Middletown transcript., 1897-05-22

weeping. AnQ tnen sue slept Until IL
was time to rise again and face her
loneliness.
So = Your letters are SO friendly
dearest, so abominably friendly ;they yer
lily starve my heart. Oh, why am no t
rich enough TO throw up this drudgery,
and come home to you, and hold youin
my arms again and to make myself be-
lieve that all you said then is really
true. Write me real love letter next
time, darling, to help me to bear up"
The girl Is cheeks we're flushed, and
her eyes held happiness as she sat by
the schoolroom table, with the piled-up
workbasket neglected before her, aid
read the words again and again.
And the days, and the weeks, and
the months, and the years passed. on
and the pile of love letters which came
to the girl grew in bulk. Sometimes
they were despondent. sometimes cheer
full, sometimes hurried, sometimes tent
der and sometimes the treasured space
was overfull Of descriptions Of new
friends or strange places. But the let
ters never failed to long for the riches
which could bring him the girls side,
and make life happy for them.
And the girl longed and long ed that
she might meet her lover, IL only for
day, that they might look each into the
others face, and, renewing hope, might
start afresh. Some cynic told her that
love was fleeting. a question merely of
propinquity; but that cynic had not
really meantto bruise the girls endur-
ing heart. Besides, the cynicism was
not always true, for this girls love was
strong as ever-stronger. Why should
not the mans be the samep He was
better equipped for fighting doubts and
fears. But the waiting was bitterly |
long.
At last, when endurance was becom.
ing habit, there came shock-a
shock of joy. just business matter,
just money, just repentance to the
amount of hundred pounds year out
of the thousands Of AN erstwhile nn-
forgiving uncle. Bat Eve hundred |
year to little governpss, 10 wait
ing loveri 1t was ecstasy.
The schoolroom was as paradise that |
morning; the voices of the children
were as angels songs. For the watt |
ing, the drudgely. the anxiety were
over. Bliss lay within blue envelope;
joy was inscribed in straight lines of |
copperplate caligraphy. But the girl
uttered no word of her happiness; it
seemed too wonderful, and she wanted |
to realize it, and think
A dead of gift. An anonymous deed |
Of gift-that would be the thing, the
girl decided She would not keep one |
penny of it back. There seemed some-
thing calculating and merctnary in set
ting aside part for herself; besides, it
would be all the same la the end. A
deed of gift of Eve hundred pounds
year to BertieI II was worth all the
waiting, and the pain and the work.
This was her reward
So the girl carried out her secret
plans with light heart and happy
brow ,aad the joyful message went across
the sea to the man, iii the eopperplate
caligraphy Of lawyers clerk; while the
tue girl herself-in the wilIfulness Of
near bliss-sent over he sea also just
a scrappy little letter, the most matter-of
fact she had ever sent, cheerful and
friendly, telling Of outside pleasures
and daily trifes, of little picnic in
the wood and village concert-a little
letter which would bring back loving
remonstrance in the midst of the tale
of coed fortune, and which
would be a joke against her afterward
when the happy secret was known to
the full. And she smiled as she sealed
it and sent it on its way. And then
she waited.
There were fouF-and-twenty days Of
the waiting; and the girl never forgot
them-never quite lived down the .
strain of the painful joy, the rapturous I
anguish, as she pictured her lovers /
pleasure aad endured all the minutes
which were bound to pass before sh Q
could receive sign.
What will be say2 Will it be won-
ler7 Win it be only happiness2 Will
I -himselfP''
At last it came The first sign OF her g
aeritice. 1t was letter, rather short
,eeause written in hurry BY busy p
nan; and the girl was able TO read it IN 81
be ten minutes which were hers before /.
morning lsssons. :,
Dearest Ursulsi This letter viii
o only scrap, I'I afraid; but know Il
ou will forgive that. and will mako y
up next time. truth to tell, am
pressed for time, I've had i
1t IL wiudfall left me In rather an
do way, and I've accepted it. Some : :
ne has taken q fancy % NE, | suppose. =
You can understand that can't you?l
D I'm going otf on good, long tour, \,
) see all the places pvs Wanted so long &C
) see-Italy and Greece, and don,t
here else. LIS jolly TO have a little al
leley ~ last. RAther = largs party of
are going 1.-THE Gleesons, the mothes Z. s.
nd dzughter I've written about soms- :.
imas--and some friends Of theirs
new fairly well; 50 expect we shall
Djoy ourselves. Soglad you are hav-
~ such . good time, my dear. Pic i.
fs,e :. nj . "a Mo. ,es ,s,R,fca, 4