The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1894-10-17


Nevertheless another letter was writ
en-, and i'm DolIy's delicate chirogra-
,hy. Nor did Fred's subsequent ex-
PRESTON of satisfaction arise wholly |
rom the epistle itself, rather from the
-oung girls subservience TO his wishes.
As before a lapse of ten days brought
he reply. SO, also, did each such sue
,eeding interval for several months
hereafter. And they certainly yield |
ii no small fund of entertainment. |
The writer albeit he invariably an
,wered by return mail, was by no |
means of a lovelorn disposition; he
;trayed into anecdote, thence TO humor |
md with results, in a crude way, inf
nitely amusing, Fred, too, it has since
been asserted, soon viewed the cores
pondence from another standpoint; in
deed, it did permit him to visit Dolly
with frequency prohibited by conven-
But it must he confessed that Mr..
Witham speedily began to chafe under
the restraint of combining words TO a
mailbag. Each letter contained its
appeal that he be permitted TO visit the
city. Nor were his plants without a
certain element of the pathetic. His
ranch was 60 miles from civilization
and refinement; that 60 miles he now
TO receive-only letter.
"And he's scarcely to be blamed,
Dolly" Fred ouce observed. ''Think
of what his longing would be had he
seen your own features, instead of
Mile. Clio'sr' Then he contemplated
the girls fair face with a smile, and,
turning away hummed a bar of some
thing about n letter that never
came.
Meantime, however, there arrived a
day when the newspapers again had
occasion to publish Jake Witham's
name 1t was only brief notice, tele-
graphic, and recounting the destruc-
ton by fire of Quemadura Flat the set
tlement wherein that gentleman re-
ceived his mail. He had been present
at the time-presumably awaiting the
accustomed letter-and had generously
donated 500 To those rendered home
less.
As the item met Fred's eye change
came ever his face and, clipping it from
the paper, he conveyed it TO Miss Hal
sted.
'I'm rather sorry, after all, Dolly,
that we selected such Il man for fool, +"
he said with "A seriousness, TO him, un-
usual. Ale certainly appears TO have
a heart and a big one"
Dolly smiled, albeit somewhat satiri-
cally.
''It's the dollar, not the sentiment,
with you, Fred" she astutely RETURN
ed.
Fred made no reply. Possibly his re-
spect for gold was characteristic adj
mitting no denial.
But the young girl was again perus-
ing the report, and in the last line she
encountered foar words previously un-
noticed: ''Mr. Williams badly injur-
ed"
Her face was slightly paler as she
looked up.
"He's given more than his dollars,
Fred" she said in low tone.
Fred looked grave. At the same
time there was depicted i'm his express
sion a vague sense of relief.
''Well, that lets me out" he return
ed. ''To tell the truth, Dolly, | was
beginning 10 wonder how we could eX-
tricate ourselves gracefully"
Bat Fred erred, and that gravely, in
believing he was 10 escape .hus easily
from the correspondence which he had
begun. Three days later he was again
summoned into Miss Halsted's pres
ence, and that young lady met him
with look of blank dismay. She had
received another letter from Mr.. Wit
ham and of "A character vastly d dissimi-
lar to those of earlier date Moreover,
a small package accompanied the let
ter. Within reposed a ring whose
glistening stone was worthy TO grace
even Dolly's tapering fingers, and he
was following the ring.
''Herer' the young girl calculated,
almost tearfully. "He's coming
herer'
Fred knit his brow; manifestly he
was disconnected, and he took the let
ter from her hand. But there was no
loophole for misconstruction. The
writer was HO longer an appealing
swain, suing for favor; he had met
with an accident-had narrowly escap-
ed death, and by it was warned that
delay frequently entailed disaster At
the closing statement, however, Fred
exhibited some slight relief Mr.. Wit
ham did not intend roping u wife as he
would steer-unannounced. He
would await Miss Weldon's pleasure at
the Palace Hotel.
"And we'll have to meet him there. -
Fred declared in tone of despera-
tion.
Eve" the young tirl exclaimed,
''I'm not Miss Weldon"
"Well, | viii, then" Fred returned.
"But what will tell him-that you're
sick, dead, or have left the city?D
Miss Halsted shook her head.
"That would only mean procrastina-
tion, with an explanation still TO be
made" she said, obviously
''No; if you are going TO meet him
If you dare to meet him-tell him the
truth"
Fred WINGED. Ii had not previously
occurred 10 him that All encounter
with Mr.. Witham might entail bodily
discomfort.
'Do-do you suppose he'll fight" he
queried, half absently.
Il hope 80; you deserve il, was the
young girls reply. Then she paused
and her eyes sparkled mischievously
as she noted her companions detection.
mo; | don't mean that, Fred" she
added; II would not like you to get
hurt. But you must see him."
And | will, Dolly" was Fred's
earnest rejoinder, his love for her sex
fast tending toward Capitalization.