The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-03-13

half q dozen letters, yellow with age and
somewhat rat eaten.
see hero. Lyddy. are these any good'"
asked ne, holding cut the lettels. 81 found
'em down behind the wainscOtine. I
s'pOse they re just trash what got brushed
aside an no account whatever
The postmjsJres, OF Canaan Corners
took the letters with but little show OF in
terest People were always running 10
her with tribes and asking her unneces-
sary questions
Twenty h=e years. Yes it had been
Just that long since she had seen John
ButteTworth-siace he gave her lover :
look and them, Chesrily assuring her that
they would soon meet Gsl.E, had gone 10
New York
Their letters had been earnest and full
of feeling and finally he wrote asking her
II she would marry him. telling her that
he had not been successful ID business as
Jet, but that II she said yes be would
come back 70 Canaan Corners, and they
would 60 TO Chicago.
Btavely had she Tcnncd favorable an
swer. and then she waited. Al the dying
OF great hope,
How tenaciouSly it clinas 60 lifel How
anxiousiy she awaited tidincs from john
BuJterworth, But none came. The sum
mers came and went. Twenty Eve years
ago, and she had been thinning Of John
ButterwOrJh THAI Gay.
Looks - If rats had chawed EN- sOuo.
don't it, asked the carpenter rs Lydia
stepped closer 20 the window u inspect
the musty letters. The very first one %
the lot gave her senses a shCck-John But
terwortb, Bulls head Hotel, Bowery, y.
Y. City"
The rcd sur turned black. The Canaan
Corners posJolfiCe b~gan spinning around
and bobhing up amt down. \ hurricane
seemed to catch her and dash her head
against "a distant cliff.
There, Their Miss Iyddy. - said the
big carpenter tanning her with his straw
hat. The heats been too much fur ye,
guess.
Trembling like n child, she once more
looked At the lcttor-her own letter Of ac-
ceptance-piizhtinc her truth for better or
for worse, through evil and good report.
II seemed 10 her - If her heart would
burst in agony She knew now why John
But;erworth had never come back. She
had appeared 70 him as unwilling 20 share
his fortunes.
Lydia Spencer was n firm woman. In
justice 70 herself she determined 10 make
an effort 10 reach John Buttcrworth with
the belstcd letter
II had no postmark Taking the marker,
she removed the figures ''gi" and subst;-
tuted "G9. "
Then, writing a note 10 the proprietor
of the Bulls Head hotel, New York city,
Il 4. L & -. l. D
caco. Nervously she let IL fall into the
. gaping mouth Of tho mailtag. The stage
took it on its way that night
Two weeks later a gray haired man, one
Of ChicagO's leading capitalists, was one
morning opening his mail lie came To a
yellowcd envelope which had been for
warded from New York. Il b1re several
rubber stamp marks, and a Chicago post
Office clerk had written on #:
Try 36l Dearborn.
send Jack in. " said joan Butterworth
70 his head clerk
Jack, my boy, " said the father in n
low voice and uervousIy. read this old
letter which has been IS years in reaching
Inc.
Jack, " continued the elder after BIS
request had been complied with, you
Will have 10 postpone your vacation. I'm
going % take one al Canaan Corners. y.
i. never expected % marry again after
your dear mothers death. my boy. but II
tho writer Of that letter j. alive and will
ing you'll have 4 new mother inside Of
two weeks
TIo C,-.,- fr~--,--s -..,, r-,. ,-cr, -,