Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1880-11-12

Lucy was however discreet young wOm-
an, and not q word did she breathe that
evening to bor father or mother Of the tele-
gram. Noxt morning at nine with the rest
Of the mail came letter addressed in Far
rell's hand 10 Grace, and with the post-mark
OF his city, An hour later Grace herself
came homo. The first thing she asked, after
the kisses and greetings, was II there was q
letter for her.
Eyes" said Lucy, "ips on your bureau"
Grace ran upstairs. There was the letter.
Never had she thought her name so pretty
as since she saw IL in her lovers hand
writing. Lucy had followed her. She saw
her catch It up, look fondly at IT, and then
with quick gesture press II TO her lips. She
looked around and saw her sister.
just wait till you are in love, Lucy"
she said, blushing and gayly laughing as she
began TO open the letter.
"Stop," said Lucy, extending to her sister
the telegram in its yellow envelope. ''This
came for you yesterday, and that is no doubt
what IL refers to. You'd better read IL first.
don't know what to make OF It,"
Grace took the telegram and read II. Then
she looked at the letter and read the tele-
gram again.
"Pm not to read IT," she said in puzzled
tone. Az mistaken why what does he
meanp Why did he write it to me II he
doesn't want me to read itp' and she re-
garded Lucy out of violet eyes round with
bewilderment, as IL she were bound 10 ex-
pam tne mystery. BuJtne latter answered !,
struggling her shoulders.
Ppm sure don't know. / don't pretend
to explain such curious transaction. One
thing Is pretty plain though, Mr. Farrell
cambridge would never have stultited him.
self by sending such an extraordinary tele-
gram unless he had some very strong reason
for desiring to prevent you from seeing what
is in that letter."
"But how could he write me something
one minute and then the next be so anxious
TO prevent my reading itr' said Grace, ready
to cry with perpleXity. "That's not natur-
al. It's not a bit like Farrell"
"Pcrhaps not" said Lucy. "You ought
TO be fully acquainted with his character.
You've known him the whole OF six months,
/ believe ;"-she could not refrain from this
sarcasm-"I suppose" she continued, "we
have all Of us torn up good many letters
which we had written to send to people, and
have sent some which we wish we had torn
up. ! don't pretend to guess the riddle, but
perhaps Mr.. Banbridge had an impulse Of
frankness and wrote you some things which
upon sober second thought, after the mail
had gone out, he concluded he would rather
you did not know"
"Oh, / can't think OF it that way, Lucy, ("
exclaimed Grace, now crying outright "It
is as IL there were two Farrells, one who
trusted me and one who didn't. Which Of
them is my loverP
Grace" said hor sister, "if were en-
RdBeu 10 indIIy u man anu TtCbiNbu u lblleT
under such circumstances rs these | should
read it. You can't tell what may be in it.
There may he something in it that will and
indeed ought to make difference in your
feelings toward him. You must forgive me,
my darling little sister, if 1 talk plainly. but
there may be something in that letter which
II you knew it would make you unwilling to
marry him."
"LucyW ~
" You NAV cry out as you please" said the
elder sister, c0mpassiOnately but firmly,
"but your own sense will tell you am right
You love him, but how little after all you
know about him."
"But have no right to open it when he
tells me not to, " sobbed Grace.
" Yes you have. The letter is as much di-
rected to you rs the telegram. He sent it to
you of his own free will, intending you to
read it. He changed his mind afterward, It
is true, but that doesn't make it less your
right to read what he wrote meaning it for
your eve. If he had spoken to you instead
Of writing to you and said something which
he afterward asked you to ignore, you would
not feel bound to do so even if you could.
You would have right to whatever he had
once told you, however sorry he might be
afterward that he had revealed it, That
would be just like this. He has told you
something in this letter. lie tells you in the
telegram to ignore it. The only difference is
that, hanks to the quickRess Of the telegraph,
you have his first and second thoughts before
you at once, and you can choose which you
will regard. l can't see that his second
thought has any more claim on your respect
than his first thought"
"Oh, I can't divide him up that way, Lucy,
and think of him as If there were two OF him
oh, why did he do it? lie has made me so
unhappy, and was so happy before"
Lucy talked some time longer before she
left Grace to herself, representing to her
that the only course for . self-respecting
young lady under the circumstances was
either to insist upon and act upon her right
to read a letter addressed to her, or, il she
preferred out of consideration for her dig
nifty not to read it, to return it to the ender
with his former letters and a note briefly
stating that she agreed with him that Sec
Ond thoughts were lest, and begged him to
consider their engagement at an end. But
it was easy enough for Lucy to talk; she was
not in love. Her words fell for the most
part on deaf ears, as Grace, with the letter
crunched in her little fist, nervOusly walked
the room or stood holding it before her and
fiYedly gazing at it with tear-glazed eyes
almost like one distraught.
Lucy was right. She had a right to know
what it was; she would know. She seized
the letter, she made as if she would have
torn 1t open. Then crushing 1t still unOpen-
ed in her hand, she burst into tears. How
cruel of him! She had loved him so. She
had been so happy in thinking how noble
and true he was, in trusting herself so glad
ly to him; and now he had spoiled it all by
this terrible letter; it was all spoiled lie
had let into the paradise of her happiness a
thousand creeping, crawling, biting, cling
ing doubts and suspicious. What could II
be that he had written in that letter? What
sort of a tale had he told her, the telling o.
which to his afterthought had seemed so
perilous? She had right to know it and
judge of it. Their happiness was as much
her concern as his.
AT length she rose up and taking the letter
went to the window, and holding il up to the
light with hard, hungry eyes tried to pierce
the envelope and read at least word or two
of what was within. Finding the light mo-
strong enough, she closed the windowbin
and drew the curtains and, the room being
darkened, lit gas-jet and put the lettel
close against the flame in the hope that th'
light shining through might reveal the writ
ing. As she made these preparations she in
stinctively moved about on tiptoe, as II sh,
were burglar. The beating OF her hear
almost suffOcated her. As she held the let
ter against the gas-jet she caught glimpse
OF herself in the mirror and was Mortified a
the sight OF her hard theyish eyes and white
reckless face. "Oh how bad am already! y
the unhappy girl exclaimed. 81 will no
doubt him. What will become Of me IL
do" and she threw herself on her face upoI
her bed and lay with the letter pressed to he
forehead sObbing and from time to time eX
claiming in husky voice "I will not, wll
not" as il by sheer will power she wer
trying to turn back the rising tide Of suspi
| ciOn.
1t was a hard struggle and long one, witt
many alterations of fortune. Now her eX
cited fancy framed hundred dreadful nigh
| be's as the contents Of the hOrrid letter, sus
| piciOns Of things that never before entered
/ her innocent heart. Then she would fee
| that she could not "stand it." She shOuli
not live unless she knew what was in tn
/ letter. Allthe peace and happiness Of he
| life would be gone II these horrid sugges
tions were to be ever haunting her. An
! then her love would rise like giant an
/ thrust out every foe and for the mOmen
hold the door against them, and in q pas
slonate unreasOning trust she would pres
| the letter to her lips.
When at last she rose and washed her eyes
she was quite calm. Sitting down she wrOt
/ to Farrell as follows:
was away last night, and when ! cam
| home this morning | received your teleGrar
| and the letter 20 which suppose il referred
together. II had disregarded the telegraI
and read the letter should perhaps feel nor
at ease in my mind than now do. But di
| not read It. don't know but had right I
in spite of the telegram. and would like yo
u NNWHH