The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-09-16

tale story out OF her eyes and voice. They
betrayed her with every sentence Of the
letter. John Raeburn, you are the iuckiest
man alivel She little imngines the holiday
she will enjoy tomorrow If she answers me
as have now reason to believe she will.
That certainly was heaven born inspira
tion. There's nowhere l won't take her,
nothing that won't buy her, and II don't
make tomorrow day In paradise It won't
be because don't tryi"
Then, picking up the finished letter, he
first pressed IL rapturously to his lips, added
a hasty scrawl at the bottom, addressed and
enveloped 1t and took 1t to the postoffice
himself, then went on home whistling like
a boy.
Meanwhile Bertha Wilson had reached
her home, put her things away with scru,
pulous care, spread her little table and sat
down for the first timein her healthy young
life without a morsel Of appetite
As she sat toying with her spoon there
came ring at the door, and in another
moment letter with special delivery
stamp was placed in her hands.
She opened IL, glanced at the first few
lines, then fell back with low cry, while
an expression of mingled incredulity and
rapture overspread her face, and when she
came to the last few lines, written in hand
which between natural imperfections and
agitation was reduced to series OF hero
glyphics that nothing short of the inspira-
tion Of love could have enabled her to de
cipher, she just cried for pure joy.
DEAR DARLING BERTHA-Will you forgive
the little ruse by which sought to learn il
what had ventured to hope for was really true
that you did care for me2 wanted TO read in
your dear face whether such sentiments from
me would DO acceptable TO you, and what
saw there has cmboldened me to send this let
ter-tenfold denrer to me because your dear
hands traced tito assure you that you and
you only were the one for whom 1t was intend
ed and the one object of my hearts sincere Of
fection. May como tomorrow? Just say one
little ives" We can say the rest when we
meet. Your devoted, JOHN RAEBURN.
"The dear, darling, wicked, deceitful fel.
lowi" exclaimed Bertha In one tremen
dous rapture Of joy and surprise. 40 take
such mean advantage of me and make me
write my own love letter. Never mind
l had the double PLEASURE of reading it and
hearing it and knowing that it came right
warm from his heart. And wasn't so fan
out of the way in applying so many of those
expressions to myself and fancying how
would regard them. Say yes indeed
SHALL"
And springing up she went over to hei
desk, selected her very prettiest sheet OF
note paper, wrote on it simply the words:
DEAR Jous-Yes. BERTHA.
sealed it, kissed the envelope and had ii il
the postbox at the corner, with the specia
delivery stamp which John had thought
fully inclosed TO facilitate Its journey, AMI
went back to eat her supper to the las
mouthful and then to enjoy good, com
Portable, grateful cry before she fell ASLEEP
with smile on her pretty lips.
What John said when he came next morn
ing, what delightful day they passed ant
what lovely ring adorned Bertha's finge
when he released her hand at parting arr
not matters that need to be dilated upon.-
London Tit.Bits.