Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1884-09-30
THE LOST LETTER.

bidding her good night.
81 am going away, Miss Lagrange" he
says, looking earnestly into her face as he
speaks.
'Indeedl for how Iong?" There is no
tremulousness of tone, nor heightened color.
He is disappointed; he had hoped that she
would show some reluctance to part with
him. ''Six months or a year, perhaps for
ever" he adds, little bitterly.
She is startled, but she is calm and quiet
when she answers: "We will all be sorry
to lose you."
"Will you be sorry, Miss Rose 9'' he qnes-
tions, directly.
s'Why, Of course; have we not been good
friends ?''
"Friendsl yes; but-well, good night
May I call again and say GOODBYE I do not
start until Monday"
Something seems to fill her throat and
choke her; she does not answer, but turns
suddenly and runs down the steps. She
pauses before white rose bush, growing
beside the walk, and picks one, when she
returns to him, she has regained her self
control.
@Here is rose for your button hole;
what was it you said? "Shall you come
and bid US goodbye? 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 it twice, then
hurries away.
| "Fool that was to suppose that she car
ed 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 quarters. "Will she, or
will she not, consent to become Mrs. Law
renee? that is the question" He filings
himself into a chair and puts his boots on
the table. ''My scheme has worked far
from satisfactory; nevertheless, if fail, 1
will go away, anyway; can take a vacation
and go and see mother"
| He gets up discontentedly and PAGES the
room. "By Jove! have it'll I'll write to
her,
Miss LAGRANGE-I cannot see you again
without telling you all that is in my heart.
IT'S useless for me to say goodbye without
saying more. Useless? Nay impossible!.-
You can guess what mean. If you wish
me to call again send me one word, 'scome, "
and will be with you Saturday night. If
you cannot say more than goodbye, do not
reply to this, and you will never be troubled
again by E. LAWRENCE.
sThere, that will settle it. I'll go and
| put it in the office tonight
Saturday comes and goes but brings no
answer to Eugene Lawrence, waiting and
watching for one word. He builds high
hopes in the morning and feels sure of sue
cess. But it is with an exceedingly heavy
heart that he sees the sun go down; still he
does not relirquish all hope, for there may
be some delay. So he waits as patiently as
he can until Monday, which wears itself in
to night, without bringing him the welcome
message. He waits one more day, hoping
against hope, but to no purpose. Then he
wearily packs his belongings and leaves
town.
And Rose? Longingly she waits for the
good .bye visit, and wonders much why he
comes not.
Time passes, and in the early summer
Mrs. Lagrange, Roses mother, dies, leav-
ing Rose and her little brother Harry, to
the care of an uncle in a distant city. After
the funeral, Rose starts for her uncle's, not
knowing what else to do, but feeling sure
that she will not long ramain 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 tempera-
ment, and she thinks she could endure any
thing better than the petty sights and sneers
to which she is daily subjected in her uncle's s
house.
She takes small room and obtains some
sewing: the remuneration is very slight, but
as nothing else offers she is glad to get any
thing 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 to do; she has
for Mrs
renee. but it is Saturday night, and 8 o. clock,
too late for her to take it home, SO she
abandons the thought of dinner tomorrow,
and thinks Monday morning she will give
all her earnings to the landlord, which will
fall short of what she owes, but he may,
perhaps, give her respite. As she takes
up Harry's little torn trousers to mend, her
eyes fall upon neatly tied package, mark
ed ssMrs. Lawrence, and that name sends
her thoughts adrift, away back to another
Saturday when she watched and waited IN
vain for the coming of one of that name.
Presently she hears mans step coming
up stairs; her heart beats faster and she holds
her breath as it pauses before the door;
second passes and then comes knock; she
is timid about opening the door. She half
rises. then sinks back into her seat. The
knock is repeated. Shall she open the door?
Who can it be? The landlord, perhaps
With this thought she rises just as the knock
is again repeated With a trembling hand
and scared face she opens the door.
Her nerves are unstrung and she almost
screams aloud, as she beholds Eugene Law
renee.
81 have come for some sewing of my
mother's," 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 hlm,
but as she has eaten nothing since the Gay
before, her step is rather uncertain and sne
staggers forward as her hand leaves the