The sun., 1893-05-25
CHAPTER III.
TWO LETTERS.
nttnrs Mr. Marshall. "

"Two letters, Mr.. Marshall"
RAYMOND Marshall took the tendereu
mIssives from the hands of the anu
uuated postmaster of Hopedale, thrust
one. an ordinary business missive, INTO
his pocket carelessly, but the other-
his eve frightened and his pulse came
quicker. , oo,
"From Edna" he murmured' recoS-
nizing the handwriting on the envei-
ope. Something about the reception n.
tonight. hope that tiresomne MI: MI.
Rrinsley is not to be her escort ~
is too precious, too sacred to reao
here" -. - his,
He reached home and went TO ms
room with gay song on his ups: Inc
memory of the girl he loved was always
with him, the possession of shy, dam
tv nnistle from her enhanced its sweet
ness. -.
"Rather bulky" he commented, as
he carefully cut open the envelope, as
If every scrap of paper her hands hau
touched was precious. Mr.. Marshall
-whvi what is this? Oh, Edna! joke,
a cruel hoax, surely"
The words died in gasp. With star
ing eyes Marshall surveyed the letter
before him, Then staggering to his
seat, he sat gIaring at II with eplor"
less face and chilled heart.
A formal dismissal, a cold, precise
disayowal of all the past, the cruel
words seemed icy fingers reaching for
| b;s heart. to blight all the faith and
| love of his nature with single touch.
EDNA had written it-her slanting,
| italian style showed in the chirography.
II l. of th1t
| the language!-oh! what did it mean!
| Briefly it addressed him as might one
/ a stranger. Circumstances, the latter
| said. had in an hour changed, l., hef ties
i tiny. All was over between them. II
| was better so since fate ordained IL.
Remember her as friend, their bllef
'fiirtation" as wayward caprice Tor
/ passing the summer months away!
False! Deceitfull viii never %, be
| lieye it, painted the petritied Marsha4ll.
"WhyI yesterday-the ring l gave her,
the pledges we made-oh! tins Is some
I farce, porrIr ',-.,----s- nra. u
this?"
Efi ESffeeiiaafaio1iiy turning JiIe Wretclleu
missive over and over in his neryeless
hands, Raymond Marshall observedAfoI
the first time that it was comprised
l of two SheerS. Oh paper.
And striving TO Separate them, ne
ascertained that stray patches OF mu,
cilage held the lower page to the other
In few minutes he aiseetIed that- u
could not have been. thsaintentlon e TO o. o
lsthe sender inclose the second sSlsaes !
That was accide entail = se
the top sheet and had been TO lsleSi*lI
with 1 by q hsst5 eau less ll;ailsls aE
1t bore 4writing- no slseil Writing
A dagger seemed driven to Ray Mar
shall's heart as he. tore it free, allA
the hold. masculine schirography dancec
before his vision.
| If he had been startled before, every
.ulse stirred with fierce fire now TLs
letter had evidently been received by
Edna the day previous, and was signec
| with the name of the only rival in hel
| affection TO whom he had ever giveI
| 4 Thought, Miss Chandler's cousin, ED
mas announced escort of that evening
| Barton Brinstay:
The letter of an accepted lover ts
the woman he loved, 1t betrayed de
clded encouragement from edna. ]
even bore n slight ridicule Of AIaIshalli
| pretensiOns. Edna had endured this
Edna had played him false, and while
her shy lips were responding t hi
j asts.ss..z.. ssz nsasgiens Of devotion her hy
| pocritical heart was thinking of Bartol
| Rrinsley.
The complication was maddening
with eyes dashed with the insanit.
OF despair the tortured artist looket
i up. He clenched the tel tale sheet
| In his hand as If they were the falls
heart of. the girl who had Tilted him
aud that of the man who had stolel
away her love.
"I-I viii kill him!" he choked out
his soul allaze.
And then, realizing the folly Of sue
| sentirnent, the right OF any man t
honorably strive for woman's prefer
ence, with the bitterness of death con
pretending that ihe woman was I'll
deceiyer, remembering his mother
taunt opce made that he had bette
marry some one besides ''a nanelesi
homeless nobody" he calmed dgwl