Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1894-12-20

had 1T late last night" she said. Then,
sudden memory came over her. She
added, anxiously: Blossom, you had
sisters thimble last night. You took
it from my finger. Get it for me now,
that l may mend your pretty white
apronv'
Blossom trotted from corner to cor
ner with pucl<ered brow of grave
perplexity and her rosy thumb in her
mouth, sure sign of perturbation.
Mabel and Nanny joined in the search,
diligently, but all in vain.
''Oh, dear! the little mischief, she is
always losing some of my things,
sighed Mabel, impatiently. "There
was my gold pen that went SO strange
ly, my tooth brush, dozens of spools OF
embroidery silks, and-ever so many
trifies. But she can never remember
what she did with a single thing! She
must have found a crack in the floor
or wall to poke things in. Think now,
pet, with all your might. Where did
you hide sisters thimble?"
Blossom, with her most cherubic air
of innocence, was thinking deeply, and
to some purpose this time, for suddenly,
with shout of joy like an infantile
Columbus discovering new America,
she rushed to the rose-jar.
''Indat-evysing in dere!" she lisped,
joyfully, and boldly overturned the
pot-pourri upon the floor.
Oh, the flood of sweetness, the sum.
mer-time perfume in the wintry air as
the spices and witnered roses poured in
reckless waste upon the warm carpet
A cry of dismay rose from Mabel's lips,
but Nanny and Blossom were already
on their knees scattering the fragrant
mass and bringing to light all the lost
treasures.
And suddenly Mabel saw in Nam.
my's fat black hand square, cream.
tinted envelope, sealed with pale-blue
wax, and on the back her own name in
Arthur's writing: Miss Mabel Langley
Miller.
sob, my Lor' Almighty, dat lost let.
| ter! Da's whar she done hid it, dat
little mischief" the old woman was
half sobbing when Mabel caught il
from her hand.
She thought at first that it was one
of Arthur's old love letters, but sud
denly she saw that the seal was UNI
broken, and cried, tremblingly
NANNY, Nanny, how came this
here? When-how-" her voice
broke in sob, and the old woman
whimpered:
"Taint nothin' important, is it, Miss
Mabel, honey? Cause, how, maybe
I've been wrong that 1 never tole you
! bout it sooner! Dot letter I'D know
it ag'in anywhares-kemt to our house
the day of poo mars fun'el, darlin'
and jest lay it down in you room
a'tendin' to glib it ter you bimeby
when you come up stairs from crying
ODER de corpse. Feared lax 1 jest
turned round and dat letter was gone.
Blossom, she was a-stanin' close to de
fire, an t'ouht she done took en- burn
it up. Use feared you'd be mad bout
it, so neber telled you; and when de
niger ken dat ebenin' for de answer
telled him thar wasn't none. Oh, dat
little mischief, she done hid it in de
rose-jar all dis time''
sob, Nanny, Nanny, you've
wrecked my life! I'll never forgive
you-never, never!" walled Mabel, las she
broke the seal of the dear letter whose
secret the old rose-jar had kept those
two long weary years.
And under date of two years ago
Arthur had written in a passion Oh
love and remorse and tenderness:
"MY DARLING MABEL: 1 was in the
wrong, from first to last. Will yos
forgive me, and make up our dreadful
quarrel?
II have never been happy one
moment since we parted. 1 will never
flirt again if you will take me back
again, my darling.
my heart aches for you in your loss
and sorrow, my own sweet love, but !
will love you enough to make up fol-
everything when once you are my dar.
ling wife. Blossom shall be my little
sister. Send me one word, my Mabel
to put me out of my misery and bid me
come to you! Your ARTHUR"
She turned on the old black woman,
her blue eyes haggard with despair.
1.-THE letter was from Arthur, to make
up our quarrel" she cried. "You
knew all about it. then, how we loved
each other and how we parted. But
now it is too late, forever too later
and she fell sobbing, with her lovely
face against the withered roses of that
golden summer when she and Arthur
had been happy together.
So black Nanny, with sob of dis
may, rushed from the room, and Bios
som crouched over the scattered pot
pourri in round eyed amazement.
Mabel alternately kissed and wept
over the letter all day long, but in the
early cleaning she heard a manly
footstep inside the room.
"Miss Mabel, honey, 1 done fetch
him back to you, darlin'," sobbed a
voice outside the door, and the girl
sprang to her feet in bewilderment.
A pair of tender arms clasped her to
a warm, manly breast, dark, glorious
eyes beamed love into her own, fond
lips chung yearningly to hers, and Ar
thur Earle breathed, with deep emo
ton: