Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1896-06-05
4 CONFESSION.

The room was the tlly correct cham
Doi If spin-tcr
Not feature Of the place or Its be.
,on2ingS hunted at the thought OF girl
IN her teens
All the literature, photogravme and
even hcpapcrmg protested against the
age of frivolity.
The small writing table, never lit
tered by the moods Of young scrihcs,
was correct n, USUAL, and with Clc-
clan patterned letter opener Eunico
kdvcn cut the leaves of u NV Yorl,
posted letter.
People said-that is they had SO ven
turod when in the confidential presence
# their dearest fliends-that Eunico
Raven once Lad an admir,r.
No one knew positively that he actu-
ally reached the importance Of a beau, y
and as Emicc declined to claim any
such article surely no one could know
better in the matter than the woman
herself.
Eunicc Raven was good and unsclf-
iSh woman III hcr small world, and ram
the sands e life 10 even measure with
Jut suspicion # revolt, but there wore
times when She aid rebel, and her re-
bcllion only took her the oftcnor to her
little room over the best parlor, where
her Thomas Il kcmpis and other spir.
.tual condiments We're pencil marked
anew
II any one in Palenville had CHANGED
20 see Eumce Raven open that New
York posted letter, there would have
remained no doubt for them that She
once had an admrcr
Ont from the strangely directed on
velape fell a small sizcd photo graph
one of the old style, with never hit Of
polish in the finishing and nothing but
grim featured liuomonts depicted
The face was "a strong, manly counte-
nance with much frank kindness in the
smiling eyes and a chin showing well
tempered affection
The picture brought a warm, girl
hood glow To the gazer's face, while
the light Of sleeping memory dim ut
first and quickly deepening, famed from
heart o. face
The letter was a long one, closely
written, and apparently with effort,
crossed and recros,ed womanwise
Within was second letter unopened.
with the date Of ~ years resting on its
shamctaccd surface.
over the first. leaning toward the
light and nervcd for something more
vaguely feared than discovered, Eunicc
read with puzzled face.
Over the second She paused, and the
dim light Of that rekindled memory
again filled and glowed upon her
She trcmbled with all the agitation
If her girl heart aroused
Taking il between her why fingers,
Eunice studied the still unbroken seal
Then aloua She read the date.
If il had come to me then, there
would have been no happier day in mv
life, she said
Nineteen years from his hand to
mine
She laid the letter down and dropped
back in the chair
Her position, reflected 10y the faithful
mirror. was an awkward. slouchmg
one
II was just such she had maintained
IN her teaching last session that only a
woman with no backbone would as.
sumo, and she at once sat erect in the
instant correction Of such laxity
Nineteen wears too late.
And 10 years the wrong side If matri
mony, When one l. alone in the world
Is little more than single misery
Her eyes, blinded with hot, angry
tears at the cruel Disappointing bitter
ness Of it,
Then She read again the fine French
sheets of milk white paper upon which
the guilty confession of the writer
looked blacker than at first.
As she read she tried to picture very
correctly and justly the mind Of the
writer She tried to be impartial She
triCd TO judge with the essence of judg.
mcnt severity
She succeeded in large, full teen
ing measure Of mercy
few tears. and she, the accuser. be-
came the defender 1t Is often WON
an way
The writer Of the letter-now i'll, un.
douOtcdly dying-was making confts
sion for relief Of soul
SISTER OF the man Eunice Raven
loved, and who had loved Eunice. she
wrote how bitterly she had hated the
very name OF an unknown sister
With no father or mother. and an
only brother, who made her entire
world, She had thought anything better
than 10 lose his love and care, ana
Thcn EuuIce had come into his life,
and nc had announced his intention of
asking to become nearer 10 him, TIN,
was The thing she had done.
II felt she wrote. THAT | woulo
BEG, lac or steal b. fore you should come
home here, ANA when brother went &c
his room - write YOU 20 become his