Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1883-03-17
The Lost Letter.


Brownies, but there seemed no pros
pect that | would ever leave her. |
had come out, so to speak, as far as
any one so depressed could come out,
but | might as well have staid in |
only sat in corners, talked with the
ehaperons, or listened to some gar
rulous octogenarian. But aunt
Brownies interest in me, such as it
was, died a natural death after my
first season-it had always been
weekly-and the result was sad de-
fciency in my wardrobe. She had
married off two daughters without
difficulty, but nice e, it appeared,
stuck closer than burr. However,
it was not my fault that | remained
unmarried. / had done my best to
be fascinating. Though | hated
the idea of marrying for home, or
position, yet | was sure l would not
find it hard to love one who was kind
to me, if only on account OF my
novelty. l was thirty now, and not
not unused to hearing charges rung
upon the old maid, and the beggars
who shouldn't be choosers, by my
young cousins, Suette and Ann. But
/ had one opportunity TO change for
better or for worse, of which they
never dreamed. The son Of aunt
Brownies second husband, Cedric
Browne, had asked me to marry
him, three years before, as we row.
ed up the river in June, for the rosy
laurel blooms to decorate the house
and piazzo for Susette's fete. l
sometimes wonder what my aunt
Browne would have thought of the
proceeding, as she had set her heart
on marrying Susette to Cedric. Per-
haps l refused him because l was
taken unawares, because l was not
enough interested to care about
frustrating aunt Brownies plans;
perhaps did not expect to be taken
at my word, but imagined it proper
to decline, in order to be Emporium
ed. / believe all my favorite hero
ines had conducted in this wise.
However we rowed home through
the sunset, our boat heaped with the
pink flowers, in silence.
"You look as if you were ladened
with sunset Clouds" said Susette,
who was watching for US on the
shore. '"But 1 am certain Cedric
looks like a thunder cloud"
The next day was the fete. All
brought presents for Susette. Cedric
gave her an antique necklace of tur-
quoises l WAS sure he had meant it
for me. We had supper out doors,
under the great pine trees, and then
danced by moonlight. That day l
began to regard Cedric Browne at
tentively. l had known him under
the same roof for weeks at time |
had laughed and talked with him,
believing him foreOrdained to min
lister to Susette's happiness, ''inac-
cessible as a star of heaven" SO far
as / was concerned. He had helped
me with Adele's children, who had
come to aunt Brownies when their
mother died. But that he should re-
gard me with any tender emotions
| had never observed until to-day.
| had never observed until to-day
that his eyes were as tender as stars,
that his face was like that radiant
counteEance of Mozart in the music
room, that his smiles were simply
enchantment. 1t was rather late to
make these discoveries.
He did not leave us at once; it
just seemed as If he staid just long
enough for me to know what 1 had
lost. Since then he had been with
us again for whole month but lit
tie Willie was sick, i'll with a spinal
ELECTION that kept him on his back
and me by his side; and though Ced-
rio used to relieve me often by day
and by night | could see from my
window, and from occasional peeps
in the drawing room, that the rest
of his time was spent in the COM
pany of Susette.
"Aunt Snsette's beau is going to
make me kite" Teddy confided to
Willie one day.
"Who's he ?" asked Water from
l. -