St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1882-10-06

since his letter of explanation was
posted. Any hour might bring re-
sponse, and he haunted the. post office
with n pertinacity inexplicable to his
father.
Il can't stand it much longer" he
told himself. "If that fellow isn't
heard from by tomorrow night, shall
make a clean breast of it to Rosy, and
confess the whole thing"
And the next evening, "that fellow"
still not being heard from, he did it.
RosamOnd, spirit-fair and fragile in
her white dress, was sitting on the
doorstep in the moonlight, and sitting
at her feet, he plunged into medidS res.
Crosse. do You rccollect letter You
gave me to post more than month
ago p
yes" with little gasp.
"Well, | forgot it,"
go Ashley -
"YeS it was in my pocket, you know.
| was going straight to the office, but
something interrupted me-lawn tennis
at the Porters, | believe and then |
sent my coat to the wash, with the let
ter still in it. never found it out till
the confounded thing came back, and
some days after, as put it on, | hap
pened to feel in the pocket, and there
it was what was left of it."
Rosamond sat perfectly still. Not a
sound came from her lips. Ashley
waited an instant, as if in hope of an
answer, then went On,-
"ROsy, darling, you mustn't mind,
but couldn't help seeing who the let
ter was for, and that-that- was
something of consequence. 1t was all
blOtted and blurred, but word or two
could be made out here and there. |
was awfully cut up about it. lcouldn't
bear to tell you, and | didn't know
what to do. At last | wrote full eX-
planation to Dwight, and | put the
scraps in my letter.
"Astley ~
There was ring of hope and of dis
may i'll the exclamation. So absorbed
were both that neither noticed that
some one swung the gate Just then.
''Ycs, did. 1t went three weeks
ago yesterday, and by tomorrow you
ought to hear from him, that is, if he
happened to be in London when the
mail got in. | didn't mean to tell you
till his letter came, but | could wait
no longer. just say you forg-Why
what is it ?" as Rosamond sprang to
her feet with a cry, Dwight! Dwightr'
''Shc's tainted ~ exclaimed Ashley,
in an awe-struck tone, as his sisters
head dropped heavily on his arm.
But happiness is better restorative
than burnt feathers, and in little
time ROsamOnd was able to assure
Ashley of her forgiveness, to smile and
ask questions, and finally be left on
the doorstep for Il long moonlight talk
with her truant correspondent.
When ! saw Mrs. Dwight Edgar at
Newport last year, she wore on her
a slender chain to which was attached
Il locket whose lid was big moon
stone.
Within was a singular little wad of
what looked like paper which had been
wet and pressed together. When !
asked what it could be, she answered,
evasively, "Oh, pdpier mGche ; bit of
an old letter which Dwight makes me
wear There's quite story about it,
but it's too long to tell"
Her husband chuckled, and later,
seeing that | was curious, he told me
the story which have told to you.
"And you never saw any one so re-
formed us Ashley is, ever since then,
added Rosamond, with laughter in her
voice. ''He's the most particular crea-
ture you ever saw, always fidgeting
and fussing for fear he may have for
gotten something. If he lives to be il
hundred, you may depend upon it, he
will never again forget another letter
in coat-pocket."-[ Susan Coolidge in
Youths Companion.