Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1893-10-13

she walked dejectedly home, while the
tears she could no longer restrain fell thick
and fast behind her protecting veil. THAT
Is only the preliminary to permanent sep
Rration from that office, for | cannot-no, |
cannot remain there and know that
What a foolish creature | am to suppose
that he would give thought to me. This
Is the end of those happy hours that have
made work 80 dclighr ,ul of the kind
friendship that has lightened every burden,
frightened every task. But | must not
think of it auy mOrc"-as the tears flowed
faster. at las bcv.- II foolish, idle fancy
Ind have b.,n justly punished for allow
ing myself to mistake natural kindly
courtesy and friendly interest for that deep
tr sentiment to which | would so gladly
have responded.
"The disparity in years would have been
no impairment to me, and if that lady
knows his goodness of heart half as well as
] do she may count herself a happy and
favored being for having won it, Well, |
will devote my holiday tomorrow in doing
tome of my back sewing. AS to enjoying
myself, would as soon expect to do that
at Il funeral--the funeral indeed of all the
hopes l have been so toolishly harboring."
If Miss Wilson could have seen the look
on her employ er's face few minutes after
she left the Office her thoughts would have
taken a different turn, but it is just as well
perhaps that we IRE not able to anticipate
even our good fortune.
"Eureka Eurekal' he exclaimed. II
am answered. Bless her dear little in
genious soul, she could not keep the tell
tale story out of her eyes and voice. They
betrayed her with every sentence of the
letter. John Raeburn, you are the luckiest
man alivel She little imagines the holiday
she will enjoy tomorrow if she answers me
as have now reason to believe she will.
That certainly was a heaven born inspira-
ton. There's nowhere | won't take her,
nothing that won't buy her. and if don't
make tomorrow u day in paradise it won't
be because don't try!'
Then picking up the finished letter, he
first pressed rapturously to his lips, added
n hasty scraWl at the bottom, addressed and
enveloped it and took it to the postofIice
himself, then went on home whistling like
u 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 Il mor,el of appetite.
AS she sat toying with her spoon there
came ring at the door, and in another
special
stamp was placed in her hands.
She opened it, 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 imperfectuns 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-W you forgive
the little rusc by which | sought to learn if
what had venlured to hope for was really true
that you did care for me? wanted to read in
your dear fac whether such sentiments from
me would DE acceptable to you, and what
saw there has emboldened me to send this let
ter-tenfo.d ucarer to me because your dear
hands u-ced ito assure you that you and
you only were the one for whom ii was intend
ed and the one object of my hearts sincere af
lection. May come tomorrow? just say one
little yes" We say the rest when we
meet. Your devoted, JOHN RAEBURN.
THE dear darling, wicked, deceitful fell
lowr' exclaimed Bertha in one tremen-
dous rapture of joy and surprise. "To take
such mean advantage of me and make me
write my own love letter. Never mind
| had the double pleasure of reading it and
hearing it and knowing that it came right
warm from his heart. And | wasn't so f'r
out of the way in applying so many of those
expressions to myself and fancying how
would regard them. Say yes indeed
shall"
And sprnging up she went over to her
desk, selected her very prettest sheet of
note paper, wrote on it simply the words:
DEAR JOHN Yes. BERTHA
sealed it, kissed the envelope and had it in
the postboX at the corner, with the special
delivery stamp which John had thought
fully inclosed to facilitate it's journey, and
went back to eat her supper to the last
mOuthful and then to enjoy "A good, com
Portable, grateful cry before she fell asleep
with smile on her pretty lips.
What John said when he camenext morn
ing, what a delightful day they passed and
what a lovely ring adorned Bertha's finger
when he released her hand at parting are
not matters that need To be dilated upon
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