The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1880-12-02


DEAREST FANNY:-Only ono month
since my last letter to you, and yet. [ am
sitting here by my window this glorious
morning. mere wreck of my former
lively self
l have story to tell you, Fanny-a
wretched, heart-broken story, and be-
fore tell it, promise me it shall be n
secret, for no one else shall ever know.
Now. you have promised, and as l
must tell some one, I'll commence.
Ralph is fulse! He has left the vii
lage-left without one tender farewell.
He came here, three weeks ago. and
found me alone in the rose arbor. 1.-The
dew was falling cricket calling and
l was sitting there alone, dreaming of
him, and of the time when all waiting
would be at an end. Suddenly, a sha-
dow fell before me. and looking up, l
saw him standing in the door.
We'll, Miss Lura,' he said, lightly,
are you dreaming here alone in the twi-
hght?"
l answered him carelessly, my hear.
throbbing painfully, for l felt that there
was change in his manner. He sat for
an hour or so, talking cheerfully, even
not one tender word or caress had 1 re-
eived.
II forgot to tell You. Miss Lura," he
said. pausing at tue door, that | came
to say good by
Ny hand trembled and grew cold in
his.
"And before going" he continued, Il
wished to thank you for your kindness to
me this summer-it is so lonely here, |
don't know what l would have done
without you 1t is scarcely probable
that we will ever meet again, yet be as
sured that wherever | go the remem-
brancc of this quaint old village and my
dear little brown-eyed friend will go
with me. May God bless you.",
And then he stopped and touched his
lips to my hand and left me, and without
a word or cry l dropped to the ground,
and lay there in the long, wet grass,
with the dew about me falling, and the
cold stars coming out in the heavens to
laugh at my grief!
And there l lay all night long, my
hands pressed to my head, and dry, tear
less means escaping my lips-my parents
thought | was in bed-and in the early
morning. Mr.. Ashley, the new minister,
in passing, heard my moan, and carried
me mp to the house.
His sister, Cora. has been here all the
time 1 have been i'll, and is just as good
and kind as she is beautiful
am sitting up, to-day, for the first
time. and though they all say l am bet
ter. Iknow l will never be we'll,
Ny fever has left me, but it is not that
that is eating my life away.-for O,
Fanny, l may as well tell you L am
dyinq'
The autumn winds will sigh over my
grave, and the winter SHOWS fall upon it,
/ feel it know it.
Yet l hold not one bitter, reproachful
thought against him-the man / love
will love him, and be true to the last
moment of my life, and if l should lin
ger here ten years, and he should return,
he would find me still waiting for him
ready to forgive and forgotten | prom
Used to be true, and | uW be-bue as
sfeey But alas it will not be for long,
Another month, and / will have passed
away-Deepdale will know me no more
And some clear, bright morning, when
the sun is shining, and the robins sing
ing, and the rose-leaves falling away,
they will carry little Lura out and lay
her down to rest under the maple at the
gate where he kissed me. think, per-