Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1886-08-21
THAT LETTER.


ats town talk" said Aunt Eunice to
her niece, Clara Sturtevant
$50 is every thing that's likely to make
mischief" retorted Clara. But don't
believe a word Of it." She looked very
indignant, and Aunt Eunice presently
took her leave, shaking her head at the
Obstinancy Of a girl who PERSISTED in
trusting a faithful lover.
Clara's ObstinHncy presently dissolved
La a Hood Of tears, and she became angry
very angry. She was slow to anger-so
she told herself; blondes are always slow
to anger-and she was a blonde, but
once aroused, her resentment was i'm
placable-she certainly believed so at
that moment. Charles Conant, her &C
copied lover, living in the city Of New
York, had been recently observed to be
upon terms OF intimacy with one Bella
Seymour, and so circumstantial was the
account Of this intimacy that even Clara
could not entirely disbelisVe it. To add to
her fears Of this Inconsistency came the re-
Election that she had had no letter from
him for three weeks, although he had
been used to write twice a week. Ac-
cordingly, she sat down and wrote the
following note, which she sent to the
pOstOfice at once:
Boston, Jan. %, 18-.-HE. COnant: You
need not trouble yourself 10 write to me
again. Your letters viii be returned IN
opened. j am fully acquainted with your
recent conducn, SO that explanations Will be
entirely unnecez sary. You viii please return
and I viii send you yours as soon as 1 can
get them together. CLARA STURTEvANT.
Feeling very resolute and dignifed,
withal, she sailed forth to make some
calls. She vas IN high spirits, and be-
fore she realized what she was doing,
she was engaged to go to the theater
that very evening, and with q young
man who was the object of Mr.. Conant's
Particular dislike. Clara returned high
ly satisfied with her jaunt. What was
her chagrin to find a letter from Mr..
Conant awaiting her; and to learn that
the letter had been In her fathers pocket
for a week, in consequence Of his chang
ing his coat. Her first thought was to
stop her letter, if possible, and she has
tened to the post-Oftice. Alas for her
hopes her own letter was refused to her.
"But I wrote the letter myself" she
pleaded, sand it ought not to go, be-
cause-because other things have hap
Pened."
--A-A Fg+y aer- @--ASaaI 2l---@ A4-l
clerk, shut it's contrary to orders to do
what you're asking. You might tele-
graph a counter-message There is the
Office right round the corner"
Clara turned away IN the direction in
dictated, and as she did so she opened
the envelope which she had Just received.
It contained nothing but check for $50
payable to Bella Seymour or order. 1t
Conant Fifty dollars, and to that wo
mani
Charles Conant was in the midst OF a
knotty case, something about guardians
and wards and administering trusts,
when a telegram was brought which he
signed for and laid on the desk. 1t was
ten minutes before he allowed his at
tention to be drawn from his absorbing
work, and then he opened the envelope
and read: "COme at oDces by night boat
or train. Clara"
'It can't be done, my dear" he NUT
tered. 1Shs's IN d fine hurry" he re-
hected, "after keeping me in suspense
for over a week" For it must he related
that Charles Conant had, on the 18th OF
the month, written most important let
-a-a --l-AAAA4t5 A1ll man q ~N-------
nouncement Of his readiness to fulfill his
engagement by marrying that lady at
her earliest convenience. He had set
forth with due mi1uteness all the rea-
sons, past and present, for his delay,
with his prospects, immediate and re-
mote, and had requested a speedy an
sWer. Clara's unconsciOnRble delay, as
he termed it, had provoked him, and IN
spite OF her telegram, he determined to
postpone no business which could not be
transacted quite as well on his return
He made no effort TO hasten his depar-
ture, and autographed Clara in the mid
die OF the afternoon that he could not
possibly leave New York before the next
day.
On the following morning came Clara's
letter, which he put in his pocket to
await his leisure, not doubling that 1t
was the long expected answer to- his OWL.
Before the day was half gone, he had
become convinced that he was punish
ing himself in trying to punish her, and
regretted that he had not arranged his
business differently. He found it i'm
possible to take any train earlier than
the one which left New York at hah past
eleven at night
AIT last, sitting comfortably by his IRE
ia his room az Amt Simpsons, he found
what he thought a fit opportunity for
reading his letter from Clara which, by
the absence Of any appearance OF writ
inc fnrnrrrrfr cha Erfs1 one ne ind r9rrI