Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-01-03


And, with sudden, unacc0untable |
feeling of depression. Amy began dust |
ing and tidying the little paTlor.
1t was the finest little room, but
natural taste and love of the beautiful
had enabled the girl to give it a touch |
of real elegance.
There's a letter for you, ANY,"
said DR. Fellowes that evening as he !
sat down to tea. al believe I've been /
carrying it around in my pocket for
several days. It's such a new thing
for YOU to have letters that / came
near forgetting all about it.
ooh, papa, how could your ex-
claimed Amy reproaehfuily, as she |
snatched at the letter held out across
the tea table.
''Why, child, were you expectingitP'
exclaimed Dr. Fellowes, astonished at
her eagerness
"Not exactly expecting it," said
Amy, while her color deepened to a
crimson blush; "but rather thought
there might be a letter for me-
And she hurriedly tucked it into her
belt. having first seen that the hand
writing was Of a large, bold, masculine
sort, while the postmark bore the name
Of the mountain region she had heard
Mr.. Lorillard speak of.
well, dear, why don't you read it,
now you've got itPn asked Mrs. Eel
loves.
There's no hurry-it will keepf'
said Amy, with much apparent care
lessness.
But her appetite was very small
that evening, and she refused all in
vitations to second supply of any
thing even the cup of tea, for which
she had quite fine lady's liking; and
then, with some murmured words of
excuse, she at last rose and ran away
to her own little room. where she
locked herself in before opening the
precious letter
1t was not very long letter. nor a
particularly interesting or witty one,
considered from a literary point of
view; but to Amy it was Just all the
world, and for that evening, at least,
it shut out all the rest of existence.
Then came the business of answering
il.
At first the mere thought of this APP
palled her; but when she began to
write she found it the simplest thing she
had ever done; the pen seemed to move
of itself, and Eugene received packet
of the most delightful natural and GIRL
ish conversation he had ever known;
aud it seemed to him while he read
that he could hear the sweet voice in
all its tones of airy gayety, laughing
merrment, or subdued tenderness.
well" he exclaimed. "this is a
treat! There isn't girl of my ac-
quaintance capable of writing such a
charming letter How pleased l am
to have asked it of her-it was quite an
Inspiration
He answered it as we'll as he knew
how; but he was painfully aware that
he had no such delightful epistolary
style.
Amy, however, was not critical for
she found his letters perfect, And the
correspondence continued, gradually
assuming a more and more familiar
style. till the tone became playfully
but decidedly loverlike on both sides.
Weeks slipped by rapidly. Amy
thought the days had never been so
short and before she realized it the
summer was gone.
In his latest letter Eugene had given
her new address. saving he was
about to return to the city very soon.
In that letter he had also said some
thing more like direct love-making
than ever before-something which
had made Amy laugh and blush when
she read it; and she was still smiling
and blushing when she answered it.
And this was how the letter to Eugene
You speak of rivals In my regard, and say
you could not bear II with good grace. But
think there is nothing you couldn't do grace
fully. AS to the rivals you have only one,
but he is all-powerful and TO such kind.
good friend must confess that | shall love
him while live, as | have from the first I
moment in which beheld his dear face. In
complexion he is not unlike you, for he has
fair hair and the loyeliest blue eyes, but can
not flatter you so far as to say that you are
like him for no one was ever so beautiful,
so charming, so captivating. If you ever see
him you will agree with me, though now l
suppose you are laughing AT me, ana no
doubt YOU think ! am dreadfuliy in love. ]
TO be entirely frank, / just am; but / do
think that the GEAR fellow gives me some ex-
cuse for he declares that he loves me just the
samel
Eugene turned white and then red
as he angrlly crumpled up inns reuter-
in his hand; then smoothing it out he
and with set teeth-for
every word seemed to stab him read
it all over again.
1.-The bare-faced little firt!" he ex-
claimed. This is your sweet country
simplicity and innoceneei- Confound
the felowl some moon-faced BOBBY,
with saucer eyes and hair smelling of
bergamot. suppose What fool !
have been! Not a practiced coquette
in society could have made more
idiot of me! And yet / de-
serve it. Wasn't | calmly flirting
with her as a summer amusement
to while away the time,
without a thought of any serious end
ing to it? And now well, I'm punished.
This is what they mean by hosting a.
fellow with his own petard, | suppose.
Practical illustration 10 enforce the
lesson.
But. storm and fume and philoso-
phize as he would, Mr.. Lorillard could