Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-11-09

Miss Harris, had good reason, and Pm
not so very sure yet that she doesn't de
serve to be believed in. Well, now, what
do you think did2 / determined to get a
note from Miss Woodrolfe and send it to
Miss Harris before i took another step in
the affair. Miss Woodroffe, as 1t happen.
ed, was to stay at the Joddrells for two or
three weeks, and before a week was over
had managed to get note Of two or three
lines from her This sent to Miss Harris,
and | can show you the answer j received"
Here John took from his pocket letter
case or pocketbook, from which, after some
turning over of the papers IL contained, he
drew out much worn letter, and handed
it to me. II began: 1.-THE handwriting OF
the note of which you have requested my
opinion is very remarkable one; it eX.
presses In the strongest degree the quail.
ties of a noble and refined character. The
writer has clear brain, an affectionate
heart and great rectitude of mind; she
talks well, and neither too much nor too
little" There was good deal more in the
same STYLE describing such a paragon Of
our sex that / really felt an inch or two
taller for the reading of It.
IF Miss Woodroffe was all that" said,
II can't imagine how You ever let her GO"
"She was" he answered. AT any rate
l have no reason to doubt it,"
He put the paper back in its place and
went on:
II think 1 may say that / lost no time
after that. She was friendly from the
beginning. About four weeks after our
first meeting asked her to marry me, and
she said Yes Upon my word, Mary, II |
had been twenty-five instead of fifty-fve,
/ don't think l could have been happier
She was just going away from the Jod-
drells', and before she went told her all
about Miss Harris and what n thorough
belief had in her skill. Miss Woodroife
laughed at me, but unfortunately was
quite convinced that my belief was we'll
founded and quite determined to persuade
her to think so too.
''She went away, and of course l wrote
to her. In one of my first letters l sent
her the one | have just shown you, and
begged her to send my handwriting also to
Miss Harris for her own satisfaction. You
see, felt quite safe in doing this, because
the description of me which had been sent
at the time, you remember, had been rather
fiattering. On that occasion Miss Harris
had declared that was of an amiable tenn
per, liberal, but Trustworthy remember
the words well, and thought 1t could do
me nothing but good If such an account Of
me found its way to Miss Woodroffe.
What fools people arel The woman was
a rank impostor of course, as found after
ward to my cost and MS / ought TO have
known then but l did really believe in her
Could you have guessed itY"
well, no" answered. II really don't
think should have believed it-only you
know, John, you shrewd men can be so
dreadfully oredulous Why, remember
friend of my husband who doubted every
thing, and yet he believed in Mime. Blavat-
sky"
John grunted. He did not seem to like
the comparison, which was foolish of him,
poor fellow.
"She said, he went on, that she could
trust her own judgment and did not want
anybody else's. That might have satisfied
anybody, but it did not satisfy me. wrote
again and begged her TO do as I wished,
telling her about the housekeeper. At last
she wrote that she had done to please me
what she never would have done for her
self, and she said, Il suppose you expect me
to abide by whatever Miss Harris may
say
do you know that those words gave me
| q fright / had never doubted till then
that Miss Harris would give just the same
character of me as she had done before,
and also had only thought OF IL as giving
me more value TO Miss WoOdroffe. got
nervous after l heard she had really con
suited the sibyl and two days later | re-
ceived these"
He turned over his pocketbook again and
handed TO me two papers, sinking back in
his chair after he had done so with ges-
ture that said, you have the catastrophe
and it's results before you"
opened one OF the papers, and literally
opened 1t with trembling fingers. There
was something tragical In poor Johns ges-
ture and in the emptiness and silence Of
the house. My eyes fell upon sheet OF
paper, half covered with n neat, legible
handwriting, the words Of which were
much ~ follows:
This writing belongs to a person Of q
singularly impulsive and eager tempera-
ment, easily carried away by the feeling Of
the m oment; very uncertain and unreli-
able, sadly inconsistent, without fixed pur-
pose or deliberate Judgment; not wanting
in ability, but only in the power to apply Il
usefully; careless OF money, but scarcely 10
be called generous; not altogether free from
vanity, his temper Ia very irritable and
passionate'---
There was more, but sigh from John
poor Johnl the most faithful and generous
Of friends, and the most steady going Of
mortals-made me drop the sheet and take
up the other.
This was "A very short note;
DEAR Mn. ELDER-You insisted that should
consult Miss Harris and trust her verdict
on your character rather than on my own.
What that Is you will see by the inolOsed, and
/ am sure you cannot wonder that dare not
marry the man described. ] am sending back
your presents and letters by next post. With
most sincere wishes for your happiness, yours
truly, LOUISA WooDRoPFE.
"Oh, John" said when had read this,
'but she could not have meant It,"
"She meant it so thoroughly that when
/ got to her mothers house in London the
very evening of the day received it they
were both gone abroad, and have not 10
much az seen her from that time TO this"
So that was why the dining room door
was never altered.-New York Recorder.