St. Landry democrat., 1882-02-04

Dienulu; Gay ny tdJ VIC "oouo WIN VII
brighter. warmer hues. The ride from
" = to Hammond took me past
ovely little clumps of trees, gorgeous
With their wealth of color. Pleasant
set in the midst of yellow
fields, and over all the rich, ripened
sunlight falling like a garment. Over
I'll the golden haze, wrapping every
object in tremulous, tender beauty,
5he year was dying gloriously.
was going home one evening after a
DAYS work in Hammond, tired but still
with restful, contented feeling in my
heart A good deal of the sunshine OF
the day had entered into my soul. All
the day had had strangely elate feel
ING; sense of something about to hap
pen. Only that my life was one of
those in which nothing ever hap |
pened," l should have said that some
coming event cast its shadow before. l
was not given to superstition, and so
concluded that the delightful weather
and good digestion were the secret of
it all.
| entered the car. 1t was full as
usual People on their way home from
their summer pleasuring. There were
young people and old people, and peo-
pie who were not young, and who
would not be old. There was the inev-
table commercial traveller, the crying
baby, and the woman who had lost her
furnishes always on hand, and there,
RIGHT in front of me, Us / passed down
the aisle, sat Louis G.. Hamilton. Our
eyes met, and my cool recognition was
acknowledged by ready smile and an
outstretched hand. could not very
well refuse to shake hands with man
simply because he did not write good
letter, and was uncertain in his spelling,
and who had, after all, only done just
what said he would do. So gave
him my hand, and before | knew it was
seated beside him, and we INDUCED IN
mutual stare for the next minute. ~ h #s
"Wel,' he said, Fate throws us
together again; why, wonder" a
.'Fate!' said [, "otherwise the ne
nessities and exigencies of business. L
am going home from my day work,
and you are mats tt"..1 III
ii am in search ofafalse prophet, one
Margaret Doyle, and see how my perse--
yerance is rewarded. Fate has played
right into my hand. Margaret Doyle,
why didn't you answer my letter."
IL did answer them-every one. How
dare you call me to account? You only
proved my prophecy a true one You
may consider yourself quite free from
blame. And / felt l was growing
somewhat incoherent, and stopped.
s'You are not very clear, and re-
member you as remarkably so. What
| does it ali mean? You said you would
write to me- .....
"You said you would write to me
You are quite excusable for changing
your mind"
"Wait moment; don't give an opin
| ion; contine yourself to facts
'Weli, then, answered every lettel
I ever received from YOU" 49,
ssNever wrote you but one, and tt
that received no reply"
"Mr. Hamilton, this may be vastl.
amusing to you, but it's growing decid
edly disagreeable to me-"
$50 it's to me-"
II received four or five letters from
you, and answered them every one. "
"Why, dear Miss Doyle, l tell yo'
most sincerely that l never wrote yo'
but one letter. 1 looked long and anx
iously for reply, and never receive'
it. How disappointed | was you canno
imagine.
81 cannot reconcile your statemen
with the fact that have letters fror
} Louis c.. Hamilton, four or fve.'
"Then l pronounce that you hav
been imposed upon. There must b
some other man who has the honor {
bearing the same name do. how Oil
you direct your letters"
! "Just as you told me-Box l39, s.
Louis"
"You did? Well, then, just there lie
f the trouble. You should have directe
l to $780,"
IL should have done just as we
r told, and your letter said 139.'
' "Oh, dear! and it was all my mi
5 take. Don'ty know how easy it is
, twist 8 into an g. I don't doubt [ di
$ it; and that other man has your lettel
a meant for me. Was he a good corr
t spondent? May be I'm intruding?
f q don't mind telling you now, Sc
s ING tits as It's that he was stupid
e an alarming degree-only original
i. the matter of spelling. | noticed
g slight difference in the writing, and
It decided difference in the style OF cor
s position; but thought, of course, tn
you were you, and SO kept my part
!. the contract till that other man gre
lsl tlisgusted, evidently. for he dropped tt
I, Correspondence. Who is he, l wonde
e and what possessed him to appropria
y another man letter.? atf
l. H"They probably came to his DO
" His name on the outside, and not bel
Is troubled with any foolish notions
IL honor, he saw no improperly in TAXI
1 what was apparently his property,
ct was probably fun to him. TN 10
him up when I go back and thra