The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1880-12-02
TRUE AS STEEL !;
OR
TOLD FIVE L.kTlERS,
From the Portland Tie egram.
DEEP DALE. May 10Th, Il
By ETHELIND RAY.

my DEAR FANNY:-Now, please don't
scoli me for neglecting you so long, for
YOU see | am just having the most de-
lightful time in the world, | had no idea
it could be so pleasant in a country vii
lare. and Won know how | cried when
papa said we must move out here; but
now | am real glad l came; l don't envy
uou at all poor thing, you must nearly
die. shut up in that hot, dusty city,
Down here the grass is fresh and
green. the flowers bloom, the air is sweet
and the dear, little robins sing from
morning till night, What more could a
heart wish?
OF course, Fan, you will say in your
vulgar way Why n .fellOoc, to be sure, so
just let me inform you that L hare one
already"
There. the secrets out, and now, of
course, you'll say that's why the birds
sing SO sweetly, and the country seems
so nice, etc. but don't care what you
say. I'm so happy don't know what to
do. and if Ralph Durham loved you,
you'd be happy too!
He has never said that he loved me,
Fanny, but his eyes say so, and | believe
them; and I-ohI wonder if it is wicked
to love any one as | do him.-he is my
hero-my idol-my God! You, you cold
hearted, cold-blooded, little wretch, you
have never been in love so. of course,
will laugh at me but / don't care, dear
laugh. if yOu choose,-I am so happy
| can afford to be laughed at.
He-Ralph. / means an artist, and
as handsome as poets dreaml He has
black. waving hair and mustache, and
soft, dreamy, dark eyes-the girls are all
in love with him, (Ialong with the rest
but he has eyes only for mel
Harkl The gate clicks O, my heart,
be still-be stiN!! Fanny, Fanny 1t
is hel FAREWELL LURA."
MAY 30, IS.
my DEAREST FANNY:-I have Just re
turned from picnic, and though the
hour is late, and am very tired, still l
must write you few lines in reply to
YOUR kind letter and tell you how happy
| am
No, dear Ralph has not proposed to
me yet, but he took me to the picnic, and
was so very attentive that all the girls
were green with jealousy. And at the
gate, dear Fanny, he-now You straight
laced little thing. don't scold newell,
he kissed me- There. its ont nowl Of
course he would not have done that if
he did not love me-lo you think he
would?
Now. please, dOnt sit down and write
me a long lecture on orOpriety and all
that sort of thing, Tan. for, after all.
where's the harm IN kissing the man
you love, even though You are not en-
gagged to him, SO long az You expect to
be some.ime or rather, altering him to
kiss you, for. Of course. | would not
like to kiss a man! Ugh | shonld think
not At least. dear Fan, | should be
awfully ashamed offey1raris, if | did it,
And oh. | must tell you about the new
minister's sister. She Is about my age
eighteen-and the most beautiful girl l
have ever seen. She has II great guam
tity of yellow hair-"golden." Ralph
calls it-aud 6 ,eat, soft, blue eyes. and
her dresses are ali satin and velvet.
Ralph says she is very beautiful, but he
prefers brown eyes-you know mine are
brown.
The new minister is young man, and
very quiet and grave-he looks at me
often in church, and | talk about him
Just enough TO make Ralph jealous
dear Ralph how / love him
know he loves me, Fanny, but he
is poor, you know, so of course he is
diffident about asking me to be his
wife: | mean to give him every en-
courapement. however, for it must be O