The Opelousas courier., 1893-08-19

hearing that she had accepted Adlow,
and if she should tell me of a refusal,
I feared that she would meet lightly
the confession that her boyish lover
was her lover still in manhood. l was
weak-cowardly, but could not help It,
Late in the afternoon I hurried back
to the house. Finding my uncle, L
told him untruthfully. but ~excusably,
perhaps-that I was called away by
business, and asked him to bid Grace
goodbye for me. He was a man OF few
words, and assented without comment
I had previously obtained his permits.
sion to take some article from the old
cedar chest as q memento. and ! now
hurried up to the TO select one
/ sat down upon the chest, tlghtlng
nv desire to call Grace from her room,
to tell her that our laughter over the
old times had, with me, changed to
love. and to beseech her not to marry
ALLOW. But l conquered. Grace was
too noble, too just, to accept anyone
even though sne might love him. I'D
this underhand mannef.
raised the lid of the chest and re-
moved the blanket, which was used as
o over, when my eye caught sight OF
AN article which had not been there
before. TWAS a letter newly addressed
and stamped. I took it up curlousiys
and instantly was thrown into perpleA-
ity. It was in Grace's writing, and
was addressed to Frederick Adlow-
the letter giving him her decision. L
plainly saw how it had happened. Hav-
ing written her acceptance, as believed
it to be, she had come into this room
to look through the chest, which had
been as interesting to her as to me-
and had accidentally left the letter
there. It was unsealed. and [ stood
still, crushing back, with violent self
scorn, a wild temptation to detaln 1T.
l took a step toward the door, with In
tent to call Grace, when / heard hasty
footsteps coming.
She came in, a~nxiously, and found
me with the unsealed letter IN my
hand. She paused in sudden confusion,
and ], distracted by the natural susp1'
cion to which the unsealed letter ex'
Fosed me, could only say
"Here is your letter, Grace"
.sHave you read it?" she said quick
Iva question she would not have asked
but for her confusion.
"Grace," I said r~eproachfully.
PLEASE forgive me, she cried, tak'
ing it from me. "Of course you have
not. left it here by mistake"
"And I have just found it. Ii you
will seal it l will mail it as l go to the
train. L am called away on business.
Mr.. Adlow will be here soon"
She had raised the envelope to her
! lips, but now stopped and looked at me
in that same peculiar manner.
"Ralph," she said, "Will you
never"
She blushed and dropped her head,
but there was a tone In her voice
which came as an interpreter of the
over which | had so often puzzled
1 made two hasty steps forward
paused doubtfully and asked:
"Will I never what, Grace?"
She looked looked up and I saw tears
in her eyes, but a smile was breaking
behind them, and, dropping her heac
again, she said softly and in her half
daring way: -,
'Never be anything but my boyisl
lover"
'Boyish," / repeated, a new glao
light dawning upon my uncertainty
l hurried to her and caught her hand
in mine. She let me have them ant
Welded tremblingly as I drew her owe
and sat down with her on the oil
cedar chest.
"Can it be true" I cried, "tha
your amusement was only meant t.
hide-to hide"
"Just what yours was meant t.
hide, wasn't it, Ralph" she interrupt
ed coyly. .
eyes, Grace, my love. which came agail
as soon as l saw you. But how easll,
we might have missed each other"
Indeed we might" she answered
Then, in a moment, "Oh, I'm SO glad
and to think that this dear old chest
that we liked SO in those happy days
should be the means of making us III
derstahd each other"
cit is glorious! And what
treasure I selected from it," l sal
merrily, taking the letter from he
hand and holding it up. "shall W
go out and mail it?"
eyes," she replied.
And SO we went out, along the grave
path and through the lane that led t
the village street, she carrying the LEI
ter in her hand; while the stars cam
out above us like the clusters ofbrigt
hopes that were already shining in on
lives.-Yankee Blade.