The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1880-11-20

well and comfortably, and to grow rich
in time; but will you be willing to live
here with me
"Will you come out to me under safe
protection and spend years Of your
young life in this strange place? Think
il over, darling. The case stands just
thus: If you refuse will return, but l
shall then have no prospects; no means
whatever. A penniless man who mSst
take any position that offers will be your
betrothed husband in that case. The
choice is in your hands or, perhaps, it
would be honorable in me to set you
free. The thought almost breaks my
hefrt. Dear Hetty, what shall / say1 l
think ! could make you happy even here.
II you are willing to come write to me.
II you desire that should return and
seek my fortune in our native land, write
that frankly but il you feel that neith-
er alternative pleases you and desire
your f,ecdom-do not write at all let
silence be my answer. confess that
have hope that even under my altered
circumstances you will still be true"
More followcd-lover's talk-with
which we have nothing to do; and
Hetty cried over the letter and was very
sorry, but she wrote at once, and the
last words OF her letter were these:
al will come to China whenever you
send for mt"
The mailbag was nearly ready at the
postofficc, which was also the grocery
store. Grandfather Hope stopped his
wagon at the door at that moment.
"Hulloe" cried he, "here' another
letter for ye. My niece has written to
her beau in Chany, and you've got to
send that"
The postmaster laughed and took the
missive, stamped it properly, and took
the silver coin from Grandfather Hopes
outstretched hand
"Seems as If there was 4 resumption
of specie payment" he said. al got 4
fve-dollar gold piece this morning."
And then the two old men fell to talk
ing politics, while Hetty's letter was
carried toward The post bag by the clerk.
Only toward it, for the train was not
yet due, and Miss Candor wanted four
pounds of coffee-sugar crushed in 4 great
hurry. The letter was put down on the
counter and the sugar weighed. The
clerk pushed the parcel toward Miss
Candor and pushed the letter with it
There was wide crack between the top
and the side Of the counter, and into
that the letter slipped unseen. Other
thingshad slipped down the same crevice
before-pennies and hairpins, skeins of
silk, and pieces Of tape-but no one
ever knew it. As for this letter, the
clerk never remembered it again. The
postmaster believed it to be in the bag,
and Grandfather Hope went home and
told Hetty that he'd seen her beau
letter safe to "Chany," with no idea
that he was not telling the honest truth.
Harry waited at the antipodes for his
letter in vain, and Hetty waited to be
sent for. Any other two friends, rela-
tives, strangers, would have written
again, bu, lovers are always ready to be
suspicious, to doubt, to fear they are
deserted and forgotten, and with the
world between them these two pined for
each other, grieved, grew angry, never
forgot, and never wrote again.
"She has broken our engagement, !"
said he.
ale wanted to break our engage
ment," said she.
And soon all the village began to know
that Hetty Hope was not going to mar
ry Harry Hunt.
Hetty married nobody. She refused
all her offers, and lived on with her
grandfather. Aunt Maria died. lilly
married. Hetty kept house for the old
man still. She was not young any long
er. Girls called her an old maid. She
had left of caring much about her dress,
though she was now rich woman, for
the father she was almost a stranger to
had left her an heiress when he died in
a far-off land.
The farmhouse was prcttier and more
tasteful, and she had one or two chosen
friends, but her life was woefully quiet,
and over her heart she always wore n
locket with Harry Hunts hair in it, and
under the locket lay regret too deep
for utterance. One saw il sometimes in
her heavy eyes, or guessed it from the
tone of her voice, that was all.
II was bright autumn day twelve
years from that on which Grandfather
Hope had carried the lost letter to the
post Office.
The mail bag was made up again, and
the carpenter was at work at the counter.
"Hullo !" cried he.
"Welll" replied the postmaster.
"You seem to hev been hiding things
here" said the carpenter. "I've mind
to keep all find. See here What's
been dropped into the cracks9 You
needed new counter bad"
$50 we did-so we did," said the
postmaster putting on his glasses. "Well,
! want to know Cake of bees-wax, pa
per of pins, hair-pins, sheet Of stickin'
plaster-hullo a letter Here put
this in the bag-it is stamped some
one has left il onto the counter. Hullo
let's see what else you've found ?"
He tossed the letter to his little grand
son. This time il went into the post
bag-this time, after lying in the dark
for twelve years, it was actually on its
way to China.
A man Of forty, with his hair already
silvering, stood amongst his employees
in the great Canton warehouse. Silks
and strange, rich, gold-threaded stuffs,
fans, umbrellas, screens, cabinets, were
being packed under his supervision.
"Misser Hunt" said small Chinese
voice at his elbow. "Ship come in
bring letters"