Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1895-02-14

Ely
" Miss Allen !" 1 started up from
my rustic seat on the beach, awak-
ened from dreamy reverie, to see
only Teddy standing before me in
the gathering afternoon darkness.
with letter in his outstretched hand
" Papa has just got home from Bos-
ton," he announced, rather gayly,
land with lots of company. This
letter l have here, he found waiting
for you at the village postoffice, so
brought it along and told me to give
it to you"
"Thank you, my dear" 1 an
swered; and taking it from his out
stretched hand, little surprised, for
l had no regular correspondents, /
glanced at the superscription: miss
Regina Allen, Mattpoisett, Mass"
Certainly the letter was intended
for me. | am Regina Allen, yet the
chirography, which was in bold
dashing hand, was strange to me. /
had never seen it before.
Teddy had left me alone, without
word, to join his brother and sis
ters on the beach in search Of star
fish and Indian arrOw-heads, the lat
ter those ancient weapons which,
though very scarce, are sometimes
found along the shore of Buzzard's
Bay. l was only their governess,
and usually when their parents had
visitors to entertain / was expected
to remain with the children on the
beach till their bedtime. So I re-
sumed my seat where the tide broke
in little ripples amost at my feet,
thankful for the opportunity thus
made to read my letter in undis-
turbed quietude.
Just like woman, l examined it
curiously, wondering who it was
from before ebreaking the seal which,
by the way, was sealed elegantly,
which in old conventional style will
serve as remembrance of the sender
and Of the security of the contents
Of the letter.
AT last ! opened 1t, and after a
hasty glance at the signature, which
seemed to speak volumes, ! read,
with heaving bosom, as follows:
HARTFORD, CONN, !
august 18th, 1894. !
Dear, Dear Regina Il address
you with the familiarity Of an an
cient schoolmate, feeling positive in
my own mind that you will agree
with me In answering Burns beauti-
full words in the negative:
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
And the days of old lang syneT
have often thought of you, and
wondered how you were getting
along in the world, but as didn't
know your address, / couldn't write
to you. But, by chance, yesterday,
/ was fortunate enough to stumble
across your old family lawyer, Mr..
Treyenor, and he gave me the much
desired information which l have
sought for so many times in vain.
wanted 10 bless him on the spot J.
From his lips learned for the first
time Of your mothers death, and that
your step-father had squandered her
fortune, which should have belonged
to you by right. He told me that,
contrary to his earnest advice (Which
was to remain in his home until you
could find something better to do,
YOU had taken situation as gov
erness, so as to feel independent at
once.
dare say you thought In your
hour of trouble | had deserted you,
but such was not the case. My
thoughts have been with you always,
dear, and although wrote to you
several times after you went away to
boarding school, my letters were re-
turned to me with the curt notice
that 1t was against the rules of the
establishment 10 allow u young girl
to receive a letter from a mere
friend Of the opposite sex. And /,
since ! last saw you, have made so
many changes In residence that 1t
would he almost impossible for you
to locate me; but 1 suppose you
never tried to seek me out.
I much desire to meet you again,
and shall anticipate an early reply to
this letter, which necessarily must
be brief, as l do not feel quite sure OF
its ever reaching you.
You will be surprised to hear that
Constance Carew and Alex Chest
shire are married and living In Bos.
ton. Oh, remember, remember!
have felt it all along that you were
true to me still.
I am In business for myself here,
and find it impossible to leave the
city even for day, or l should cer-
taInly fly to Mattapoisett to look you
up. ,.,,o,
must close. Dear Regina, believe
me, through every emergency thai
may come to your life,
Your attached friend
| RrcuARD II, POPE,V