Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1888-10-04

+A+fA- 80 AAe-+Asfs mus W AA4I1t@ - 49,
and grasped It as 1t fes By ike gray
sea-guiL"
Then he began 20 wonder how tina
stained -hee, had found it, way 70 the
orchard Hilton. Kansas Where
had he lately seen some mention Of the
place.
A fash o. memory recalled the
description Of the cyclone raging a feT
days before in Kansas. which he had
read - his mother Hilton had SUI
ferei severely. The po-t-0tiice had
been blown 10 pieces and several lives
lost. Perhaps Lily C., like her
namesske. was already only a
name % those who had loved her. Was
{; possible that tai- letter had been
borne by The tempest half EcrUss the
continent 20 fall into the hands OF the
one man 20 whom it, signature brought
So many associations % minge 81 Joy
and sorrow2 II i. we're 30. he would
take the incident Tor an omen.
slowly h. retraced his steps down
the hill, wondering over the strange
chance. The superstition which. re-
luciant "a We are TO acknowledge IL,
fingers In our natures. began to stir.
and whispered that the event Was no
mere accident to be passed by unheed-
ed. b the time he reached the old
farmhouse Abaer. spite of many a
misgiyiug. had resolved upon a plan.
and the next morning letter directed
in large bold hand to
Miss LILY C..
Teacher in sunday -sclool Of Presbyier. al
Church. HILToS,
KANSAS
left New England for the West.
It, contents were brief Abner had
merely described the manner in which
the torn letter had come into his pos
session and offered. IL the writer de-
sired. 10 return it. He felt strange.
unreasonable longing to see her name
again and found himself counting the
days which must intervene ere he could
receive a reply.
The expectation seemed 10 lend new
ze-t 10 life. his movements became
more alert. his eyes sparkl-i. aud his
mother. quick 20 perceive any change
ia her only son. murmurad a. she sat
Ia her neat kitchen rocking and knit
ting:
Seems 10 me- 81 cf Abner's steppin'
bout a sight spryer He wuz talkin'
a minnit in the church porch lat sab
bath 10 one o Farmer Smiths gals.
Libby looks sunthin' like Lily Cobb,
too. light-haired- only not 50 pale. and
kinder peaked, praps"-then the half
uttered hope died away Ia an i'm
patient sigh. ''Lor'. no. he'll never be-
married ~ longs I'm above ground.
NIB n. when he finds himself alone.
with no woman 10 do the house chores
and keep things tidy. he'll act like a
sensible man at last"
While she swayed to and fro in the
old wooden rocker, talking to herself
in the fading light. Abaer. holding a
dainty white envelope postmarked
Hilton. was hurrying through the
orchard. lie had fancy that he must
read the letter under the bouShs OF the
old apple tree.
His first glance was at the signature
Lily Cobb, \ strange feeling of I'M
reality stole over him; for an instant
the letters swan before his eyes. thu
familiar scene around him vanished =
he seemed TO sec the tents Of an en-.
+ eampmeut, the blue uniforms Of hi.
comrades. But. n he turned back Il
the first page the formal:
SIR ABNEH RICHARDS,
DEAR SIR"
steadied his excited nerves. and by tbs
time he had read the few lines thank.
iug him for his courtesy and request
ing the retIrn Of the wandering epistls
to be preserved as a memento OF TIN
f cyclone. the blood once more aowee
calmly through his veins and he coull
even sean the signature, noting the
I little points of resemblance and differ
ence between it and those other treas
urcd names whose ink had long sine,
/ grown pale.
! That night Abner's lamp burned late
/ He had resolved TO return the littl,
j gray carrier dove" without DELAY. and
+ was laboriously shaping and re-shap
ing the sentences in which he aske,
the favor of an acknowledgment tha
the Enclosure had reached it, destina
ton The task of composition wa.
strangely difficult
At last he completed it. The scraps
of torn paper. which would have ex
cited his mothers wonder. were care
fully destroyed. and early the ncxr
morning the letter was dropped int
the mailbag.
I This time the reply was longer il
arriving. Abner marveled at the xeeu
disappointment he felt when DAY after
day passed without AN answer. Tn.
dull November skies were lowering
the rudy hues 81 autumn had faded
into sober gray. and the trees in the
apple-orchard were leahess, when. one
morning. riding TO the post-oitic.
through sudden furry OF snow. he
received another envelope stamped
with The Kansas pOstmar&
I Lily wrote al moro length. and in
words shade loss formal. She had
been away from home. and ''apologized
for her delay in acknowledging the re.
ceipt of his Enclosure. which certain.
! Is looked travel-stained. Abner read
and re-read the lines A. he rode home.
ward through the increasing storm. anG
then began To ponder over expedients
10 secure another letter from the Girl