River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1886-07-08
TOLD BIZ THE LOVE LETTER.

The old writing desk, with its odd
brass trimmings, its mahogany veneer,
its carved legs aud heavy back, was
covered with papers. 1t was the week
after the funeral, and the executors of
his estate had spent several days ran
sacking his study, arranging. preserv-
in ana destroying his papers, prepar-
at0ry ID the arrival OF his nephew and
heir Il was not an easy task straight
ening out these papers. He had fool
ish way of saving his letters. There
We're not many Of them. it IS true. for
he wrote very little during the latter
part OF his life. but it was difficult for
his executors to decide what SD 0uld be
kept and what burned. So 1t happened
that when they found in a half hidden
drawer package of three love letters
tied together with a bit of ribbon
yellow with age and fragrant with the
musty odor of time, they spread them
out on the desk and concluded to leave
them there til the new master arrived.
when he should decide upon their fate.
The search had continued all day, and
the sun was making giant trees
upon the rose bushes which
rev b'-,is the library window when
the executors left the room and locked
the door behind them. For long
time there was silence unbroken save
by the murmurng complaint of some
hapleS- scrap of paper buried beneath
a pile of letters half smothered by the
weight and the rtIstling, which was ou-
ly TO be expected when 80 many sheets
OF paper. bent and crumbled, creased
and wrinkled by years of confinement.
suddenly found themselves at liberty.
Al length one of the letters in the
package square old-fashioned letter
written on heavy blue paper-looked
around the library with an air of curl
osity and inquired in a rather shrill
feminine voice, what the cause of this
unusual confusion.
Don't you know grayely asked
the quill pen. which was suspended in
the rack behind the ink stand.
No. replied the latter. What is
it,
Where have you been?" asked the
pen.
Where DO YOU sEppOse?' answered
the letter petuiantly. II have been
shut up in that musty old drawer for
nearly thirty years. It's a wonder l
avn able TO breathe at all. Would you
mind sprinkling little dust in my face?
This ar j. 80 fresh Il almost suiiiOcates
me2'
The pen regretted that it was unable
to DO 50, but informed the letter that
when the h0usemaid cleaned up the
room in the morning it would doubt
less be accommodated.
Il uder these circumstances, con-
tinued the pen, Il don't see as YOU are
to blame. So 1 will tell you. He
died last week. and
What is that sou tell me?'' inter
Tupted the letter. Has he died?
Well, | thought he would live forever.
You knew him. them
Il dill, answered he letter, Every
well. ! was written 10 him by young
lady he met at the seaside when he was
young and handsome. They had
driven together. walked and read
togeather ali the summer long, and
went she went away TO her home in the
South and he came back here. every
body though they would be married.
So 1 have heard him say repeatedly.
He though 50 too. ] was the first let
ter she wrote to MIN, and ! don't sup
pose there ever was anything he
thought so much of as he did of me.
The letter said this with such an air
Of conviction that for a moment none
of the other letters vcntured TO contra
diet IT,
He used TO press me to his lips, =
continued the letter. proudly. land he
slept with me under his pillow for a
week
II think, observed q letter half con-
cealed in a three-cornered pink envel-
ope which was resting uncOmfOrtably
on its side by tine inkstand, that he
used to care a good deal for me, too. y
YOU rstorted the blue letter
scornfully. for even woman'S letter
detests rivalry. "WhO are you, pray?'
Il came from woman. too, replied
the triangular letter nettled by the
others tone.
..Ah, indeed.
Yes" returned the pink letter
warmly, land she was beautiful, too.
She was the sister of his college mate.
They met at her home where he spent
his first vacation. They fell in love at
once. and when he went back to col
lege she wrote me. | came before
you did and know he thought more
Of me than he possibly could of any
other letter.
.'Humph. That IS what YOU know
about it. III leave it to our friend, the
pen.
We'll. observed the pen with judi
cial dignity. Il have noticed that a
man usually thinks more of the last
letter be gets than ne does of the first.
Men are fOrgetful creatures.
You are not the last letter he has
had, retOTted the pink letter. There
are Others he though. more of than he
did OF you.
Yes. that may be so. replied the
blue letter, but YOU are none of those.
came after YOU did.
Il don't believe there are. answered
the former hotlv. He used to put me
between the leaves of his Latin books,
aud the professors thought he was the
hardest student in the class.
lie didn't marry either of your au-
thorS. did he?' observed the pen,
gracefully changing the subject.
No, replied the blue letter. "but
It wasn't his fault. He wanted to
marry the woman who wrote me badly
enough. don't know that she exact
IL Tilted him. but have always thought
she did She was an impeTiouS wO-
man and commanding. and determined
to have hcr own way. which she gener-
ally did. They correspondent for a year
or two until their was pile OF letters
lust like me that would cover this desk.
One day he tore up all the rest. leaving
me alone. and from what he said |
know that she had refused him.
What did he say?' inquired the
pen.
Not much. Only a very few words.
Il was more in his tone than in the
words themselves. As he tore the let
( ters ne sighed and tears stood in MS
z