Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1883-07-12

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followed message after this, until one
day letter came to me inclosed in one
to Ellen. My first Iove-letter! 1t was q
miserable piece of bombast, but l was
not disposed to be critical, though read
it with timid, guilty feeling.
"Of course, you'll answer it." said
Ellen, as we talked about it that night
NO." l replied, hesitatingly. 81
think you'd better send it back to him,
and tell him he mustn't write again.
'Ill do no such thing" Ellen an.
swered, angrily. you've given him
encouragement, you've been send
ing him nice messages and raising his
hopes, and now you want to turn
round and insult him. You can tell
him yourself if you choose. shall not
hurt the poor fellows feelings"
In day or two wrote, trying to be
very firm and decided. He replied to
that, urging reasons for writing. and
one letter brought on another, until in
the excitement and delight of senti-
mental correspondence, / expressed
myself more strongly than I intended.
In fact, might as well tell the truth;
wrote to man had never seen and
knew nothing about that there had been
stranger things than learning to love a
favored correspondent.
was very foolish? do you say? Yes.
Crazed with excitement and not re-
| sponsible? No. For had been led to it
against the protest of my good sense.
Let it serve as warning to other
| girls. These written fOllieS somehow
have the knack of coming back upon
their authors, like ghosts that will not
be laid.
was to leave school about the time
of my seventeenth birthday. As that
period drew near, l began to feel more
deeply the folly of what l had done,
and to see the necessity of getting out
of the ENHANCEMENT into which l had
been led. To tell the truth, too, I be-
gan to get tired of the correspondence.
found that my admirers letters were
often ill-spelled and badly expressed.
At times he became SO high-fiown that
| could not quite understand him. In
my ignorance thought could end the
matter when l pleased, and the very
idea that father or that my brother
Harry should find out anything about
it terrified me. | had no mother, but
my good, kind father was mother and
father both, though sometimes he could
be very stern when / did wrong.
l told Ellen that was going home
the next week, and should not write
again to her cousin. She must tell him
that | wanted the correspondence to
cease, and if he wrote to me at my home
| should be compelled to return the
letters.
You know it's been in fun, any,
way" / said. ''And l want you to get
my letters from him and burn them up.
Here are his,' handing her a package.
To my establishment, she burst into a
rage. She, who had taught me that it
was only fun to engage in these affairs,
all at once became indignant at my
/, falsehood. She was always coarse and
common in her speech, but that day no
virago could have surpassed her in vul-
garity. She exhausted herself at last,
and then burst into passion of tears.
You needn't think to throw him
off in that way,'' she cried.
you've led him on, and now you're
going home, because you think your pa S
richer than he is, your for casting him
to the winds. want to say to you that
fun's fun, but this matter has gonc far
Their than fun. Won't he give it to me,
tool" and she had another stormy par
Oxysm.
was terribly frightened, and it dis
gusts me to think of the quantity of
humble pie Twas forced to eat that day.
l cried, Iprayed, l presented Ellen with
set of pink coral, on which she had
long cast covetous eyes, and at last she
apparently relented, and promised to
get me out of the scrape.
"At least I'll do my best" she said,
shaking her head, ''but you don't know
Guy. He's mule when his heads set
on anything, and you can't drive nor
coax him.
That was not exactly the noble char
acter she had before given him, but 1
was too glad to have the promise of an
advocate in the matter to find fault.
How happy l was when l reached
home, and felt that was not to leave it
again! How beautiful the garden and
lawn of Plainfeld looked under the mid
summer sun! Then, too, Harry was at
home, handsome fellow just twenty,
with marvellous mustache, which he
had grown within the year, and trying
hard to be dignified and imposing in
manner.
The following week there was to be
grand party at Plainfield to celebrate
my seventeenth birthday. How happy
was in those days, choosing my dress
and having it made up, and receiving
sand visiting the dear old friends who
crowded in to welcome me! 1t seemed
to me no girl in the world had a more
blissful lot, and the future stretched out
before me, a cloudless vista. If an in
trusive memory of the past year forced
itself upon me, thrust it quickly away,
and went singing and dancing through
the house.
At last the momentous day dawned,
and from early morning the household
was in a str. had taken upon myself.
the decoration of the two large parlors,
and mounted on step-ladder, was nail
ing some trailing wreaths of ivy and
roses over the doorways. Old Uncle
Zeb, our colored diniDg-room servant,
marched in holding card on a salver.
Its no use bringing that, Uncle
Zeb." l cried from my lofty perch. 81
couldn't see the Gar of Russia to-day,
with all this work to be done. Tell nv
visitor I'm very sorry, but it's impossi-
BILE for me to see any one Tomorrow
l shall be glad to receive VISITORS
Il done tolt him so, Missy" Zeb
said, in IN injured tone. 'but i reckon
he amt much of gentleman, least
wise he SEE, eff you read his name, you'll
be sure to see him.
He handed up the piece of pasteboard,
and my Mortified eyes saw &c. Reeves
on il and then my bra n Soox,nod 70 .,,-;=.