The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-01-15
A BLANK LETTER.


After the announcement of Flossie Lam
bert's engagement to Jack Prescott che
was, of course, deluged with oongratula
tlons, many of which took the material
form of dinners, opera parties, theater par.
ties or suppers, nearly all given by reign
ing graneees. =
"ADy other girl, Flossie," said her
mother, would behave as If she enjoyed
1t. Sometimes really think you don't. "
Marriage" said Flossie musingly, sis
full of such awful solemnity" Then she
quoted:
"Time turns the old ways to derision,
Our loves into corpses or wives,
And marriage and death and division
Make barren our lives"
GLOW scandalousy' moaned her mother
"And you just engaged to dear, loyable
Jack, who's given you that hazelnut of q
diamond and made you the envy of hun.
dreds hope you don't talk like that be-
fore him.
"Jack, :" said Flossie, "has already flash.
cd his sunshine, like a searchight, into
the moldy and noisome caverns Of my
soul. He knows exactly the kind of crea.
ture he is getting-in actual age 81; In
worldliness and experience shriveled
hag."
At which poor Mrs. Lambert lamented,
"Oh, Flossiel" Just as she had done count
less times before, and in what her daughter
impudently called her hen that has matched
q duck voice.
Among Flossie's girl friends and &C,
quaintances there was one whom she felt
to be seething with hate and rage and
malice at her engagement to the vastly
eligible Jack. This girls name was Leah
Seymour. Jack at certain times had paid
her marked attention. She had sat on the
box scat with him in the coaching parade
of the previous spring, and later some one
had started rumor Of their engagement
In hard white, black and red way, she was
handsome girl, somewhat too tall, some
what too bony, somewhat too sinuous Of
movement, but withal exceedingly grace
full She had kind Of sway over men, and
for three seasons had held her own as a
belle of the first rank, Flossie now and
then detested her, and now and then forgot
to do SO because of the amusement that her
petty deceits and falsehoods and lnakeshifts
afforded In many paltry white lie the
girl had caught her, and in one or two of O
darker shade as well. 80
Leah, as recorded, had been secretly fu-
rious at the engagement, and she had suf-
fered the acutest jealous disappointment on
learning Of it. She was not in the least in
love with Jack, but she had immensely
wanted to marry him. And now that Flos-
sic, as she herself would have phrased 1t,
had Caught him, the chief matrimonial
chance of her life seemed to have fled.
But she could not bear her chagrin with
either wisdom or generosity. A rancorous'
desire to deal Flossie some vengeful stroke
had seized upon her. For days she went
nowhere into society, and even refused two
dinners at which she knew that Jack and
his betrothed would be the guests of honor.
A certain near relative CHANGED to be rather
dangerously Ill, and this she made her ex-
cuse for not appearing abroad, though the
relative, attended by careful nurses, knew
little of her alleged solicitude.
Jack Prescott, during their acquaint-
anceship, had not written Leah more than
three or four unimportant notes, but 1t
CHANGED that she had retained an envelope
almost intact-ofie on which deficiency in
the cumming had caused 1t to open with
out any tear whatever%and which bore her
name in Mr. Trescott's very characteristic,
breakneck, topsy turvy calligrapby. This
envelope gave to her malevolence mean
and feline incentive.
She took large sheet Of perfectly blank
white paper and folded 1t so that when
placed within the envelope IL had very
stable and noteworthy Look. Then she
sealed skillfully with mucilage the envel-
ope in which she had lodged this rather
weghty little packet. Afterward she care
fully studied the defaced postage stamp
and concluded that the "letter" needed an
other. This she secured from second old
envelope, using hot water in the process of |
detachment. Then she made certain care
full changes by means of an eraser and q
piece of burned match. Finally, having
surveyed her work, she decided that it
was most adioitly deceptive. when
leave 1t, as If by chance, in Flossie's
house" Leah meditated "she will recog. !
nize the handwriting. But she will be too |
honorable and all that to dream of open
ing 1t. And before he can see it will |
have got it back again. Afterward / can
deny, If please that 1t Is his handwriting |
at all and SO on, and SO on. Meanwhile 4,
the little stab will have been dealt, the |
trouble will have been brewed. Simpler |
things than this have even broken of en- |
gagements. But I've no such expectation
as that-of course moi"
The next day she called upon Flossie and
opened conversation by wishing her the
greatest happiness. II ought to have come
before and told you how perfectly delight
cd am and how very bright future, my
dear, feel certain is awaiting you"
Flossie laughed. whats Leah Seymour
up to, wonderp" she thought Her pro,
fuse amiability somehow smells of mis-
chief Aloud she answered. "Oh, we're
neither Of us saint, but Jacks amiable,
and dare say we shall get on fairly we'll
together. They tell me that your cousin,
Mrs ProudGt, is quite ill.,"
t'Oh, wretchedly. I'm on my way to her
now. I'm belated too. Pm SO anxious to
hear what kind of a night she passed. Just
seel' And Leah drew out four or five let
ters from side pocket Of her modish coat.
81 haven't had time to read one Of these
YETI
"Reallyf"
~ must hurry away to poor, dear
1t will be such dreadful blow
to me If she shouldn't get wellp'
"Of course" said Flossie with the tips
OF ner lips, ohe knew tnlS 10 De one OF
Leah's falsehoods. There was more talk
between tho girls, and presently Flossie's
guest departed. Flosse went up stairs with
q queer, tingling sensation in every nerve.
Leah had often given her the same feeling
before but never till now so acutely.
'She' hates the engagement, Flossie
unused. "She'd have given an ear to get
Jack herself. I'd pity her from the depths