poor tattered remnant of a rose
passionately away from her.
i do not believe Cousin Archie
Flemming could do a mean thing,
Maggie. You must be mistaken
Il wish was. Come closer. Kate.
and | will tell you all about it, and
the two yonng girls seated them.
selves on low ottoman in a conf.
dental attitude.
Now, Maggie, when and what9'
The when was two evenings ago.
Sir John and / were coming across
the moor, just as happy as-as any,
thing, and / thought Archie was in
London, when we met him suddenly
as we turned into the Hawthorn
Path. And what do you think They
rushed into each others arms like
like two Frenchmen. / do believe
they kissed each other. 1t vast Ohm
and 'Archie,' and hand-shaking, and
How are you, old tellow?' and that
kind of thing, until l was quite dis
gusted. Men going on in that way
are so ridiculous
By-and by Sir John remembered
me, and supposed 'Archie knew his
fair parishioner Miss LESLIE and
Archie bowed in the most distant
manner, and said he had the honor
of being my poor cousin Men new
er can keep anything, and before we
had walked quarter of mile Sir
John had contrived to let Archie
know how matters stood betwe en-
u.s.
'That was not very pleasant, but
of course you were off with the old
love before you were on with the
new
'Not exactly. l had stopped writ.
ing to Archie, and if he had an ounce
OF sense he might have guessed the
reason
Kate shook her head aud looked
grave.
Now, Kate, don't be aggravating.
The case is just this. Sir John and
Archie, it seems, are old school
friends, and Archie has all sorts of
romantic notions about fidelity to his
friend, and threatens to tell Sir John
how badly I have treated him.
Then you have seen Archie p
yes, | sent Davie Baird to tell
him to meet me in the conservatory
last night
IOW lulpTuueuI
4 had to do it. I wanted to coax
Archie to let me off easily, and to
give me back all my letters. l must
have the letters, Kitty. 1 really
must
'Well?'
well, he said some very Disagree
able things-truths he called them
and cried, and looked Just as pretty
as | could He insisted | was in
love with Sir Johns title and money.
and when l said that was not true,
and that | loved Sir John very dear.
ly, he got quite in temper. 1t is
my belief that he would rather / mar
ried for money than love if | don't
marry him. That's the selfishness of
men, Kitty,I wouldn't be as mean for
anything. And oh, Kitty, he said he
would not give me back my letters,
and must hare Them
Il should not worry about few
love-letters.'
kitty, you don't know all, or You
would not say that
TELL me fall, Them
Il have sent Sir John juSt-the-
same-letterS, word for word. You
know never was good at compost.
ton, and when Clara Joyce was here
| got her to write me some beautiful
love-letters. She liked doing it, and
| thought | might need them. |
copied them for Archie, and they
were so clever l copied them also for
Sir John. Now Kitty, if Archie
should should show those letters, as
he said he would, both OF them would
laugh at me. l could not bear it,
Kate looked very much troubled.
Indeed Maggie, you are right she
answered. You must have your
letters; and if Archie will not give
them to you, they must be stolen from
| him; that is all there is about it. 1t
would never do TO let him hold such
a power over your poor little head,
and it would be worse after you were
married than before it. You are
sure that he will not give them up p
He said he never would give them
| to me-
Perhaps he has burned them
ooh no, he could never bear to do
that Why, he idolizes them, Kitty.
just before he went away he told
me that they were laid in rose leaves
IN the drawers of his Indian cabinet
/ very good. Grandfather sent that
cabinet to the parsonage. / dare say
it is exactly like the enc IN his room.
II so, it is likely grandfather's key
will open the minister's
ooh, Kate you burst not do such
thing !!
Il dare, under the circumstances.
Of two evils one should choose the
least. Anything, almost, is better
than giving a rejected lover such
power over you. Ii would be differ
ent If it was me. / would defy him,
and take the telling in my own
hands,
| 4 could not do that. Archie might
tease me to death first
1 Il know, you dear, foolish little
woman. But you shall have your
letters, Maggie, so go to bed, and
e1oo,1 corpIfx -