The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1893-08-29


sat down and wrote her a declaration OF
his love- II was a long letter and hts read
it over after he had written it with a sat
isfied look. He sealed it in an envelope
and addressed it to the seaside resort to
which she had gone. 1t was the next best
thing to verbal proposal and gave him
a wonderful amount of comfort as he sur
veyed the envelope bearing her name.
1t was late in the night and usually he
would have laid the letter on the table to
be mailed in the morning.
He went out and posted it in the corner
mail box.
1t had been just six weeks since Jack
Livingstone was at the club. vixen the
ghost of his former self. weak, pale and
thin. walked into the cIubroom ii his old
punctual manncr-just rs the hands of the
clock signifcd 10 o'clock-and seated him
self at his favorte window.
What am | going 10 tell now will explain
Jacks looks.
That night after he had mailed his letter
to the majors daughter. Jack returned
to his room There, his brain Whir!inS
with the events of the day and night, he
fell asleep with all the windows of his
room open and the door ajar. The result
was that he caught cold despite the saying
that fools, lovers and drunkards have Il
special guard of angels placed at their dis
posal by kind Providence and it was Il
bad cold which became worse, and then
dangerous, and before it was through with.
Jacks life was despaircd of.
All this time no answer had come from
Miss Marie.
The day after he sent the letter a fool
ish fear sprang up in Jacks heart-he
fancied he had forgot to put a stamp on it.
But he reasoned himself out of that fancy
for the outlines of the letter were traced in
dciibly upon his memory. When he
brought this memory before his minds eye,
he could see a deicately tinted envelope
with the address, Miss Marie Morton,
one corner he could see the stamp; it was
a green, cent stamp. Then he smiled to
himself for he remembered he hunted
among his Old papers for because he
thought the great, big, clumsy Columbian
stamp looked too loud to carry the letter
Oh It's sweet errand.
The major and his family had gone only
three or four days when Jack was sent to
bed by his physician, who was also a friend
and admlrer of Jacks. In two days he
was ueIlrDus, and mt the club and among
all his friends il WAS whispered around
and be it said with genuine sorrow-that
Jack Livingstone, the handsome, Good-na-
tured, gallant Jack, was dying of typhoid
pneumonia. In his sane intervals he talk
ed more than was good for him-talkcd
about everything except that nearest his
heart. his poor parched lips trembling and
stammerin% as he spoke. At these times
he told himself that he did not want TO
live. but his vigorous body and strong con-
stiut.2n were baked ~ il ahsolQa g.
MAJ OF this sentiment by his great love for
the majors daughter; and then he had a
lot of pride, this same young Mr.. Living
stone. and he began to think he would just
like to show the young lady how little he
actually cared for her--that he regarded his
proposal in the light Of false step which
meant nothing. Thus it was that Honest
Jack struggled and fought with John
Livingstone. His thoughts during this pc
Rod We may lay to the fact that his let
ter had never been answered.
Jack did get well, and, after desperate
illness of four weeks, he was allowed to
SIT, propped up with pillows, in a big
chair and battle IN the health-giving sun
shine. Then he was given a lettcr--N
letter that his doctor told him had been
delivered two or three weeks before. Jack
glanced at the supcrscrption and his breath
came in short catches his heart tiuttering
up into his throat. This he attributed to
his late illness and present weakness. 1t
was the answer of his proposa-,Iack felt
sure of it. Would it be yes, Or-or-
But evidently he couldn't bear to think
of the other side of the question,
veope open and unfolded the letter. At
one glance he could read the Introduction,
the body and the signature; it was a short
note asking him to join the majors party
at the seaside. Miss Marie had written
it for her father acted merely as his sec
rotary. With remarkable strength he
crumpled the stout paper in his bony hand
and tossed ii carelessly in a corner.
All this. briefly told, was the cause of
Jack LvingsJone's thin, pale face as he
sat gazing out of the window on the morn
ing of his first day at the club since his
illness.
AS he sat at the window watching the
gay equipages flash by, his thoughts We're
bitter-bittcr against himself, against the
woman he loved: bitter against the world
lnyoIuntarily, even in his bitterness he
placed himself and the majors daughter
in juxtaposition to the world rather to
the rest of it, for he thought there was
little in it now. The longer Jack sat ut
the window alone, the more melancholy
he became. He rallied at himself for not
having proposed to Miss Marie the night
she left; then he cursed himself for having
written the letter of proposal; and finally
a feeling of curiosity oYercame him, and
he began to speculate on the ways and
Wherefores of her refusal to answer his let
ter. Then one of the major ) dissertations
on the peculiarities of women came to
his mind. and he wondered how he had
come to take the majors advice and propose
even by letter; but he was no longer sur
prised that the letter remained unansWcr-
ed
Before Jacks thoughts had gone any
further, well-llnown turnout drove up,
and, to his surprise, both the major and
the colonel got out. They didn't look up at
the window and Jacks salute was given
unnoticcd 1t WAS some little time be-
fore he heard the footsteps of his two
friends, and then the majors hearty voice
was heard to say:
"Dcvilish lucky? We'll, l should say 50.
| told the old lady that we attended the
deaf and dumb convention
And the peals of enjoyable laughter
laughter that made Jack weak as he was,
laugh too in remembrance of the good jokes
that always came from such outbreaks
preceded the pair through the curtaned
doorway.
Jacks ride to the club had been taken
with the sanction of his physician. but he
felt that he was still weak: and his feel
ing became the stronger when he stood
M in his courteous way to greet his trends
The major, pushing the curtain 70 one
side to save his rev hat, caught sight OF
him first and cried out:
lack. old man. how are you! We dldn t
hear from YOU while we were away Mare
saws that she is mad at you for not an
swering my note: she is the one that pro-
uose1 inviting yOu--why. what's the mat
fer. Jack. old fellow? You look pale and
weak" exclaimed the major, as he came
nearer to Jack talking all the time and
shook hands with him
Nothing half muttered Jack, for he
wig trv;ny to think and talk at the same