, 1889-08-02

with another.
There had been n sscord mail. My
box vas bursting with them. More than
a hundred made up this last batch-all
10 the same tunel Heavensi / lifted up
my voice and wept. But the end was
not yet. They came pouring in day and
night. In less than f~orty-eight hours /
had enough to stuff four mattresses.
What could l do other than what / did,
l went out and made a bonfire Of the
whole. had a glimpse of scores of pho
tographs and various little tokens like
painted hearts and different cabalistic
signs as they went of in smoke, but the
fragrance was hateful to my n~ostrils. 1t
was plain l was on the wrong track.
And still they came.
For three weeks I stood the target FOR
those missiles. I never answered or re-
ally read one. They all went in the Chi
nese mail to their ancestors, and l was
at peace. Then there was n lull. No
letters for a week. At the end of that
time there came one, a dainty, per-
fumed, most artistic looking little mes
senger, which my inner consciousness at
once announced rs the foot for the glass
slipper; the dreamy, mawkish simpleton
/ wasl / swallowed the bait, hook, line,
fisherman, all. And forthwith there
began n correspondence that might nave
melted a pathway to the North Pole. !
told the lady all about myself, except the
matter Of my worldly condition. That,
/ felt, was unworthy the attention OF
this professedly unworldly being.
We exchanged photographs. Did not
that face which / used to carry in my
vest pocket to draw out and study at
every odd minute realize my very ideal
Of the face 1 could look upon forever
1t was very blonde, very thin, too-re-
markably thin lips. The head tipped
slightly back. In all these particulars it
indicated n character exactly my oppo-
site. l need more self assertion and a
sharper tongue. Thus supplemented
''mark Tin mel the perfect man." To
prove our entire faith in zach other, we
decided not to see our future spouses
until the bridal day, which was to be in
about three months after our engage
ment. She being a resident of Indiana
and I of Colorado, we decided upon meet
ing TO consummate our vows in Burling-
ton, la.
1t was just after this interchange of
pledges that l received from home the
news Of my fathers death. Poor, dear
girlsl My heart was so tender Just then
1t actually seemed to me 1 must fly back
and take the whole six in my arms and
shelter and provide for them. / had
kept up an irregular correspondence
with Harriet-bless herl How could she
care for the little ones2 We never any
of us had been over fond of our father,
but his death had taken away the prop
of the house. / sent Harriet a thousand
dollar draft, requesting her, If she need
ed more, to draw on me; and, somehow,
not in this net perhaps, but In getting so
near to the sympathies and affections of
old times, ] felt ten fold more the man
than l had felt before since l became
rich. Life itself seemed actually more a
reality to me-. After this episode it was
not so easy to shut myself out from all
material surroundings and sit down to
the business of dreaming out the para
disc into which this woman was to CON
duct me.
The next letter / had the privilege of
bordering began Dear Frank" To
mel II 1 had acted the donkey in pri-
vate, no one had ever yet, since l had
left home, presumed to address me with
that off hand familiarity. Aside from
the fact of my landed estates, / had al
ways held my personality in n way to
compel respect. Here was one OF the
inevitable annoyances, however, l must
learn to face, and that soonl Matters
were fastening to their elimination.
She had written to notify me that she
would probably arrive at the station
the letter specified that in my town; its
platform touched one of my park gates
ION the seventeenth"
Whewl What could it mean? We'd
agreed on Burlington as our half way
station, N the catastrophe was not to
come off under three months 1.-THE
seventeenth" 1t was now the tenth. l
stood aghast. Struggle to ignore it as l
might, acowardly, ignoble sense of dread
at the prospect of meeting, face to face,
this pen and ink idol of mine, a dread /
had all along been conscious was lying
dormant in my soul, pressed itself to the
forefront and overshadowed every other
sentiment. Dear Frank" Only one
little week.
Oh, for the old honest, heartsome
Brother Francisl"
llhih4 WIS L uISdlllnS9 IL was sing
ing In my ears. Girls voices, multitud.
inous, in familiar welcoming chorus.
Was this n mirage? On my lawn An
optical-'Twas they! themselves The
girls!
Brother Francis! Brother Francisr'
The stone walls of my house took &c
vocal speech and echoed, tearing the
words into six different keys, every one
straight off from a real flesh and blood
larynx and tongue and pressed on by q
great, loving heart that throbbed behind
1t. 1t was theyl
My very pen loiters for one ecstatic
moment to live over again that joyful,
surprise. The little girls grown into
young women. Did ever lutter sucl
bright ribbons, or rustic crisp, fresh sum
mer muslins like to those? Such animal
ed, glad young faces; such skipping feet
Wa ever old bachelor embraced ant
fondled and passed about from hand t.
hand to be exulted owe and admired a.
Twas!
They had simply como home, and