The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1890-10-25

porch without, and quick, sharp, i'm
perative knock at the door. Mrs. Ray
ner ned BACK along the hall towards the
dining room. Miss Travers. hesitatine
but second, opened the door.
1t was the soldier telegraph operator
with dispatch envelope in his hand.
at Is for Mrs Rayner, miss, and ar
answer Is expected. Shall waltz
Mys. Rayner came hastily forward
from her place Of refuge within the din.
Ing room, took the envelope without a
word and passed into the parlor, where,
standing beneath the lamp, she tore il
open, glanced anriously at its contents,
then threw it with an exclamation OF
peevish indignation upon the table.
You'll have to answer for yourself,
Nellie. cannot straighten your affairs
and mine too" And with that she was
going, but Miss Travers called her back.
The message simply read: "No letter
In four days. Is anything wrong' An
swer paid" and was addressed to Mrs.
Rayner and signed 8. v. A.
II think you have been extremely neg
lectful." said Mira Rayner, who had
turned and now stood watching the
rising color and impatiently tapping foot
of her younger sister. Miss Travers bit
her lips and compressed them hard.
There was an evident struggle in her
mind between desire to make an i'm
pulsive and sweeping reply and an effort
to control herself.
"Will you answer a quiet question or
two?" she finally asked.
"You know perfectly well will, was
the sisterly rejoinder.
"How long does it take letter to 60
from here to New York;
Five or six days, I suppose"
Miss Travers stepped to the door, briefly
told the soldier there was no answer,
thanked him for waiting, and returned.
You are not going to reply!" asked
Mrs. Rayner, in amaze.
81 am not; and inferred you did not
intend to. Now another question. How
many days have we been here?"
Eight or nine-nine, it is"
"You saw me post letter to Mr.. Van
as we left the Missouri. did you
not?"
Eyes. At least suppose So"
81 wrote again as soon as we rot
settled here, three days after that, did | |
not?''
"You said you did" replied Mrs. Raw
ner, ungraciously.
And you, Kate. when YOU are your-
se4f have been prompt to declare that I
say what mean. Very probably it may
have been four days from the time that
letter from the transfer reached Wall
street to the time the next one could yet
to him from here, even had written the
night we arrived. Possibly you forget
that you forbade my doing SO, and sent
me to bed early. Mr. Van Antwerp has
simply failed to remember that had zone
several hundred miles farther west: and
even had l written on the train twice a
lay, the letters would not have reached
llm uninterruptedly. By this time he is
BEGINNING to get them fast eaough. An!,
Is Tor you, Kate, you are quite rs unjust
Is he. 1t augurs badly for my future
'eace; and am learning two lessons
here, Kate"
"What two, prayT"
SThat he can be foo;shly unreliable
estimating woman"
"And the other?"
"lhat you may be persistently unreli-
'ole IN your Judgment of man"
Verify, for young woman with n
weet' girIlsh face, whom we saw but
week agone'twitching kittens ears and
aging little or nothing. Miss Travers
'as displaying unexpected fighting quail
Eles. For moment, Mrs. Rayner glared
{ her IN tremulous indignation and dis
lav.
"fou-you ought to be ashamed Of
ourself! was her eventual outbreak.
but to this there was no reply. Miss
ravers moved quietly to the doorway.
lrned and looked her angry sister in
he eye, and said:
II shall give up tho walk and will 90
my room. Excuse me to ANY visitors
lis evening""
"You arc not going to write to him
NV, when you are angry, hope?"
Il shall not write to him until to-mor-
w, but when do shall tell him this.
ate: that If he desire my confidence he
ill address his complaints and INQUIRIES
me- If am old enough to be engaged
him, in your opinion, l am equally old
'oussl to attend to such details as these,
my own"
Mrs. Rayner stood one moment as
ough astounded: then she few to the ,
or and relieved her surcharged bosom
follows; well, I pity the man YOU
AIRY, whether you are lucky enough
keep this one or not!' and flounced IA
snanuy out Of the house.
When Capt. Rayner came in, half An .
ur afterwards. the parlor was de- u
tied. He was looking worn and di. y
lrted. Finding no one on background :,