The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-08-30
HER LAST S(IITOR.

Belinda Warren was a disappointed
woman. Her sole aim in life had been
marriage and she had not attained to it.
And so it was she had reached the age of
45 with wintry looking curls and lined
forehead and was still a maiden lady.
There was one man of her acquaintance,
Sir Daniel Warrington who was her par
ticular ideal, and she did not yet despair
of enthralling him. True, he was 20 years
her junior, but that was nothing nova
days.
So she twisted her hair into a wonderful
frisure and went to receive dear Sir Dan
iel, whose interesting conversations were
such delight to her. He must stop to
coy cup of tea"
And he pressed her hand and talked
about her niece, Miss Blanche Warren,
and asked how long she would be away
surely they would not stop after April and
they were well into March now-and what
sort of a place was Cannes?
And when he got home and was turning
over the papers in his pocketbook he re-
membered the photograph Belinda had
given him, and he stuck it absently upside
down on his mantelpiec and drew back
the little silk curtains that covered a por-
celain portrait on an easel and gazed into
the smiling face with rapturous ad1nira-
ton.
She was such merry little coquette.
She had put him off when he would have
spoken, gone away to the south without
even telling him she was going. And yet
who but himself could call the lovely blush
to her cheeks and the light to her eyes?
So he hoped, and so he longed and went
again and again to see Belinda for any
scraps of news she would give him. And
when she started for Cannes he went to see
her off, trying to make up his mind to send
Blanche a message and ending only in
pressing Belinda's hand and asking for her
address.
But when she arrived at their hotel she
found to her CONSERVATION they had left
for Nice. She arranged TO stay a few nights
at Cannes te get over the fatigues of her
journey.
And it was we'll she did, for the morn
ing she was leaving the post brought her
a letter that made her hands tremble to
OPEN 1t was addressed to Miss B. War
rem and she thought it was SO affecting
of him to have remembered the initial OF
her Christian name.
Yes, sure enough, it was an offer of
marriage from Sir Daniel Warrington, and
she smiled over the exaggeration, you
seem to have been away lifetine!"
"You dear old thing What's his name?
And what shall [ wear at the wedding?'
exclaimed Blanche.
stBut, Blanche II haven't accepted
him yet. Would you help me write the
letter.
That was delicious. And the merry girl
penned passionate answer, not delight
ing solely in the fun of it, for sudden
wistful feeling came over her that she
would like to have written herself like
that to
Now, then. dear, for his name?"
But, with an old maids love of mys-
terry, Belinda caught up Blanches letter
ai.d went away to copy it.
Sir Daniel Warrington wondered at the
cramped, curious, old fashioned writing Of
his beloved, but he kissed the living words
and began daily, hourly letter to her
These episrles wsee read aloud to Blanche,
and she always pepned tue answers.
When Warrington reached the hotel at
Nice, he found the Warrens had gone Tor
an expedition, but Miss Blanche Warren
was III.
He sent up his card and waited in nerv-
Gus anxiety But she did not keep him
long in suspense. The door opeued, and
she came dancing toward hiIa with bloom
ing cheeks and sunny eyes and glad wei
come IN her voice.
ssHow glorious Of you to comel' she
said at last II can't believe it is trCe,
but knew you loved me-, only wanted
to prove it. and that's why Z wouldn't let
you speak that night, but | have wished
and wished and wished you had done SO. -
"But, love, we have had our letters"
ssLettersl What ietters!"
"There, . he sid, with equal Gstonish-
nlent, taking a little bundle frona his
breast pocket and putting them in heI
hands.
She gazed stupidity at her Aunt Beiin-
da's writing, recognizing her own sen
fences. and then size burst into a mad
laugh.
She never would tell me his name.
You-you have been making love to Aunt
Belinda. Oh, what shall we do2'
How they ever got over the embarrass-
rnent history does not relate. But poor
Belinda was said to have asked one favor
of BIanche-that she might keep Sir Daniel
| Warrington's love letters until after the
marriage.