The Washington critic., 1886-12-28

get those idiotic letters of mine. can
easily convince Harold and the world
that never, even ut first, returned
any of the wild fancy Fred bothered
me with. ] wonder IT, had ] never
seen Harold, ] could ever have brought
myself to care too slraws for Frel
Monteiili But time passes.
So saying, she drew from her pocket
little key which | at once recognized.
In the earliest days of my courtship,
when Lima was as yet not quite won, |
had had two oaken boxes made and fitted
with very peculiar locks; one of these
bad given TO Lima for her to keep her
treasures-my letters, lock of my
hoir, etc.-in, and bad used the other
myself for similar purpose as she
well knew. She only could unlock my
box, for no other key but my own
would have any effect upon II. She
quickly went TO my table where the
box was placed and, opening IT, she
hastily snatched from it the thick
packet Of her own letters, bow Of
blue ribbon, an old glove. aud one or
two pictures and thrust them into her
pocket. Then she came to me, and,
taking my hand in hers, drew from IL
ring she had once given me, and in
its place put the one like IL which |
had given her; sthe only difference In
the two was in the inscription within
them.
was so astonishcd, 50 curious, that
forgot my disappointment in regard
TO the kiss, but listened with eageruess
to what she should say now that Kitty
had come back to the room.
al ta, ,u1,1,,.s1
Kramer, to see me so calm about your
brothers death but the truth Is we
came TO the conclusion, only this very
morning, that we were unsuted to one
another-you knew that he was coming
away from my house when he was run
over, did you not? Yes, thought so?
We'll, he had just returned my letters
to me, and in his presence | hal
burned his to me. He had been pleased
for some time TO be jealous of the at
tentions Mr.. Carter paid me, and had
at last owned that if were free should
accept Mr.. Carter. OF course, under
these circumstances you cannot expect
me to bewail Fred's death nor wear
mourning for him indeed, don't see
why | need go to his funeral. believe
I'll 90 aud visit my cousins in Albany
until ii is all over. speak thus plainly
to you because know there has never
leen any love lost between us two"
Now, there was not one word Of
truth in what Lima had said And
you may imagine how her story sur.
prised me. What with being c0nsid.
cred dead when l was keenly alive to
all that was going on around me, and
with hearing such Il remarkable tale, |
had no chance TO be broken hearted
over the detection of my lady.love.
So had been run over Well, II
was something to have learned that
much had faint memory Of start.
ing to cross street and then of shout,
rush, a blow-and then nothing un-
til heard my brotherin law utter the
words already quoted.
But my surprises were not at an end.
The statement thus calmly given by
Lima was scarcely out of her mouth
when my door was again opened and
Theresa Ainsleigh entered. My sister
welcomed her cordially; she and Kitty
were very intimate, and she was as
| much at home in our house as any one
Of us were. The greetings exchanged
between Lima and her were, however,
VI uu Ivy Chui uCtSl. w ullC hlily anu
Lima were saying few parting words
Theresa drew near my bed, and / saw,
| TO my surprise, that her eyes were full
| of tears, which would not be stayed,
but welled up until they dropped upon
my unresponsivc hand, and yet Lima
| showed not trace OF feeling | had a
queer sensation, as If | were assisting
at some spectacle, and were an invisi
BILE auditor at that.
AS the door closed behind Lima,
Theresa threw herself on her knees ana
sobbed aloud:
ooh, Fred, why were you taken?
My darling, my darling!'
Here was u revelation. Theresa loved
mel So it was for my sake she had re.
fused more than one capital offer, and
had simply set her down as cold and
old maidenish, She was a dear little
thing, any way.
Kitty has since said that she, too, was
so astopished she did not know what to
say first. Suddenly she remembered
that perhaps ! could hear all that was
| going on, and, If so, maybe | would at
last appreciate Theresa as she deserved;
so she would not, just now, undeccive
her. Then again, If she told Theresa
that it vas not a cadaver to whom she
was telling her love, the poor girl
would DO too much mortified TO look us
in the face by.and-by. If Otto was
correct in his opinion about my condi
tion, ii would be easy to tell her that !
had been restored, but not to let her
know that | had never been given up
by my own family.
Theresa confirmed Kitty in this in.
tcntion by rising and pressing a long.
warm kiss on my stony lips and then
fastening from the room.
In the intervals of consciousness
which came to me | had leisure 10
mediate upon the two girls. | blamed
myself for being hard-hearted because
] could not feel the sorrow at Lima S
loss which 1t seemed to me that ought
to experience, and Theresa's bright
eyes and sweet mouth would rise b..
fore my mental vision in most unac
customed way. ] really felt quite
grateful to Kitty for what ] was sure
was little artilice on her part to con.
vince me how little Lima had actually
cared for me, although her scheme
had succeeded beyond her widest
hopes.
A few more hours convinced all my
physicians that the angel of death had
not been sent for me, and, though
was i'll for several weeks, was at las
restored to my usual health. In tht
days of my convalescence Theresa fre
Quently came to read or sing to me, auf
my eyes now being open TO ber virtues
found myself getting seriously in ljy,
with her.
One day | surprised her by saying:
"By the way, Theresa, when IL in,
O d sweetheart, Feroline Palmer, going
to b. marricd?'
"Why, hasn't Kitty told you? Hei
| nnnnrnmnnI IN Inrnll Cnrlnr ~ L.