The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1883-11-15

bered with pang the last time he had
looked upon It thirty years before.
Il shall be sorry to have Ted lose
his inheritance for my daughters sake,
said the Major presently, putting his
hand to his eyes as IL to shut ont the
sight of the room, and the memories il
recalled But there seems to be no
help for it. This being the ease, per-
haps it might be az well to bring this
interview to close.
Miss Wickersham bowed stiflly. Cold,
proud, relentless, she stood there wait
ing for him to 60
II might argue as successfully with
the Sphinx" thought he, bringing his
hand down forcibly on the mantle.
The next instant the plaster cast top
pied over and fell crashing against the
old-fashioned brass andirons, and lay
shiverei in hundred fragments on the
floor.
Miss Wickersham gave u little hys-
terical shrek and few to the rescue.
Cursing his carelessness, the Major
stopped down to help gather up the
pieces.
Could he believe his eyes? Right
there, with unbroken wafer, was let
ter he had himself written, long, long
ago.
Miss Wickersham picked it up won
deringly, rs she saw her own name on
the face of it.
at is strange how this note ever came
III here" said she, breaking the seal
slowly.
The Major had not gone soldering all
those years to no purpose. His mill
tary experience had taught him wis
dom; and not only wisdom, but pa
thence as well. So he waited quietly
until she finisheds reading the yellow
old love-lettzr.
Miss Wickersham was crying now
very softly-very softly, indeed-but
the wary Major saw it and took cour-
age
you must have known how much
loved you, Rebeccah, in that past which
seems now so far away" said he, recov-
eIing his voice. After months of hope
aud fear and anxiety and doubt, L de-
termined to know my fate l called
upon YOU one day with the intention of
telling you all this, but you were not
at home. Feeling. that further sus-
pense would be uncomfortable, wrote
that note, here i'll this room, and, placing
it on top of that old plaster bust of
Franklin, went away, expecting shortly
to hear from you. Weeks went past
and yet you did not reply. You know
the rest. Hurt and angry, / went to
Europe, enlisted, was wounded and
sent home to die. l was nursed back
to health by gentle girl, the mother
of my daughter Nellie, and L came
here, on the death of my wife, to pass
the remainder of my days"
"And | have lived all these years be-
lieving you had amused Yourself by
winning my heart only to throw it
away sobbed Miss Wickersham.
"Never~ calculated the Major with
energy. 1T has been q terrible mis-
take all round, from first to last"
THAT plaster-cast had crevice in
the top of it, The note must have
slipped into it in that way" said she,
meditatively.
We'll, Rebeccah. l have waited long
time-thirty years for your reply. !
must have my answer" he persisted.
But we are old now," objected Miss
Wickersham, her heart in iiutter. !
The cider, the BETTER" said he,
blandly. MY dear, true love is like
wine, improved by age"
but what will Teddy say?" cried
she, family, quite willing to be per-
suaded, when the persuader was the
lover of her youth.
Teddy gives his free consent, and
wishes you long life, full of happiness,
i'll the bargain" said voice from the
doorway. And we'll be one family,
after all, won't we, Major?" cried Ted,
embracing his aunt.
Thank God, we will indeed re-
piled the Major. And they WERE
Chicago Ledger.