Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-09-20

But, law Hno uun louh IT, IN sne uun Z
act TO- Them tow beaded girls never look
ez old ez they really be. "
Tho carpenter stopped hammering and
came to where the postnistrcss was fan
ming herself. He was shufiing awkward
ly half q dozen letters, yellow with ago
and somewhat rat eaten.
"s;ee here, Lyddy, nre these any noodY'
asked he, holding out tho letters. Il found
EN- down behind the waiuscoting. |
s'pose they're Just trash what got brushed
aside an no account Whatever"
The postmistross OF Canaan Corners
took the letters with but little show Of in
terest. People were always running to
her with triGes and asking her unneces-
sary questions
rwonty five ycarsl Yos, II had boon Just
that long since she had seen John Butter
worth-sinco ho gave her a lovers look
and then, chuorily assuring her that they
would soon meet again, had gone to New
York
Their letters had been earnest and full
of feeling, and finally he wrote asking her
II she would marry him, telling her that
ho had not been successful in business as
yet, but that II she said Yes" no would
come bnok to Canaan Corners, md thoy
would 60 to Chicago.
Bravcly Ind she pcnned u favorable an
swer. and then she waited. All, the dying
Of prent hopo
How tenaciously It clings to lifei How
nnxiously she awaited tidings from John
Butterworthl But mono camo. The sum
mers came and went. Twenty-Five years
ago, and she had been thinking of John
Butterworth that day
Looks o. II rats had obnwed en- some,
aln hn M .yniu
stepped closer to tho window to inspect the
musty letters. The very first one of the
lot gave her senses shuGk-JOhn Butter
worth, Bulls Head Hotel Bowery, n. Y.
City"
Tho red sun turned black, The Canaan
Corners postofIlcc began spinning around
and bobbing up and down. hurricane
seemed to catch her ind dash her head
against distant cliff.
"Thore, there, Miss Lyddy," said the
big carpenter, tanning her with his straw
hat. "Tho heats been too much fur ye,
guess"
Trembling like child, she once moro
looked at tho lcttcr-her own letter OF nc.
ceptanco-plighting her troth for better OF
for worse, through evil and good report.
1t seemed to her MS If her heart would
burst In agony. She knew now why John
Butterworth had never come back, She
had appeared to him as unwilling to share
his fortunes.
lydia Spencer was firm woman. In
Justice to herself she determined to make
an effort to reach John Butterworth with
the belated letter.
1t had no postmark. Taking the mark
er, she removed the figures "0i" and sub
stituted go. "
g.N,
of the Bulls Head hotel, New York city
she told him to forward the letter to Chi
| cago. Neryously she let 1t fall into th'
gaping mouth of the mailbag. The sting
took il on its way that night.
Two weeks later u gray haired man, on'
of Chicago's leading capitalists, was ON
morning opening his mail. He camo to
yellowed envelope which had been for
warded from New York. 1t bore severn
rubber stamp marks, and a Chicago post
Office clerk had written ON it;
TRY 36i Dearborn.
"send Jack in" said John Butterwortl
TO his head clerk.
Jack, my boy" said the father In
low voice and nervously, read this oil
letter which has been 20 years in reaching
me.
"Jnck, continued the elder after hi
request had been complied with, "you vii
have TO postpone your vacation. I'm &C
ing to take one at Canaan Corners, n. y
never expected to marry again after you
dear mothers death, my boy, but II tn
writer of that letter is aliyo and willin
you'll have new mother inside of tw
weeks"
The Canaan Corners stage one evenin
few days later carried Il gray haire