Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1886-12-11


the last request will ever make of you."
What could she mean? Could Kitty
have been so heartless as not to tell her
that Otto knew that I was still alive2
Kitty and she were not good friends, for
my sister showed plainly that she did
not think Lima (whom she always spoke
of by her full name, Feroline) half good
enough for me; but was of different
opinion. In my eyes Lima was not cold,
but only full of pure madienly rcticence;
that she was at all mercenary was, to me,
disproved by the fact that Harold Carter,
the matrimonial prize of our town, had
not been able to win her from me, though
everybody could see that he was head
over-heels in love with her.
every well," answered my sister, in
the tone of woman convinced against
her will, II will leave you now, and re-
turn in five minutes"
As Kitty shut the door behind her. l
felt glow of pleasurable anticipation
come over me; / said to myself that
surely the warm kiss which Lima would
give her dead lover would break this
strange thrall that held me as in wise,
and that would seem to come back to
the life had never left. Fancy my
surprise, then, to find thai when she
drew near my bed it was not to give me
any kiss, but to gaze calmly upon me
and say, in a quite audible whisper:
''Free at last Now, if can only get
those idiotic letters of mine, l can easily
convince Harold and the world that l
never, even at first, returned any of the
wild fancy Fred bothered me with. l
wonder if, had l never seen Harold, /
could have ever brought myself to care
two straws for Fred Montieth9 But time
passes"
So saying, she drew from her pocket o
little key which at once recognized. In
the earlier days of my courtship, When
Lima was as yet not quite won, l had had
tive eaken boxes made and fitted with
very peculiar locks; one of these had
given to Lima for her to keep her treas
ures (my letters, lock OF my hair, etc. }
in, and had used the other myself for
similar purpose, as well she knew. She
only could unlock my box, for no other
key but my own would have any effect
on it. 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, and one or two pic
lures, and thrust them in her pocket
Then she came to me, and taking nv
hand in hers, drew from it ring she had.
once given me, and in its place put the
one like it which had given her; the
only difference in the two was in the in
scriptions within them.
was so astonished, so curious, that
forgot my disappointment in regard to
the kiss, but listened with eagerness to
what she should say now that Kitty came
back to the room.
81 suppose you have wondered, Mrs
Kramer, to see me 30 calm about your
brothers death; but the truth is that we
came to the conclusion, only this very
morning, that we were unsuited to one
another-you knew that he was coming
away from my house when he was run
over, did you not9 Yes, 1 thought SO.
Well, he had just returned my letters to
me, and in his presence had burned his
to me. He had been pleased for some
time to be jealous of the attentions Mr..
Carter paid me, and 1 had at last owned
that if were free l should accept Mr..
Carter. OF course, under these circum-
stances you cannot expect me to bewail
Fred's death nor wear mourning for him;
indeed, don't see why I need go to his
funeral. / believe I'll go and visit my
cousins in Albany until 1T is all over. 1
speak thus plainly to you because know
there has uever been any love lost be-
tween us two."
Now, there was not one word of truth
in what Lima had said And you may
imagine how her story surprised me.
What with being considered dead when
was keenly alive to all that was going
on around me, and with hearing such
remarkable tale, had no chance to be
broken hearted over the detection of my
Iady-love.
So | had been run overi Well, it was
something to have learned that much. l
had faint memory of starting to cross
street, and then of shout, rush,
blow-and then nothing until l heard
my brother-in-law utter the words al
ready 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 her and
Lima were, however, of an icy character.
While Kitty and Lima were saying few
parting nothings, 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 unresponsive hand;
yet Lima had not showed a trace of feel
ingl | had queer sensation, as if /
were assisting at some spectacle, and
were an invisible auditor at that.
AS the door closed behind Lima,
There threw herself on her knees and
sobbed aloud:
ooh, Fred, why were you takcnl My
darling, my darlingw
Here was revelationl Theresa loved
me- SO IL was for my sake she had re-
fused more thun one capital offer. and
| had simply set her down as cold and
old maidishl She was dear little thing,