The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1895-01-17

back and forth, in which the two i'm
parted to one another unreServedly
their respective circumstances and eX-
pectations.
Louisa Lobstedt wrote her new
friend that she was quite alone in the
world-that she had a position, at
small pay, in a large confectioner's
shop, where, working from early
morning until late at night, with only
a short rest at noon, she was quite
tired out-that her employer made
such unreasonable demands upon his
help that he was much disliked. She
wrote that she had few acQuaintances
of her own age, and no real friends,
and she congratulated herself that she
had conceived the idea of sending
that greeting through the newspaper,
and putting her name to it, although
that last was rather risky-what if
her address had fallen into wrong
handsD. She hoped also, she wrote,
in one of her later letters, some day
to find time to visit Miss Bertha at
the hospital, and so to become per-
sonally acquainted with her.
Bertha Willmers, in the meantime,
replied to these letters in the same
frank, hearty way. She wrote that
her home was in H, and that three
months before she had come to B.
for the, purpose of earning her living
as a teacher of music and the Ian
guages. In the course of few weeks
she had fallen ill, and, at her earnest
request, the people with whom she
boarded had brought her here to the
hospital.
''How happy it makes me to think
I am soon to see you! do not doubt
that we shall become the dearest
friends; and yet I am going to ask
you to defer your visit for a little
while. And why? You will think me
foolish-vain. Well, call it a femi-
illness I was always being compli-
mented upon my pretty, fresh, healthy
looks, and you can readily under
stand how five weeks of severe illness
would change one. Who knows but
you would be utterly disgusted with
me, when I want so much to make as
favorable an impression as possible
upon my new-found friend! Just us
soon as I am somewhat better and a
little more like my old self, I will
write you to come"
A week later she impaired to Lou
isa the delightful news that she
hoped very shortly to leave the hos
pital, entirely recovered. Her first
visit would be to her-her dear new
friend-but before she could do this,
she would have to make very, very
lserious confession. Amid protestations
of the deepest esteem and love on her
lown part, she begged Miss Louisa to
ipromise her one thing in advance,
viz: that whatever the confession
srrI,4 I>o 81, 10 11xr
no difference in their relations.
Never was Bertha more surprised
in her life than at the answer which
followed Immediately upon this. Thus
it ran:
"My Dear, Dear, Miss Bertha:
"With a hand tremulous from anX-
iety and excitement, I write these
lines; for either they begin for US botl
a new and happy life, or else all is
lover between us, and how I can bear
that, God alone knows! For oh! lei
me confess it, love you! Yes!
love you with all the fire, all the pas
sion of my being. Following the i'm
pulse of a wanton humor, appended
to my name upon the newspaper
which happy fate threw into youl
hands, the little word Miss I con
tinued the joke in my first letter, and
by that time my interest in you had
already become too great to allow me
to confess the truth, which would moi
only put an end, perhaps, to a cores
pondence which had become necessary
to me-but would also debar me from
ever meeting you face to face.
"Ah! my dear Miss Bertha, do no1
be angry with me-do not cast scorn
fully from you the deep. fervent love
which fills my heart! Write me only
one word-one little word!-not now
not immediately-only when yOl
have recovered from the fright which
you must feel at the revelation Of ny
secret-that it is no girl who is loving
you to distraction, but man! A maj
who will submit to your sentence
whatever it may be-but the light ol
whose life is forever gone out if yOI
turn angrily from him.
Eternally yours,
LOUIS LOBSTEDT."
In a fever of anxiety he awaited al
5 answer from the woman whom he ha(
deceived. 1t came on the following
: day, and ran thus:
"Dear Sir:
J Unfortunately I cannot spare vol
the disappointment which these lines
: will cause you, as they will show yol
that, Notwithstanding the deep affec
ton you feel for me, I can never b'
lyours.
, Like you, out of tender regard fol
the weaker sex, also took refuge il
a little subterfuge.
"But although no priest may unite
: us, yet we may be good friends-don'
you think so? I shall be delighted
to receive visit from you; for then
| with q hearty hand-Shako we will
seal a treaty of friendship which w
shall owe, indeed, to a delusion. bu
which will teach us in future to es
chew everything clandestine.
"Hoping for a personal Acquaintance
in the near future, I am
"Most cordially yours,
L RERNII0I n VIII L ,MERS 6 ,,