Nevada County picayune., 1892-03-03


And then there was q piercing
shrek from the steam whistle, a call
of "All on board !" and Eugene had
just time to press her hand again, tc
wave his hand in good-by. and
hUrriedly scramble over the gang
plank while it was already being
drawn away from the moving
boat.
Il wonder if | ought to write
first" thought Amy when she had
been home about week. But no,
that couldn't be right, for Mr..
Lorillard said he was going to the
mountains in few days, and |
wouldn't know where to direct my
letter. If he really wants to write to
me he knows my address. Perhaps
it was only just his politeness, after
All. City folks are so queer, They
seem to think they must say lots of
polite things they don't mean ole
bit. | don't think it is really polite
at all"
And, with a sudden, unaccountable
feeling of depression, Amy began
busting and tidying the little par
lor.
1t was the finest little room. but
natural taste and love of the beau
tiful had enabled the girl to give it a
touch of real elegance.
"There's letter for you Amy"
said DR.. Fellowes that evening as he
sat down to tea. Il believe I've
been carrying it around in my pock-
ct for several days. It's such new
thing for you to have letters that
came near forgetting all about it..
"Oh, papa, how could you'll ex-
claimed Amy reproachfully, as she
snatched at the letter held out across
the tea table.
"Why, child, were you expecting
it, exclaimed DR.. Fellows, aston
ished at her ea2erness.
Not exactly extecting it, said
Amy, while her color deepened to a
crimson blush; "but | rather
thought there might be letter for
me. "
AS she hurriedly tucked it into her
belt, having first seen that the hand
writing was of a large, bold, mascu-
line sort, while the postmark bore
the name of the mountain region she
had heard Mr.. Lorllard speak of.
"Wcll, dear, why don't you read
it, now you've got it?' asked Mrs.
Fellowes.
There's no hurry-it will keep
said Amy, with much apparent care
lcsSncss.
Bat her appetite was very small
that evening, and she refused all in
vitations to a second supply of any
thing-even the cup of tea, for which
she had quite fine lady's liking ;
and then, with some mnrmured
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 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
it.
At first the mere thought of this
appalled, her; but when she began
to write she found it the simplest
thing she had ever did; the pen
seemed to move of itself, and Eu-
gene received packet of the most
delightful natural and girlish con-
versation he had ever known; and it
seemed to him while he read he could
hear the sweet voice in ali its tones
of airy gayety, laughing merriment,
or subdued tenderness.
"Well," he exclaimed, "this is a
treat! There isn't u girl of my ac-
quaintance capable of writing such a
charming letter How pleased | am
to have asked it of her it was quite
an inspiration,
He answered it as well as he knew
how; but he was painfully aware
that he had no such epistolary style.
Amy. however, was not critical ,
for she found his letters perfect
And the correspondence continued,
gradually assuming a more familiar
style, till the tone became playfully
but decidedly lover-like on both
sides.
Weeks slipped by rapidly, Amy