The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1894-05-24

JUNK Lleu'cdl STUDENT then-had
walked home from the historical lcc.
lures with her, one bleak March
evening, and G%randaunt Miriam had
never asked him TO come in and
warm himself.
III you're goin' to keen comnanv
with any one. Adeline." the old wo.
man had sourly uttered, 'Iet it be
with some one that can support Won
decently. l hain't no ia tn in these
sproutin' doctors"
Ihere was the end OF it. Doctor
HUNT never came again, and roor
Adellne remained an ungathered
rose upon the family stem. She had
liked Francis Hunt: she had even
Deen wlld enough to fancy that he
ilked her. But Grandaunt Miriam
mad decided the matter for her as
n decided everything else.
Yet, in spite OF this, poor Adelipe
cried when she put the old woman's
dog's-earcd books and crumpled pa
pers into the fire, with the yellow
letters That Granduncle Fosset has
written her before they were mar.
RED, and the lack of faded laxen
hair that she had cut off from the
confined head Of her only baby, dead
sixty years since.
This letter is a different color
from the rest" she said merhan,.
cally. as she sorted out the discol-
ored heap. "I-ook, Aurora, do you
Think
She checked herself abruptly as
she lifted on a pair Of spcctacles that
nrSt concession to the standard of
approaching ole age) and scrutinized
the folded pie e of paper still more
closely.
Why" said she, 1.-THE seal amt
broken! Why, it's directed to me-"
1t was directed to her, and in DR..
Hunts peculiar angular hand writ
ing that She would have known if
n had seen it in China or Patagonia.
She turned pale and began to trem-
BILE.
''Why, Addie, what's the matter?:o
said Aurora. looking up from a chest
OF mildewed garments, which she
was examining.
Don't come near me" flashed out
Addie. Its my letter-I'm going
to read it myself"
Aurora looked at her in silence.
''It'S from DR.. Hunt" gasped poor
AdeIine. written twenty odd years
ago, and asking me to be his wife.
And Grandaunt Miriam had hidden
it away, and | never knew anything
of it. Oh, Aurora. Oh. Aurora,
what must he have thought"
And the poor, faded little woman
burst into tcars-the tears which in
middle age So fearfully unbecoming.
Its queer enough, amt it," said
Aurora.
What would you do, Aurora:"
faltered Adeline. "Would you go to
him-wOuld you-"
Il don't know what l would do"
Aurora answered slowly. Twenty
years ago is twenty years ago"
''But he wrote this letter to me,
and | never got it. And he has IA
right to an answer"
'Yes. l s'pose he has"
Adelinc thought it over all day.
There was no more work for her
She sat at the window, with the
time-yellOwed letter in her lap, star
ing out at the Autumn leaves as
they flOated down through the misty
air outside, Observation-Disclosures.
Aurora glanced at her sometimes.
but she did not speak. She herself.
a hard-favOred masculine woman. had
never had a lover: she could not help
feeling a secret reverence for the Sis
ter who had attained this crown of
%womannOOd.
At sunset Adeilne r~earranged her
hair, batEed her face and tied on her
little craze bonnet, with the Stiff,
white frill in front.
What are you going to do::"
Aurora asked.
Pm going to him. said Adeline.
.'Im going TO show him this letter
and tell him all-how it happened"
But as she trugged along the leaf
carpeted Autumn lanes DR.. Hunts
carriage whirled by. He was sitting
i'm it, and he vas not alone. AS AIDE
line stopped and looked after it, the
Doctor checked his horse. A pretty,
red checked girl got out. And then
the Doctor dove on. Still Adeline
stood there, looking at the DIST that
followed the wheels.
..Oh, Adeline." said Eustac:a Bent.
1--WE we're just going to your house.
| wanted to Zee if i could get you
and Aurora to do some sewing for
me. DR.. Hunt vas taking me there
when l met you. He has asked me
to be his wife. | am to be married
to him in January"
Eustacia Bent's fair, dimpled face
was all aglow: her blue, lOng-lashed
ewes shone like stars; the roses of last
June were not pinker than ner