The Opelousas courier., 1896-06-27

HE CARRIED A PACKAGE OF LETTERS
them. Once out of her sight he forgot
forgot all the love and daily devotion
of ~ years!
BY Saturday morning Mrs. Allestree
was ill-ill enough to go to bed. Jimmy
had to fetch both posts, and after deliv-
ering in person the first ~one-which
consisted of papers only-he vowed to
Molly that he would not approach Mrs.
Allestrce again while Mr.. Allestree was
away.
All day Sunday Mrs. Allestree lay 81.
lent in a dark chamber. Molly could
not get a word from her, nor would she
eat.
1t was almost restful to be so weak.
True, she was in despair; she had given
up all expectation of seeing Joseph
again, but, compared with the bewil-
dering tossings of vain con lecture, her
present state was one of quietude and
peace.
But by Monday morning she was suf-
hering torments once more She felt
that if Jimmy returned without either
Joseph or a letter she would surely
die. And, indeed, she nearly died as it
was.
When the wheels sounded again upon
the gravel, Mrs. Allestree sat up in bed.
She waf whittier than her hair. No voices
were Heard below; she clutched her
heart and gasped. But presently a door
opened, and a step came up the stairs.
1t was the step of Joseph. AS he entered
the room she fell back among the pill.
lows.
"My dear Henrietta, what's all this?"
He looked around almost accusinglv
upon the two frightened women as if
he had caught them in the act of a~ssassi-
mating their mistress.
Didn't Jimmy tell you?" she MUIR
INJURED.
"Iou know Jimmy never tells any
thing. He did say you weren't well.
But have you been very i'll, dear?"
The women had withdrawn, and he
seated himself upon the bed.
Joseph, r5u might have SEM me one
little line!D
"Wh-what? I don't quite compre-
bend. A line?"-
Eyes; it wouldn't have hurt you to
write a line"
Henrietta, / wrote to you every day
and sometimes twice a day"
They stared at each other.
"But I never got a solitary letter."
she said, presently. 81 sen to every de-
livery-went myself until I became ill;
Mr.. Framwell said there was nothing
from yoa. 1t nearly killed me, Jo-
seph."
However," he muttered, "they
couldn't have all Observation-Disclosures
eta! I have it. Wait; I'll be back in
20 minutes" and the gentleman fairly
ran out of the room.
He laughed all the way downstairs.
and she heard his ha-ha's between his
shouts for Jimmy to bring back the
trap. In a few minutes they ratified out
of the grounds, and within the time
he mentioned they ratified back again.
Mr.. Allstree tore breathless up the
stairs, bursting boy-{Sshion into his
wife's room. He carried a package of
letters, which he spresh out in a circle
on the bed. There wess3sstee4 of them, and
every one was addressed to Miss Hen
For a short space nothing was said,
and then the two aged lovers began
to laugh, and they laughed until they
cried.
Joseph" she said, 'it's very funny,
very, but it was almost the death of me.
How did you come to do it,"
why, Henrietta, love, when I once
got out of your dear, familiar presence,
the old days came back completely. You
were little Retta Shower, and"
Mr.. Joseph Allestree blushed. He did
not often quote poetry:
And our two-and-forty years,
Seemed Q mist that rolled away.
-Pearson's Weekly.