Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-01-15

letters-one to Ollie and one to Phil The
! former was composed of three sheets
written on one side; the latter of the miss
/ ing page, and an explanatory note. 1t
was only by hurrying that | was able to
post them in the postoffice before the mail
closed | did not wish TO wait an instant
| longer than necessary and the seq7el con-
WINGED me that the facts were In league
with my actions.
Though | did Tot know it at the time,
two interesting scenes transpired twenty
| four hours later. One was In my friend
and collaboration s, Phil Hough's law Office,
and the other in the boudour of Miss Div
cite Berne, Cincinnati, Ohio.
The first showed my esteemed partner
handling bulky mtss Of manuscript. At
| last he takes out few leaves, slips between
| two OF them a third distracted from an en-
yeIope and reads:
"Gustave threw himself at the feet Of
! Beatrice and exclaimed: Darling, you
have in your possession a magazine which
| loaned you hree menths ago 1t con-
tanned poem by the late DR.. Reed and my
brother has written me for it. Could you
manage to send it to me by mail to-mor
row? | am very sorry TO trouble you,
/ but you see | am under an obligation TO
do So
''What is my answer"
''But Beatrice had flown like frighten-
cd fawn through the shrubbery.''
Puzzled and annoyed by the nonsense.
the lawyer throws the manuscript on the
floor and emits not very complimentary
remark about myself.
The other scene is less disturbing Ollie
holds letter po5tmarked Elmo" in her
hand and with shake Of the envelope
opens it. She recognizes the name of her
tJrmer admre- ana with eager eyes scans
the first page.
= ELMO, August 81
Dear friend Ollie: You will no doubt
be sur prised to hear from me, for it has
been some time since you left US for the
pleasures of life in a .reat city. But
have good excuse for writing since
The leaf is slipped behind and the fl ssh
that has tinged her face deepens as she
reads the next:
"My heart is in your keeping. Since
the day we first met | have loved you de
votedly, passionateIy, tenderly. Eternal
and unchanged as the everlasting rocks g
my love and believe that you return it.
DO you not? Give me syllable of hope.
Tell me that you will be my wife and that
soon. If you do not, my life will be one
sad waste of dreariness.
Another leaf is transposed and she reads
on:
There is little in the way of news here.
| am devoting my leisure to literary
work. viii get down to see you some
day. Yours sincerely,
FRANK RADwAY.
! was sitting in my office the second
day thereafter when poStman threw on
my table the mail. In the package was
d Unity envelop. / recognized Ollie's hand
writing in the address and tore it open the
first of all. 1t astonished me. could
make nothing of it. Either the girl was
insane or ] was.
The more stu lied it the more / was
mystifed and the result was telegram
sent to Phil, saying:
Come up or the noon train; very iql-
portant.
He obeyed and stalked into my office at
nightfall.
well" were his words. whats up
now?"
'Ev Arything," was my reply. "Look
at that letter and tell me what it says,
what it means, and whether | am crazy or
not
Fl took it and read:
CINCINNATI, September /
MY Dear Frank: was exceedingly
pleased to receive your tender letter
had not forgotten, and your loving
words aroused the responsive cord in my
heart that had long been yearning for
the true musician S touch.
81 was surprised to receive so sudden
declaration of love from you, however, |
was not prepared for it
lit seems to me that | ought not to
give you an answer until you have seen
my faCher, a proceeding which will not
delay it long, | hope.
Come dowu and see US, Frank.
Very merely. Ollie"
A prolonged whistle from Pnil's lips
woke the echoes of the law office.
well, what do you think of it?" |
asked.
Think of it2" was Pnils enthusiastic
reply. why, think you are the luckiest
dog On earth. How in the world did you
develop the nerve to do it?''
do it? | didn't do it! | wrote her
asking for the retul of magazine, and
she"
Says" interrupted Phil, "did it con-
tain a poem by the late DR.. Reed? and
had your brother written for it2"
Yes, BIT how do you know of it?"
For reply Phil took from his pocket
the sheet had sent hlm for the MS
Does that belong to our great Ameri-
can novel?" he queried
No" replied, more tangled than
ever, ut belongs TO the letter | wrote o.
lie Barne''
You may have intended it for her but
you sent it to me And the love decla-
ration which was the climax to our story
has gone to the young lady, and been ac-
cepted in good faith by her"
"What shall do?"
go ahead, Phil advised She loves
you. Go down to Cincinnati, and act as
though you meant it.
After thinking il all over | took Pals
council and the e .uIt proved that be was
emlnently leVel,headed, for Ollie and |
were married at the holidays.
The great American novel was never
finished, and some how | lost interest IN
it"
My wife asked me about it the other
day, and my explanation was: "Oa, our
manuscripts didn't match.
had not the heart TO tell her | pro-
posed to her by accident am profound
Iy convened that | am not calculated to
shine IN observation-disclosures NJ. Harver
in Yankee Blade
FINE KNITTED GOODS.
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