The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1894-03-14

comprised within or implied by the
word friendship The disparity in
our years has made me diffident of ex-
pressing these sentiments to you, but
have finally resolved to make my
plea, with the hope that it will not
prove an insuperable obstacle to my
deep, sincere and devoted affection for
you; and with the further hope
which it remains with you to ratify or
extinguish-that my affection is re-
turned. Will you kindly give me an
answer, dearest friend, and kindly
make my suspense brief one? If
fate Is adverse / must bear it like n
man; il you grant my suit l will not
wish to lose a moment in hearing your
lips confirm the precious news Please
let me have a reply by the first post
in the morning, and believe me, under
any and all circumstances, devotedly
your friend"
"There," said Mr.. Raeburn, after
treating himself to a prolonged sur
vcy from behind his hand at the pretty
face, now flushed and unmistakably
agitated that bent over the note book.
"You are a young lady of taste, Miss
Wilson, and should like your opin-
ion. How do you think that sounds?
Not very fiowery, eh?"
''No, sir; but, what is better
straightforward and manly" replied
Bertha, with just the faintest little
tremor in her voice, which she skill
fully concealed or fancied she did
by a convenient cough.
"Thank you? II the lady for whom
il is intended will only regard it as ap-
preciatively 1 shall have little fear, 4"
replied Mr.. Raeburn, with very
beaming expression. "Now, if you
will kindly copy the letter for me that
will close the work for today And
you need not come down tomorrow,
for if the answer is favorable 1 shall
spend the day with my friend and the
Office will be closed. SO you can have
a holiday and enjoy yourself. "
"Thank you, sir, another unmis-
taxable quiver of the pretty chin this
time.
II Miss Wilson could have seen the
look on her employers face few min
utes after she left the office, her
thoughts would have taken very diff
ferent turn.
Eureka Eureka he exclaimed.
81 am answered! Bless her dear
little ingenious soul, she could not
keep the tell-tale story out of her eyes
and voice. They betrayed her with
every sentence of the letter. John
Raeburn, you are the luckiest man
alive!"
Then picking up the finished letter
he first pressed it rapturously to his
lips, added hasty scrawl at the bot
tom, addressed and enveloped it and
took it to the postofiice himself; then
went on home, whistling like boy.
Meanwhile Bertha Wilson had
reached her home, put her things away
with scrupulous care, spread her little
table and sat down for the first time
in her healthy young life without a
morsel of appetite.
AS she sat toying with her spoon
there came a ring mt the door, and in
another moment letter with special.
delivery stamp was placed in her
hands.
She opened it, glanced at the first
few lines, then fell back with lew
cry, while an expression of mingled in
credulity and rapture overspread her
face I; and when she came to the last
few lines, written in n hand which, be-
tween natural imperfections and agita-
ton was reduced to a series of hero
glyphics has nothing short of the in
spiration of love could have enabled
her to decipher, she just cried for pure
JOY.
Dear, Darling Bertha" it said,
''will you forgive the little ruse by
which 1 sought to learn what l had
ventured to hope was really true
that you did care for me? 1 wanted
to read in your dear face whether such
sentiment from me would be accept
able to you, and what l saw there was
emboldened me to send this letter
-tenfold dearer to me because your
dear hands traced ito assure you
that you and only you were the one