Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1884-04-05
TOO IATE.

'ls there letter for me to-day"
What pale face, and, withal, what
pretty one! Pretty, although the bright
ewes were languid and had lost their
sparkle; pretty, though there were
wrinkles in the white forelread-wrinkles
not wrought by time, but stamped there
by gricf and sorrow
Grief and sorrow, said. Still, it
would be more correct to say that hope
and patient waiting had made pretty
Alice Werder old, although not more than
twenty summers had passed over her in
noccnt head
'Is there letter for me to-day 2'--
A dark flush overspread the pale fore
lead and blanched features, sudden
brightness came into the dropping eyes,
and they became suffused with tears.
Whatn tremor passed through the wasted
form How the weak voice trembled
between hope and despair !
The old postmaster took up packet
of letters and slowly looked them over,
u he always did when Alice asked this
question. He well knew there was no
letter for her, but it was 80 hard to say
tie little word that would send her away
with an added weight of disappointment.
For six months past she had come, day
after day, in sunshine and storm, always
with the same question on her lips, and
nlway receiving the same negative reply.
Is there a letter for me to-day ?"
Poor Alice Werder (! When, two years
before, the viyacious and scheming Hugo
Nerlrr led her to the altar, the people
SAID the Young neer-do-well was only
after her money, and when he had secured
that he would neglect the sweet, trusting
elrl, and would live merely for his own
pleasure
Hugo Werder was poor-Alice, an or
rhan and comparatively wealthy. Hugo,
after their marriage, allowed himself to
be drawn into unfortunate speculations
and lost everything; but his hopeful
little wife only said:
Never mind, Hugo, be comforted; We
viii come through all right. Why, You
Know we can work" And she kissed
him and smiled as happily as she had
done year before, when, with joyful
conn'ennnce, she sand: Hugo, l am
Yours" -
But poverty is bitter, anl NE suduc-
tive cry Of ''goldl gold r nsnp from the
far offsheresof MISUNDERSTANDING mines
q California, and thither Hugo repaired.
Every one said he would desert his
yogug wife and child. all agreed that
whatever he might DO he was at heart a
villain. Everybody said this, and every.
body believed it, save Alice. She alone
diseonntonanced the dark predictions Sc
freely made against Hugo; she alone dis
believed the calumny. heaped uron him
from All sides.
Alice slowly, despondeutiy. turned hel
back upen the post Office. But this wa.
nothing new; hundred times she la.
gone away from the place with the sam'
,1presNion of deep despair ON her pale
sorrowful face. Poor Alice! She wa
50 weak and tired. But what niattere,
that? Who cared for heri
Are you writing home q asked Rich
ard Sommer.
lingo Werder yawned, wiped his pc
A-d slowly answered, Yes"
TO your precious litsls wife, l SUP
pose?"
Yea" -
How often have Jon Written .hn
faithful little one since yon are here ?
hugo was startled at tins sudden que.
ton, and as he hung his head a crimso
lush came into his face. and he faltel
ne!y replied.
~. am ashamed to acknowledge tbs
This is-the first time"
lhe first time |" cried his astounde