The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-09-28
WHAT TO TELL HIM.

this letter OF his. 3"
Madeline turned the letter over in her
hand and looked inteIsSly at the beautiful,
even writing on the envelope.
He was not very much disturbed when
he wrote that" she said. f'There is not a
single line or curve that denotes nervous
ness. - She turned the letter over II fan
cy he never stamped the seal mora perfect
ly. Now, really it seems that his hand
should have trembled just little very
little
Then she fall to contemplating the hand
that held the letter. How exquisite it look
ed with that soft fall Of priceless lace over
it and the light that ahone upon it through
silken draperiesl
81 have said all my life," she said
thoughtfully, that I would never marry
without love, but never dreamed it would
be difficult TO know whether loved - She
threw her head back a little YEARLY and
sighed.
little maid who entered, and when she
was once more alone without any further
hesitation, she 1anguidly commenced her
letter
$50 this is love, " she said. 'Itis not as
thought. After all, what is as we think it
should be? What dreams we have, we
girls, and how different the reality. All,
we'll
"Aiay come in, Miss Madelinee''
Madeline looked up at the tall, slight
girl standing just outside her door, and,
smiling kindly into the gray eyes, babe
her enter. She was a seamstress that Mad
cline had known for some time and had
been interested in because she thought she
had discovered depths in this nature better
worth studying than most of her society
friends. Madeline was one of those people
we seldom but dc sometimes meet who
are capable Of understanding human ma
ture in all it's phases and of tolerating
even those opinions of which she did not
approve-a soul great enough to reach to
the very depths for hidden good.
Stella had opened her heart to her, as ev-
cry one else did, and all life and every life
was interesting to Madeline Perhaps she
sacred.
One keen glance at Stella, and she knew
the girl was troubled.
you are unhappy, Stella. Sit down."
putting her letter to Mr.. Williams aside as
if it were not matter that influenced her
whole life. What is itq''
Miss Madeline, have told you about
Mr.. Hastings. 1 want to write letter to
him. want to ask you to write it for me.
You are SO smart, Miss Madeline, and so
well educated, and so is he 1 know what
want to say, but can't write it. "
"Why do you not tell him, Stellar"
'He doesn't come to see me now, you
AnOW- l. S4lI4A II Is LIKE bI4Ss L1G HAS
grown tired and thinks viii not care
He thinks no woman cares much. I am so
sure that ii he really knew, if there is any
way of making him understand how dear
q nan can be to woman, he would come
back to me-he would marry me. want
him to know. want to tell you, and then
you must make him understand, will you,
Miss Madeine9''
81 viii try, said Madeline kindly, tax
ing up her desk, putting her own letter
aside very calmly and arranging come
fresh sheets Of paper with great precision
She was very glad to help Stella, and she
went about it in the confident way one
feels when perfectly satisfied with the
latest thing in stationery, a pen and per-
feet familiarity with the forms which Gus
tom has prescribed.
Now, Stella, am ready. What am to
say?''
"Ten him. said the girl, her great
gray eyes turned upon the frescoed ceiling
dreamily, ''tell him that he is breaking
my heart; that there is not a moment
when he is not in my thoughts. I dream
of him when 1 sleep, and I dream Of him
when I am awake. Tell him that cannot
bear i'll cannot bear it. Tell him that a
flower that he has crushed with his foot is
more to me than all the love that could
ever grow in any other human heart. Tell
him that 1 would rather sit and sew by
my window IL long hours if by doing so I
could just see him pass my door once than
to spend those hours in the finest palace
made by hands; would rather hear one
kind word from his lips-just one-than
to be the honored vile Of any other man
that lives. -
Madeline put down the pen that had
never written such words, and her hand
sank helplessly upon the desk
EFTeu him all that, and then tell him
that I cannot bear i'll cannot bear it. If
he would only come to me to see me some
times when he is tired of everything else,
he would be as welcome as the sunshine
IF he ever suffers, if anything ever
makes him unhappy, it will kill me.
want to bear it all Tell him if he came
and put his hand on mine I would face
hell itself, and gladly, for him
Tell him
hands that shook placed the desk upon the
table, a few steps more, and her hands
were flung with a passionate abandon,
new to her, about the girls form, while
the tears rained down her cheeks.
"In the name Of God, - she cried, Ego
and tell him YOURSELF Tell him what you
have told me, and if he turns away from
such a love-no matter, L say, Stella, what
has ever been in your past or his-f he
turns away from such a love, he is not hu-
man.
go and tell him, Stella; open your
/ heart to him as you have to ne. know
who he is, and l believe that he is a man
OF character. Go and tell him what you
have told ne and say to him that say
GCd bless all such love. -
Stella looked up and smiled
Il love him, " she said simply.
And Madeline smiled as she took up her
desk again, "a glad smile at the thought of
q possible future that might still hold
something of the beauty that is every girls
birthright
And when Mr.. Williams carefully and
| deliberately opened a perfumed note that