The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1892-12-10
CHAPTER III.
TWO LETTERS

'
uuSy and love,
CHAPTER III.
TWO LETTERS
Two letters, NJ Marsh H."
Raymond Marsh III TOOK the rendered
mlssIves from the hands of tn anti
qua ed postmaster Of Hopedale. thrust
one, an ordinary business missive, into
his eye frightened and his pulses came
quicker.
Prom Edna, he murmured, recos
nizlng the handwri ing on the envelope.
"Someth ng a out the reception to-
night | hope that ttresome Mr. Brins-
Icy is not 10 be her escort. 1t is too
precious too sacred to read here.
lie reached home AMI went TO his
room with a gay song on hi bps The
memory of the girl be loved was al
way with him, the ross ssion of a
Shy, dainty epistle from her enhanc Ell
its sweetness.
Rather bulky, he commented, as he
carefully cut open the envelope, as if
every scrap Of paper her hands he'd
to3cned was precions. Mr. Marshall
why. what is this Oh. Edna, joke,
Il crteI hoax, surely.
The words died in a gasp. With star
ing eyes Marshall Surveyed the letter
before him. Then stage ring to a seat,
he sal sIaring at it with colorless face
and chilled heart
\ formal dismissal. cold, precise
disa.owaI OF al the past. the cruel
words seemed icy fingers reaching for
his heart, TO blight all the faith ami
lnN NJ ~ /, Il
Edna had written It-hcr slanting
Tia ian style showed IN tn chirography
There could he no doubt of that, but
The lan.ua e,-oh! what did ii mean2
Briefly it addressed him as might one
a stranger. Circumstances, the latter
"a d. Ind in an hour changed her des
Tiny. All was over bctwten them. 1t
was better so, since fate ordained it
Renem' er her as a fri, nj, their brief
filtration as a Maynard apr.ce f"r
passing the summer months away,
~Eaise; Deceitfui, | will ne"er be-
licv" il, painted the petriffed Marshall.
Why, erolav-the r,ng | gave her
the pledges We made-oh! this is some
farce, some hidden dream, What IS
this"
Mechanically turning the wretched
m;ss.vc Ter and over in h 5 neryeic S.
hands Raymond Marshall observed Tor
the first time that il was conn r.sed OF
two sheets Of paper
md striving % separate them, he as
oertained that stray patches OF mucilage
held the .ower pag" to the other. IN a
f,w minute, he dIecerned that il could
not have been he intention OF the
sen Ter to inp.ose tn" second sheet
That was acci iental. i hal stuck to
the top sheet and had been folded il
with j, ~ hastv, careless hand.
Il tore writing no. Fdna's writing.
\ dagger seemed driven to Ray Mar
shafts heart "a he tore it fire.. and the
bold, masc uljne chirography danced e
fore his vision.
If he had been startled before. every
ulsn stirred with fierce fire nov. The
letter had evidently been received by
Edna the day prev ols, and was gned
with the name OF the only rival in her
affection TO whom he had ever given
a thought Miss Chambers cousin,
Edna'S announ ell escort OF that even
ing Barton Brimslev.
The letter Of an accepted lover 10 the
woman he loved, it betrayed decided
en- engagement from Edna. 1t even
bore slight ridicule Of Nar9hall's pre-
tensions. Edna had endured dis Edra.
had PLAYED him farsa. and white her ehy
lin, were lc- opdin.. to his ardent ry-
pre-sions of devotion her hvporriticuI
heart vas thinking OF Barton Brin4lcv.
The complication was maddening
With eyes da~he with the insanity Of
despair the tortured artist looked up.
IL, c.enehed the teli-tale sheets IN his
hand as II they We're the false heart o.
the girt who had llited him, and that o.
the man who had stolen away ne" love.
Ii Vii! XII him, lie chokcd out, his
SOU atiaze.
And then. realizing the folly If such
a sentiment. the right Of any man to
uonoraJlr strive for q woman's prefer
euce. with the bitterness of death com
pretending that tie woman was the
Ieceiycr. remembering hi- mothers
taunt once made that he had better
Marcy some one besides "A nameIess.
homeless. not odv. he Gained down.
put on his hat. ami walked from the
house like one In dream. his Inns
urmIv zet. hut si K at heart.
He went straight 10 the seminary.
There was that IN his heart so manly.
- -trai.brforwarl. - inclined 10 3oubt
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