The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-12-14

written called a little waiter and
told him to take 1t to Mr.. Whitmore,
and l saw the boy open the door of
the room that was his and go in;
and. of course, / expected that he
would come to me by the river, as
usual, next morning, but he did not,
did not see him that day or the
next: on the third he left the hotel.
After he was gone I looked at my
offer again, and found that I had
missed the postscript. which was on
the other side of the page. 1t said:
IF YOU cannot say yes, I will not give
you the pain of saying no. I will
understand your silence as mega.
tive. But long suspense will be more
than l can bear. Give me my an
swer at once. pray you.i Then,"
SAID Lefty, 81 began to understand
that if he did not get my letter he
must think that | had refused him.
did not know " hat to do. l could
not write and say I had accepted
him, because saw the boy carry the
letter into his room aud | was very
unhappy, and grew really i'll. That
is one reason why my step.father
came back to France. He thought it
was consumption. and thinks he
saYeh NV life. But shall never feel
my conscience clear unless | can he
sure he Tilted me. That would be
m0rtitying but then l could forget
him and not care despise him,
laugh at myself, But when / think
that perhaps he is breaking his heart
for me. pining, believing me a firt"
here Lefty applied her handker
chief to her GYes-"thpn | feel that it
Is Il duty | owe to Mr.. Dudley Whit
more to remain single for his sake"
"Mr. Dudley Whitmore!" | gasped.
Yes" said she. "that was his
name; have you ever met him 2"
"No," [ answered. 1t was the
truth and nothing but the truth. hut
it was not the whole truth. At that
moment, in the letter case in my ln-
| side vest pocket, carried the letter
| had found in the frame of the mir
ror L had bought at auction. I be-
lieved it to be the one Lefty had
written to that man. OF course, I
was not sure; but how could I he
| unfil / hn1 rnnI ~ - I
WINGED that it was so. By opening
| it could. perhaps, give myself an
opportunity for noble self sacrifice.
l could clear Whitmore's character,
and, like the advertising fortune.
teller5. ''reunite those long separat-
ed" But was called upon to do it?
l was in dilemma.
l kissed Letty's hand and arose
from the seat beside her.
"WiIl you think it over little
WHILE" said. "and answer me in u
day or two? After all, am worth
As much as Whitmore. and you ought
to consider me also"
II do" she said. II feel as If
might be so happy were my con-
science but clear"
II hurried away. I went to my
hotel. took the Il tier from the case,
| Ouened it and read it. It was brief
and to the point. 1t accepted an offer
| Of marriage and was signed, yours
ever, Lefty Linnet." And she was to
! be his ever?
Knowing the trick fate had played
the man. could not speak of him as
1 otherwise would have done. lie
might be broken hearted for all /
knew. l felt as though l were q
rascal to keep the truth from Lefty.
As sat at my window thinking all
this over, the diligence, full of pas
sengers, stopped ut the door below.
The usual number of Americans
were among the new arrivals, and I
particularly noticed a fat gentleman
with case of fishing rods who ex-
hibited a perfectly bald head when
he took off his broad straw hat to
wipe his forhead. 1 met the man at
dinner and liked his looks. After
supper, on the veranda, we spoke.
He inquired of me if there was good
fishing thereabouts. and J volunteer
ed to show him a stream said 10 be-
full of specimens of the finny tribe
beloved by anglers. 1t was as we
stood beside this stream that he pro.
duced his card case and offered me
his card. l gave him mine in re-
turn. But the moment I glanced at
his uttered cry of"Good heaven"
and started as do the guilty people
in novels. Indeed. I felt guilty, /
fancied. as he stared at me in astons
i-hment, that he could see his letter
through the clotn of my coat as it lay
in my pocket. The interpo|ition of
Providence seemed too evident to
Withstand. 1 nerved myself aud
spoke.
, "Mr. Whitmore. I said "I he.