Western Kansas world., 1886-08-21
THAT LETTER.
BY z.

''It's town talk" said Aunt Eunice to
her niece, Clara Sturtevant.
$50 is everything that's likely to make
mischief" retorted Clara. "But I don't
believe word of it." She looked very
indignant, and Aunt Eunice presently
took her leave, shaking her head at the
obstinancy of girl who presisted in
trusting faithful lover.
Clara's obstinancy presently dissolved
in food 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 q blonde, but
once aroused, her resentment was i'm
placable- certainly believed 80 at
that moment. Charles Conant, her &C.
cepted 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 disbelieve it. To add to
her fears of this Inconsistency came the re-
Election that she bad had no letter from
him for three weeks, although he had
been used to write twice q week. Ac-
corlingly, she sat down and wrote the
following note, which she sent to the
postoffice at once:
Boston, Jan. %, 18-.-Mr. Conant: You
need not trouble yourself to write to me
again. Your letters will be returned un-
opened. I am fully acquainted with your
recent conducn, 90 that explanations will be
onfirolv npnoooscorv Won ui11 uloo ro<np,
such of my letters as you have prese.v d,
and will send you yours as soon as can
get them together. CLARA STuBrEvANr.
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
parIcular dislike. Clara returned high
ly satisfied with her jaunt. What was
her chagrin to find 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-ofice. Alas for her
hopes her own letter was refused to her.
"But wrote the letter myself" she
pleaded, land it ought not to go, be-
cause-because other things have hap
pened."
81 am very sorry, Miss" said the
clerk, "but it's contrary to orders to do
what you're asking. You might tele.
graph counter-message. There is the
Office right round the corner"
Clara turned away in the direction in
dicsted, 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. It
was dated Jan. IL, 18-, and signed
Conant. Fifty dollars, and to that wo
mani
\ 4
Charles Conant was in the midst of a
knotty case, something about guardians
and wards and administering trusts,
when telegram was brought which he
signed for and laid on the desk. It was
ten minutes before he allowed his E.
tention to be drawn from his absorbiiI z
work, and then he opened the eavelore
and read: "Come at once, by night boat
or train. Clara"
at can't be done, my DEAR" he mutt
tered. "She's in a fine hurry" he re-
hected, ''after keeping me in suspense
for over week" For it must be related
that Charles Conant had, on the 18th of
the month, written most important let
ter, being nothing less than formal an
nouncement OF his readiness to fulfill his