The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-11-01

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Ha but ! have somsthiAg Of Importance
to say 10 SAe6s youne ladisa" And Miss
Banks advanced into The room with un-
mistatsble signs Of displeAsure stamped
on her face. What have We done1 She
stands odd .looks. at ~ for moment in
way me has whens little later she
Intends to snnihilate one. Then, nm
folding . piece Of paper, she begins
without preface to read from IT,:
MY owx DAKrfxo--one month since fol-
lowed you and we are no nearer The Happiness
for which we long Ny heart IL sick with
waiting Each hour that passes only strength
ems my love for my sweetheart but IL brings
me no nearer to her. Write me few lines,
my own, and extend to me again the precious
hope and words Of cheer you know 30 we'll
how TO give. Your ever faithful
We are all gasping at this point and
decidedly pallid, excepting Kathleen,
who is crimson. Mr.. Wrinkle seems
perfectly calm and composed, little
amused perhaps. As Miss Banks finishes
the note her eyes llupon me with evi-
dent severity. !
LET me beg Of you," she says, "not
70 add untruthfulness to this distress
ing conduct There isno address on this
note, but. I muit sAyI am suspicious Of
the young Indy who made in my hear
ing two Or three days ago the remark
able speech about changing the name
and not the letter. dc, as this young
mans last name begins with W, and the
young lady's name also begins with
that letter..
lam speechlesa II my name is Wal.
ker, is not Kathleen's Walford? Her eyes
are still on me and mine on her.
"This note," she continues, twas
brought to me this morning by Katie,
who found 1t when she was sweeping
after the literature class yesterday. As
no one else had occasion to enter this
room it is evident it must belong to one
Of you four Denial will only make mat
tiers worse and will besides distress me
more than can tell you I am grieved
and disappointed beyond measure at
this betrayal Of trust have exercised
as little surveillance as possible, be-
ieving that If left you to your honor
you would feel grateful to me and not
let me have any cause to regret it. r.
"Oh, stop, Miss Banks" exclaima
Kathleen. II can explain the note. +
that is-well-" and she pauses, and,
oh, horrorl begins to laugh. I look at
her anxiously. Can all this trouble have
affected her mind? There is moments
pause.
"When you can conquer this untime-
ly mirth, we will hear your explain
ation," says Miss Banks cuttingly at
last.
"Why don't that coward Frank VIM
kle explain and not leave it all to herr"
whispers Lou Indignantly to me.
1.-THE brutel" rejoin emphatioally.
A moment and then Kathleen's pretty
face settles into composure, but a glance |
at our faces, for some reason or other,
sets her off again. We are all in agony.
Miss Banks stands without q smile,
waiting. Mr.. Wrinkle is biting his mus
tache. Is he little remorseful? Why |
don't he speak? Kathleen conquers her.
self with an evident effort and begins
again.
Miss Banks er-I-er-well-
WE'LL" desperately, "to cut a long story
short, actuated by an amiable desire to
entertain my companions l made up
love story and to accompany it wrote
that note and several others. Surely
harmless way to fill my leisure hours
The copies are all in my desk, If You
would like to see them, and likewise
my studies Of q masculine handwriting.
It was a good deal of work, but the
girls were all longing for sensation,
and SOL having read somewhere of girl
doing something like this the idea &C.
CURED 10 me that might entertain
them and relieve the monotony of which
they complained. The trouble was
worth while if I have earned-and am
sure / have-their gratitude and a gen.
eral vote Of thanks"
I draw curtain over all that follows
Miss Banks lecture on filling our minds
with frivolous topics, our reproaches
and threats to make known the care
fully suppressed fact that Mr.. Wrinkle
was the hero Of the romance.
"Girls, you know I have amused you,"
she says in tones fraught with anguish.
"You go to the theater and enjoy 1t
and cry and laugh with the leading &C.
tresa Why cannot you take my story
in the same spirit? 1t was acted for
your benefit, free Of charge, and as for
fibbing-why, if you will think you
will see I did not All said was, I'm
agine girl very much like me, and
imagine this and imagine that, and you
came to the conclusion it was about me
and MI. Wrinkle"
Zone hates to be deceived, says Lou
to which we all assent.
"Ah, that deceit should steal such
gentle shapes and with virtuous visor
hide deep vicel" says Kathleen dra-
Whereupon. after struggle,
we all laugh and tell her she has studied
her literature to some purpose.
And Mr. Wrinkle never knows the 70.
nance that was weaved around him.
THE END.
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