The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-11-28

for an answer. but the reply car1s
promptly, ard ran a. follows.
Ny dear Miss Hammond car
| aol comprehend how il was that | 20
signeIIy failed 20 make myself under
stood.
If i Of yourself wish 10 know.
Your breezy letters attracted ne long
ago. and your persistent way Of Ignor-
ing yourself has pi9ued my curiosity
VIII yoa not be q friend to roe for
my own sake Very truly yours.
aJoHs LgssEsG.
| Marraretss feelings were mixture
| Of triumph and interest
| Letter after letter went 70 and fro.
1 John received and read each one with
relish. soIiloauizing. . A plncky little
woman, lots Of grit, rosy cheeks. ex-
pect. and swapping black eyes
While Margaret read his epistles ri h
no less interest. and the -hieaI" lover
hidden within her heart, letter by let
ter assumed the name OF John Les
sing
At last he wrote that he was coming
East and would be at her home upon .
certain day.
Ii was ike the kiss OF the prince mp
on the lips OF the sleeping beauty! The
ideal lover awoke. He rose TO his
fall manly height. his tender brown
eyes lost their look OF Gre4miness. his
handsome, bearded face beaming with
expression. and Margaret prepared to
greet him
She fingered the piano with earess-
ing touch, and dreamed OF playing &C
compartments for him" She brought
ont her favorite books with the belief
that they we're . his" favorites also.
She had placed bouquet OF flowers
upon the piano, and was about TO go
upstairs TO change her dull gray morn
ing gown for q more becoming gar
ment with a dash of color, when q
man was ushered into the parlOr.
Hearing footsteps she turned around
and from her serene height Of five feet
| five she looked down upon a polished
bald pate, decorated with lambre-
quin-like fringe Of tawny red hair
Then the details of watery blue eyes, a
wide mouth bristiing with a scrnbby
mustaehe, and a short fat figure forced
themselves upon her.
Wen, what Is it you wish?" she
asked, politely.
Il want 10 see Miss Margaret Ham
mond.
II am Miss Hammond"
He quaiied beneath the calm ques-
tioning gaze OF her clear eyes, and lost
his usual swaYity Of manner.
eff you are, you might ask me 10 sit
down. | am John leasing
ooh. no. | mean. yes! sit down,
beg your pardon"
As ven didn't know me" said he
seating himself. 81 suppose ! am not
the sort Of a looking fellow you took
me for. II so. can return the com
pliment.
Thanks. You certainly exceed
my expectations in many WAYS. Did
Won have a pleasant trip East7i
ooh. Yes, pleasant enough Had
fine weather ali the way through"
st has been a delightful autumn. ;"
The visible barrier OF strange faces
had alienated and paralyzed their
minds.
They sat and solemnly prosed the
dreariest commonplace Tor a few
minutes, when John suddenly re
membered business engagement, t
and departed.
lie walked thonghtfully to the hotel.
went to his room, threw himself into
an arm chair, and began TO whistle
dolefully and out OF time something
which an imaginative ear might recog
nize as THE Girl Left Behind Me-
Finally he broke off with total disre-
gard OF the keynote, and exclaimed:
by Jove, an ugly old maidl"
As for poor Margaret, she rushed
upstairs and cried over the ruins of
her wrecked romance as heartily as
though she had been ten years
younger.
Although they never saw each other
again, Margaret always hated John
Leasing, for at his hands the winsome
lover OF her dreams had met cruel
death. LILLIAN WEAVER.