The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-07-21
LOVE UNDER A STAMP.
Tho Ingenious Way John Redmond
Courted His Sweetheart

for mamma and one for you, Renie,
and the plump, good-natured schoolgirl
| figure of fourteen threw herself upol
the porch settee and began tanning her
self vigorously with the cover from of
her head.
Mercy! but it's warm" she ex
claimed, after tanning for moment
How cool you look, Rcnie, andas swce
as peach. But, there, what are yor
! blushing SO about? didn't think a com
| plinent from your great overgrown sis
ter would have such an effect If it hal
! only come from john"
The slender, dark-eyed girl. dressed in
! the daintiest of white muslin gowns
which set off her shapely shoulders and
arms with bewitching grace, had
! checked the impetuous speech Of her
younger sister by warning motion OF
her finger, which was long and white
and slender and tapering.
! ''You had better not keep mamma
waiting for her letters" said she. land
| you may just mention to her that you
] brought me one from Mr.. John Red
| mond, which / will leave on the mantel
| for her. if she cares to see it,
Evaline looked up in surprise when
she received this message, but she
! could read no explanation in her sister,
face. The long lashes dropped until
they almost rested upon the cheek, and
there was demure, self-satisficd some
thing about the expression Of lrene'a
countenance.
AS soon as her sister had disappeared
with the letters and the message Irene
tripped lightly within, fastened to her
room, dipped the corner of her hand
kerchief in water pitcher on the wash
stand as she passed it. as though she
had need Of rubbing some stains from
her dainty finger tips before they
touched the missive inclosed in the
plain white envelope, which was adj
dressed in dashing, lawyer-like hand:
Miss Irene Middleton. Iredell," and
which bore upon its upper right-hand
corner the postmark: ''Bluntville," OPP
posite the Columbian two-cent stamp.
But if Evaline had supposed there
must be something in this letter which
John Redmond, the handsome young
fellow who had been SO ardent an adj
nlirer of her sister last summer, had
written her, which would make her
heart beat quicker, she ought to have
been there to glance over her sisters
shoulder as she read the commonplace
sentences which barely filed single
half-sheet of note paper inclosed in the
envelope. 1t ran:
MISS MIDDLEToN:--I hope you will pardon
your family in thus addressing you in an at
tempt TO restore TO you piece Of lost property
which was identified By the friends al Elm Grove
yours You Will receive by express to-day q
parcel containing your parasol, which trust
will reach you unchanged The friends at Elm
Grove join ne in wishing YOU pleasant winter
at 1rcdell and a sure return next summer to
the circle OF which you formed so delightful
member. May not crave the honor OF being
remembered TO your esteemed father and
mother, and also express the wish that some
fortunate accident may throw il within my
power to become better acquainted with them.
Hoping you will not mention so slight thing
as the attention have paid to your property, I
remain, yours, JOHN REDMOND.
This prOsy missive was soon after de-
posted upon the mantel below, accord
ing to the instructions given to Evaline,
with as much Indifference as so matter
of-fact and unsuggestive epistle seemed
to merit
Irene's mother must have shared
somewhat the feelings of her younger
daughter as she finished reading it for
The third or fourth time, and then laid
1t back in its place upon the nantel
with shade of expression upon her
which could perhaps best
be described as relief mi. gled some
what with disappointment.
But, upstairs, Irene sat mlsing in her
own boudoir, still holding in her left
hand the lace handkerchief with
the subtle scent of white lilac partially
the envelope, as though that
portion of the letter which is usually
thrown into the waste basket was to
her the part most full Of pleasing
thoughts.
'O!' she said, sprirging up from her
revcrie, perhaps I'd better take this
envelope downstairs and leave it with
the letter"
AS she made movement to do SO,
she first hastily thrust something into
her pocket.
But just as she was about to descend /
the steps she noticed one thing more. |
The stamp from the envelope had be- |
come detached by the moisture still re- |
tanned in the corner of her handker- |
chief, and was clinging to the handker-
chief and not to the envelope.
Going to pretty escritoire she deft-
= gummed it. and reattached it to it's
former place upon the envelope by the
1elp of a blotter.
AS she did SO her eyelashes again !
dropped low upon her cheeks, and there
came into her face that demure look,
which seems to say to the beholder:
See how guileless am"
$50 John Redmond has been writing
@ Irene?" queried Mr. Middleton OF his
wife that evening as they sat together
n the library after he had heard an &C
count of the days events.
81 was afraid of something like that.
You know he seemed quite smitten
With her last summer.
Pooh! nothing but 4 penniless law
-er, and likely to be SO for good many
ears to come. We couldn't think of
ueh thing. you know. She showed
-ou the letter? All, that is it
We'll, well; declare! Very straight
Onward and matter-of-fact A mere
natter of returning q lost parasol
Still. you can't tell how much hidden
meaning there may be in these things
Did he pay the express charyes?"
just then their little dialogue was
L.
he subjects of their remarks.
az