The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1894-04-05


all lntents and purposes this letter
while having the added merit of being
legible-is as confidential as if it were
IN reality penned as dictated by me.
81 have enjoyed your acquaintance
now for number of months Miss
Wilson's checks grew q little more
vivid just here "Short as that time
has apparently been. it has been sufli-
cient to reveal to me the fact that you
have awakened sentiment much
deeper and more lasting than can be
comprised within or implied by the
word friendship. The disparity in
our years has made me difident 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
cxtinguish-that my affection is re-
turned. Will you kindly give me an
answer, dearest friend, and kindly
make my suspense q brief one? If
fate is adverse L must bear it like q
man; if you grant my suit [ will not
wish to lose a moment in hearing your
lips confirm the precious news. Please
let me have reply by the first post
in the morning, and believe me, under
any and all circumstances, devotedly
your friend. D."
"There," said Mr.. Raeburn, after
treating himself to a prolonged sur
vey from behind his hand at the pretty
face, now flushed and Enthusiastically
agitated that bent over the note book.
"You are a young lady of taste, Miss
Wilson, and 1 should like your opin-
ion. How do you think that sounds?
Not very fowery, 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 convenient cough.
''Thank you? If the lady for whom
it IS intended will only regard it as ap
preciatively / shall have little fear"
replied Mr.. Raeburn, with a very
beamjng 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 L shall
spend the day with my friend and the
Office will be closed. SO you can have
a holiday and enjoy yourself. t."
"Thark you, sir, another unmis-
taxable quiver of the pretty chin this
time.
If Miss Wilson could have seen the
look on her employers face few min
utes after she left the office, her
thoughts would have taken a 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 q hasty scrawl at the bot
tom, addressed and enveloped it and
took it to the postoffice 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
morsel OF appetite.
As she sat toying with her spoon
there came ring at the door, and IN
another moment letter with Especial
delivery stamp was placed in her
hands
She opened it, glanced at the first
few lines, then fell back with low
crv. while an expression of mingled IN
credulity and rapture overspfead her
face and when she came to the last
few lines, written in hand which, be-
tween natural imperfections and agita-
ton was reduced to series OF hero
glyphics has nothing short OF the IN
sniration of love could have enabled
her to decipher, she just cried 1or pure