Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1896-04-27

he reminded her mildly.
81 was very ILL.,
"You thought you were dying"
eyes, suppose did," The result of a
I few moments thought was to make her
blush family. II seem to remember that
|, that we both, lost our heads and behav-
, ell like the hero and the heroine of Sur
rcy Inclodrama, she said shamcfacedly.
"Well, put it that way if you like"
'You wero awfnlly cut up, weren't you?
Dear old boy | never realized until then
how fond yoa are of me. If / had died
Ugh Don't let us talk about it," She
Struggled down among the cushions and
held out her transparent hands to the
blaze. "'rhcre's one thing" he said;
that letter, you know" His expression
was considerably more embarrassed than
hers.
"Lettrr?''
'The lettor you gave into my charge.
OF course L didn't deliver it, Here it is. "
"Oh!"
She held out her hand, and with
scarcely appreciable hesitation he placed
the sealed envelope i'll it.
There was q moments silence while she
stared at tho address with downcast eyes
and all absolutely blank countenance.
Then, giving a half shrug of her shoulders,
she tore tho envelope across and again
across. He gave IN irrepressiblo start
! forward.
"What have you-what made you do
thatF" he demanded sharply
| Tits done WITH sho said "What a
dear, trusty creature you were to consent
to deliver it!''
| She bent forward and tossed the strips
Of paper into the very heart of tho fire,
where they glowed and curled and shriv
eled.
"Tell me-oh, come closer! I can t
talk to you comfortably at that distance
off"
He approached rather slowly, and as
soon as he got within reach she took pos
session of ono of his hands.
There's plenty of room at tho foot Of
the sofa, she remarked, and whom he sat
down there she began playing with the
seal ring on his fourth finger.
"Tell me-you must have been rather
| surprised to find that knew himF'
That you know him." he corrected.
II don't know him now, and mover
knew him very we'll. Men give him a
Dau cnaftclef, suppose!
SO do some women"
''He always had atrocious taste in wom-
en-" she said TRANQUILITY.
SIN your caso''-
He didn't admire mo, nor him. We
loathed each other.''
Yet you found it necessary to write?"
eyes"
She looked at his disturbed face, and
then at the glowing heart of the fire.
where what had been the letter safely re-
posed
You have destroyed the letter. If you
thought you were again dying, would you
write another"
| ''It is possible" she said
"And give it into my charger"
| "Why not?" She laughed and patted
his hand. "Im glad we understand each
other so we'll. Ii ] were different sort Of
| woman or you different sort of man,
| there might have been endless ,disagreea-
bleness about my little letter, my poor,
harmless little letter. AS it is you know
| that
"What do know" he asked with sud
den evaporation, but she mover finohed.
"Why," she said softly, leaning toward
him, ''you know that / have been and am
yours-all and only yours. You know
that as far as / am concerned you might
| have read every line of that letter. rath-
or wish you had" She glanced over her
shoulder at the Pickering flames. 'Now
kiss me, dear boy, and 60, for I'm awfully
| tired -
"Shall I send the nurse9'' he asked with
some compunotion.
Please"
Then as he would have gone she held
him back.
~ don't want that letter to cause you
any annoyance" she said sweetly. "Of
course have no right to reveal tho private
affairs of other people and one Of them a
woman who''-
mot for WORLDS he exclaimed, his face
clearing as he instantly caught at the So
luton offered.
"But if you fool you cannot trust me"
she continued.
"Not trust you'll His high minded in
dignation was quite delightful to witness.
"My dear child don't talk such nonsense.
| The address OH the envelope gave mo rath-
or turn because hadn't the romotest
idea that you had ever known the fellow,
and he is an out and out rascal-he really
is. But as for not trusting you, why, the
thing Is preposterous.
"Still, wish you had read tho letter.
There would have been no room for
Doubt She broke off and looked at him
appealingly.
There is none, +" he answered her stout
ly. Now lie down and rest, there's q
dear, and I'll send the nurse to you"
But it must be confessed that it occa-
sionally happens to him to wish that he
had read the letter.-Exchnnge