The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1894-05-25
Hunt never came again, and roor

AAhNo y ooo ldhl
had decided the matter for her as
she decided everything else.
ct, in spite of this, poor Adeline
cried when sine put the old woman's
dog's-eared books and crumpled pa
pers into the fire, with the yellow
letters that Granduncle Fosset has
written her before they were mar
ried, and the lack of faded flaxen
hair that she had cut off from the
coftined head of her only baby, dead
sixty years since.
This letter is a different color
from the rest" she said meohanl.
cally, as she sorted out the discol-
ored heap "Look, Aurora, do you
think"
She checked herself abruptly as
she fitted on a pair Of spectacles (that
first concession to the standard of
approaching old age) and scrutinized
the folded pie e Of paper still more
closely.
"Why," said she, ''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
she had een it in China or Patagon a.
She turned pale and began to trem-
BILE.
"Why, Addie, what's the matter?"
said Aurora, looking up from a chest
OF miIdewed garments, which she
wa examining.
Don't come near me-" flashed out
Addie. "It's my letter-I'm going
to read it myself"
Aurora looked at her in silence.
"It's from DR.. Hunt" gasped poor
AdeIine. "Wrltten twenty odd years
ago, and asking me to be his wife.
And Grandaunt Miriam had hidden
it away, and l never knew anything
of it. Oh, Aurora! Oh, Aurora,
what must he have thought"
And the poor, faded little woman
burst into tears-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-"
~ don't know what I would do"
Aurora answered slowly. ''Twenty
years ago is twenty years ago"
But he wrote this letter to me,
and 1 never got it! And he has a
right to an aDswer!"
Eyes. I s'pose he has"
Adeline 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 foated down through the misty
air outside, MISUNDERSTANDING!
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
womanhood.
At sunset Adeline r%earranged her
hair, bathed her face and tied on her
little Grape bonnet, with the stiff,
white frill in front.
what are you going to do?"
Aurora asked.
Ppm going to him." said AdeIine.
''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
in it, and he was 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 dust that
followed the wheels.
"Oh, Adeline." said Eustacia Bent,
1--WE were just going to your house!
l wanted to see if l could get you
DR.. Hunt was taking me there
when I met you. He has asked me
to be his wife. I am to be married
to him in January"
Eustacia Bent's fair, dimpled face
was all aglow; her blue, long-lashed
eyes shone like stars; the roses of last
June were not pinker than her
CuCChd ShV was uWO WOuUy.
Adeline Field was 40. The elder
woman, with a pang, recognized the
contrast, and in that moment all the
newly-revived hope died out of her
heart forever.
mo" said she, 1--WE can't take in
any sewing. We're getting ready for
boarders We are busy l guess
you'll have to get some one else,
Eustacia- But--but l wish you joy,
all the same. I hope you'll be very
happy-you and DR.. Hunt"
She turned and crept home again.
The sun had dipped below the hori-
son now; the air vas chilly and grey
and frosty-fit omen of her coming
years of solitude. AS she walked
spiriJlessly along, she felt as if her
heart were a lump of lead within
her.
s'Well?" Aurora breathlessly asked,
as she re-entered the d small old
house, where the neglected fire was
dying on the iron dogs, and a melan-