The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1884-11-15
THE LOST LETTER.

all gOllS 1siioc
he says. looking earnestly into her face
as he speaks.
.Indeedl for long?" There is no
tremulousness of tone nor heightened
color.
He is disappointed; he has hoped
that she would show some reluctance
to part with him. "Six months or a
year. perhaps forever" 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?" he
questions, directly.
"Why, of course; have we not been
good friends?"
"Friendsyes but-well, good night.
May call again and say goodbye? /
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 gained her self control.
''Here is q rose for your buttonhole
what was it you said shall you come
and bid us good-bye? 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
cared for me-" he mutters, as he strides
down the street. "What am to do
nowP? he asks himself as he unlocks
his door and enters his bachelor quar-
tiers. evil she, or will she not consent
to become Mrs. LawrenceP that is the
question" He. filings himself into
chair and puts his boots on the table.
''My scheme has worked far from salts
factorily nevertheless, if fail, will
60 away, anyway; / can take vaca-
ton and go and see mother"
He gets up discontentedly and PAGES
the room. by Jove! 1 have it! I'll
write to her." rs
without telling you all that is in my heart.
It's useless for me to say goodbye without
saying more. Useless? Nay. impossible! You
assn senS one yoe wsh s to
will be with you Saturday night. If you can
not say more than good-bye, do not reply to
this, and you win never be troubled again by
There, that will settle it. I'll 90
and put it in the Office tonight"
Saturday comes and goes, but brings
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
the sun go down; still he does not re-
linquish 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 Rose? 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 coldlv.
and very soon makes them feel their
dependence. Roses is q sensitive.
high-strung temperament, and she
thinks she could endure ANYTHING bot
ter than the petty Sights and sneers to
which she is daily subjected in her
uncle's house. She takes q 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 1t. 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, too
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 a
respite As she takes up Harry's little
torn trowsers to mend, her eyes tall
upon neatly tied package, marked
Mrs. 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 pauses
before the door; a 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. per-
haps. With this thought she rises Just
rs the knock is again repeated. With
. trembling hand and scared face she
opens the. door.
Her nerves ar0unstrung, and she al
most screams aloud as she beholds En-