The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-10-25
THE LOST LETTER.

!heJ are standing on the yerapda.
ne is bidding her goodnight.
Il am going away, Miss Lagrange ~
as he speaks. 0' 'ao0
Indeed! for long?" There 10 M
Iremulousness of tone nor heightened
color. 'o"eu
He is disappointed; he has hopea
that she would show some reluctance
to part with him. six months or a
year perhaps forever" he adds, lille
bitterly. " "''i'
Hhe IS startled, but she is calm and
quiet when she answers: '.Wewill aIl'be
sorry TO lose you"
Nv i'll you be sorry, Miss Rosee" he
questions, directly.
ny OF course; have we not been
good friendsP" ''
"frlends!yes but-well, good night.
May call again and say good-byeP |
90 not start until Monday"
something seems to fill her throat
anu choke her; she does not answer
but turns suddenly and runs down the
steps. She pauSes before q white rose
push' growing beside the walk, and
picks one; when she returns to him she
has gained her self-control.
Here is q rose for your buttonhole =.
what was it you said shall YOU come
and bid us good-byeP' We should feel
very much hurt if you did not" She
says all this in an easy running tone.
perfectly free from emotion.
As she gives him the rose, he takes
the hand that holds it, and kisses ii
twice, then hurries away.
Fool that | was to suppose that she
cared for me, he mutters, as he strides
down the street. What am to do
now! he asks himself as he unlocks
his door and enters his bachelor quar-
tiers 'Wlll she, or will she not consent
to become Mrs. Lawrence? that is the
question" He filings himself into a
chair and puts his boots on the table.
MY scheme has worked far from salts
taetorily nevertheless, if | fail, | will
go away, anyway; | can take vaca-
ton and 60 and see mother"
He gets up discontentedly and PAGES
the room. BY Jove! | have it! III
write to ,hey.'
Miss LEGRANGE: / cannot see YOU again
without telling you ali that is in my heart
rs useless for me to say goodbye without
saying more. Useless? Nay, fmpossibIel You
can guess what mean. Ii you wish me to
cali again, send me one word Come" and |
Will be with You Saturday night. If YOU can
not say more than goodbye do not reply to
bhls, anu yoh VIII never be troubled again by
f. LAWRENCE
There, that will settle it. I'll 90
and put it in the Office tonight
Saturday comes and goes, but brinrs
no answer to Eugene Lawrence, wait
ing and watching for one word. He
builds high hopes in the morning, and
feels sure Of success. But is with an
exceedingly heavy heart that he secs
tlG sun 90 down; sill he does not re-
lifquish all hope for there may be some
delay. So he waits as patiently as he
can until Monday, which wears itself
into night, without bringing him the
welcome message. He waits one more
day, hoping against hope, but to no
purpose. Then he YEARLY packs his
belongings and leaves towu.
And Rnse9 Longingly she waits for
the goodbye visit, and wonders much
when he comes not.
Time passes, and in the early sum
mer Mrs. Lagrange, Roses mother.
dies, leaving Rose and her little brother
Harry to the care of an uncle, in dis
tant city. Afterthe funeral Rose starts
for her uncle's, not knowing what else
to do, but feeling sure that she will not
long remain dependent. Her father
has been dead many years. and it is his
brother TO whom she is going.
Mr.. Lagrange receives them coldly,
and very soon makes them feel their
dependence Roses is a sensitive,
high-strung temperament, and she
thinks she could endure anything bet
ter than the petty Sights and sneers to
which she is daily subjected in her
uncie's house. She takes a small room
and obtains some sewing; the remuner-
alton is very slight, but as nothing else
Offers she is glad to get anything, by
which she can earn enough to get
food for herself and Harry. But soon
her rent falls due and she has no means
to meet it. she is wondering what she
shall do; she has just finished some
sewing for Mrs. Lawrence, but it is
Saturday night and nine O'Clock, toe
late for her to take it home, so she
abandons the thought of dinner TO-
morrow, and thinks Monday morning
| she will give all her earnings to the
landlord, which will fall short of what
she owes, but may perhaps give her Q
respite As she takes up Harry's little
torn trowsers to mend, her eyes tai
upon neatly tied package, marked
e'Alrs. Lawrence, and that name sends
her thoughts adrift, away back to an
other Saturday night when she had
watched and waited in vain, for the
coming of one of that name.
Presently she hears mans step com
ing up stairs; her heart beats faster
and she holds her breath as it pause'
before the door; second passes anc
then comes a knock; she is timid abou
openinr the door. She half rises, ther
sinks back into her seat. The knocl
is repeated. Shall she open the doo-
Who can it be? The landlord, per
haps. With this thought she rises jus
as the knock is again repeated. Witt
a trembling hand and scared face sh'
opens the door. d,
fer nerves are unstrung, and she al
most screams aloud rs she beholds Eu
gene Lawrence, but not quite.
Il have come for some sewing OF my
mothers" he begins, stepping across
the threshold; the light is in his face
and he has not recognized her.
she closes the door without turning
around. trying to keep her face from
Elm. but MS she has eaten nothing sine
,isr day before, her step is rather un
certain, and she staggers forward as he
hand leaves the knob; he springs toward
her and catches her arm.
"Rosc Lagrange! Is itpossibleP" h
exclaims, in CONSERVATION.
| 1, .....,. ...,,.,r;o IN y ohn rntIIIng trVini