Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1884-07-17


that Iloved him, but scarce dared to
hsps 'h lssts ~ gFaags s e d. s
strange and yet strangfy familiar hand.
bearing only our village postmark. My
heart throboed. my color came and
went, the more so as caught aroline's
eyes fixed on me with an expire sion of
amusement. felt that was bctraying
myself. and, with a mighty effort, l laid
the letter face downward upon the
table.
go on. Caroline" 1 said; don't
stop like that 80 591@ -
And Schiller was resumed, though it
was as much as / could do to translate
him decertly.
The first moment had I opened the
letter and read:
abrupt. but love you. adore you. You are
beautiful as an angel. you are lovely as a rose.
on only live Tor you can o not exist nS o ang
life. Give me hope. Say Yes, that you
feel some interest in me-that / may fly to
your feet. and there pour out my devotion.
Dearest Miss Morley. write 10 me- answer me;
tell me that you will be my briue. In longing
suspense. Yours foreE-E
/ dropped the letter into my lap, and
me, he wanted me to be his. . bliss
unspeakable. o Joy undeserved! Was
it a dream, No there lay that precious
letter. Again and again l read and
re-read tiny first love-letter.
z was a little disappointed in the let
ter, for all that; it was too wild, too
sentimental. / fancied he would have
written more soberly, more thought
fully. wished that he had spoken in
stead of written. 1t was so formal to
have to answer him. His proposal was
not quite so nice as some 1 had read of
And vet should quarrel with my bliss,
come how it might Oh. no.
1t was with heart full to overflow
ing that l answered him. / did; SO at
once, for my pupils and L were going
ofit, and / had q chance of posting it;
moreover, l felt that could never send
it to him by hand. So. without waiting
to- think, lest Should lose my courage,
wrote my answer. 1t was not an
easy task,
..DEAR MIR. CLrrHERoE-I can not tell you
how your letter surprised me. feel so HAL
tered. so grateful to you for loving me: II
seems incredible that you should ask me to
be your wife. feel can only answer the
truth, and that is that 1 love you, and have
loved you for long time. time
MARION MORLEY
This did not seem at all the kind of
note to send, so 1 wrote another, and
another, all worse, until, in despera-
ton, s aIed and directed the first. [
did not allow myself to think further
until saw it safe in the Post office, and
then for very shame l would have gone
in and asked for it back. l felt l had
taken plunge into unknown waters.
NV thoughts were in a state of chaos.
was joyful, trembling and excited.
I fear my four girls thought me very
absent that afternoon. AS we went
out, Caroline and Amy, the two eldest,
begged me to goa different way from
that had chosen; but l said l must
post q letter. g..
.f.et me run with it to the post, Miss
Morley, said Caroline. at will take
me only a minute from the turnpike.
and then we can still 60 by the high
road.'Ef fsz EtTF'
mo, I must post it myself, DEAR" l
replied, huggine my letter tight.
They pressed me to let them take it,
those tiresome girls; and, like silly
little thing, turned as red as peony,
whereupon Carrie said:
"You look SO red, Miss Morley! Per-
haps it is a love-letter. / do believe it
is" she cried, as | stupidity got more
and more crimson.
You must not be so forward; it Is
very vulgar to talk about love-letters, .
l answered, according to my rule.
+ els it vulgar to be in love, then. Miss
Morle ?" she asked 81 never knew
that. Do you hear, Amy? ats vul-
gar to be in love-" 80
swell, not exactly vulgar, of course,
Carrie / .extenuated: but it's better
THAT Young girls like YOU and Amy
should not talk of such things yet"
Miss Morley, I've often heard papa
say that he was in love with mamma
when he was quite boy" said Amy.
WAS he vulgar?"
..Of course not. Amy" replied, "be-
cause-be because he married your mann
ma, and it was suitable match in
every way"
..0h, i see." sad Caroline. '.But,
supposing surprising = just for in
stance, you know-that you were in
love with Mr.. tlitheroe; that would be
vulgar, would it not?"
> ..How often have I told you, Carrie,
that it is very rode and vulgar to make
personal remarks 1 said. well
drop the subject, if you please"
l spoke with as much angry dignity
as my confusion would admit. Tire
some, forward children, l do believe
their sharp eyes had somehow seen the
sidress on my letter. However, it was
posted; and the rest of the dav AID
night passed in a sort of trance. My
| uppermost feeling was wonder as to
! whist would come next , p
| had to endure tormenting suspense
all the next day. The post was my
first trial. l longed to, yet dared not,
! look at the letters, and felt almost re.
lieved that there was not one tor me.
Then every ring at the bell set my heart
| quivering. At last, in the afternoon,
when was speaking to Mrs. Thomson
In the garden, Mr.. Clithei oe went past
in the road. He only bowed. but she
beckoned to him to come in. He did
so; and I grew red and pale, and the
| hand held out to him trembied. He
! looked coz scious, too; l saw that before
| slipped away. Would be tell Nj s.
Thomson, and would she send for me:
But no summons came;& and night
closed upon my wonder and excite
ment.
| The next day brought my suspense
to an end. 1t was Wednesday-oul
half-holiday. The girls had gone out
with their mother. and was free for 8
L y L