The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-05-08

80 eStS 49,
evening. She would write to him i'm
mediately. He would get the letter in the
morning. and he would know that the
story of his vile ~in6delity had reached her
ears.
No sooner thought OF than done. Rosie
opened her writing-desk. and set herself
down to pen the epIstle that was to avenge
her wrongs as far as that was possible.
But she was sadly undecided about the
style and pbraseology, and sheet after
letter being formulated.
At last she managed to compose one hat
seemed TO her to combine brevIty and
singing dignified rebuke.
Sir" she wrote. you forgot to say In
your note that you were going to Brighton
with q woman." The woman" was doubly
underlined. II do not intend TO link my
self To a msn who leaves me to pass his
time with creatures. and who Is mean
enough to stOop to ambiguous untruths to
fore. that In future you will pay your ad-
dresses where they will be more acceptable
than to yours truly. Rosie Wray."
She read the letter again and again. 1t
did not altogether please her, but il was
the most satisfactory that, in her state of
mind. she could put to paper. She inclOsed
&c in an envelope and addressed 1t. III.
Trench. Esq. Grand Hotel. Brighton" and
then sat looking at IL, crying bitterly.
She thought it would drive her gloomy
thoughts away to be doing something. so
she wrote more letters-one to her dress
maker, one TO q friend, one to q we'll known
theatrical manager for tickets for a profess
sional matinee. one to the Era, altering her
advertisement, a mere freak TO occupy her
mind. and so on till quite an epistOlary
pile encountered the writing table. Their
she rang for Jane. and gave the lot to the
girl to carry to the post.
Punch seemed TO be miserable to see his
mistress in such distress. He pranced
ahOnf tho fahla whlle abr wQa writing and
blOtted the addresses with his paws. and
carried off this trifie and that, and brought
them back again. and ran in and out of the
room. and barked as If he wished to say.
Come now. cheer up. dear mistress" But
even Punch's affectiOnate attentions failed
TO relieve the poor wounded heart. and
though she kissed and fondied her doggIe.
Rosie was not to be cOnsoled even by him.
The hours she passed in the theater that
night. q substitute playing her faithless
lovers part, seemed interminable in their
misery. The place was cold and cherries
without the man in whose company she
had spent such happy hours, and. to the
astonishment of all who knew her con-
merely walked through her part. In an
swer to all inquiries she pleaded that she
was suffering from q bad headache, and she
was glad to reach her little home. and to
be relieved from the strain which her work
imposed upon her.
The nights rest brought ease to the over-
strung nerves, and with the early dawn q
doubt shot In R0sies mind If. perhaps,
after all. she had not acted too rashly-if
some explanation. some sufficient ~explana-
tioD. might not be found for Harry's con-
duct. She knew that she was jealous. and
he, she was well aware. was the admired of
many proud ladies, and she Was dou-
bly, ~jetlous of him on that ac-
count. But he had always been
SO frank, and so loyal, and so straightfor.
ward and an rrnfhful and nnw ha had
turned quite ROUND and basely deceived
her. Had he basely deceived her7 Was
she quite sure of that.
The mornings mail brought her some
one from Harry bearing the Brighton post
mark. How the little heart went pit-a-
pat as she tore open the envelope.
My W sweet one" he said. II would
have written to you yesterday, but could
not leave my uuclc. Sir George Atwood,
staying hero with his daughter. my cousin.
/ bad a very serious quarrel with the old
gentleman when l went on the stage, and
he stopped the liberal allowance
to d hssa re MAKE %e. H Ss' is ana the VO OniS
relative who helped me with a penny, ana
he was always very kind TO me previous to
the difference that parted us. So when
my cousin offered to try and open q loop
hole through which | could crawl INTO the
OlN lh0h . Il
When | wrote on Sunday l had just time to
catch the train, and / aid not want to write
again before everything was settled. but
now it is all arran ged. My cousin was a reg
ular little brick, the dear girl. She knows
that We ore engaged"-how the tears
flowed. and how the little heart beat-"and
she sends You her love and her best wishes.
Now, my darling. l am going to have six
hundred q year again. besides my earnings,
and We can bring that affair off as soon as
WA like and ba ndenendaHf of manQU gers
and their freaks. and act or not act Just ae
We please. PHI be up tomorrow morning
by the first express. and as fast as d hansOm
can carry me. PIl fly to my own darling.
just brimful Of happiness. Your own
How happy-how thrice happy that he
was faithful to her. that she had mis-
judged him. that he loved her still. What
q beautiful letter, what q sweet, delicious
baimy letter! But-the Lord have mercy
there was her ~own-that awful. that bitter
that insulting letter. where she had called
Harry's cousin q creature. and had charged
him with eanne and untruthfulness
1t would have been delivered In Brighton
by this time, he would have read It-and
what must he hin OF herf She grew red
and white in turns as the horrible truth
dawned upon her. She had allowed her
self to be persuaded by a noted scandal.
monger and mischief-maker to doubt and
insult the man who loved her best. and
she could have sunk into the earth fol
very shame.
She wandered out into the garden. hel
golden hair streaming in the morning
breeze. uncOnsolable Int u~ncOnsOled
Punch was with her. running about the
1ower-beds, dashing across the lawn, and
jumping all over the rOck-wOrk REGARDLESS:
of injury to ferns and plants. He was car
ryipg something in his mouth. something
square and white. and he picked it up and
shook it. and put it down again, and
STAMPED upon it. and then ran away with
it again. playing with 1t as was his habit
Rosie called him. and he pranced mp to heI
with the thing In his mouth and laid il
down at her feet.
She stopped and took the thing and
looked ut it, and 80 full was her heart o,
the fierce JOY 1t brought to her that she fel
on the sward hesdlonR in a dead faint.
The square white thing was her OWL
letter to Harry.
Punch had knocked it off the table anG
carried it into the garden. and played with
it ali the evening and all the morning.
Rosie. like the good. truthful girl thai
she was. confessed her fault to Harry wher
he came. and he folded her in his strons
arms and pressed her to his heart.
And Punch was thenceforth calle(
Punch, the Postman." md Rosie Dough
him a brand new silver collar and bells o.
q reward for his cleverness.
fCOpyriGht.l