The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1897-03-18

hsr eyes held happiness as she sat by
the schoolroom table, with the Piled
up work basket neglected before her,
and 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 cheerful,
sometimes hurried, sometimes tender
and sometimes the treasured space was
overfull of descriptions of new friends
or strange places. But the letters never
failed to come, and the man never failed
to long for the riches which could bring
him to the girls side and make life
happy for them.
And the girl longed and longed that
she might meet her lover, If only for a
day; that they might look into each 9TH
er's 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 meant to bruise the girls endear-
ing heart. Besides, the cynicism was
not always true, for this girls love
was strong as evcr-stronger. Why
should not the mans be the same? He
was better equipped for fighting doubts
and fears. But the waiting was bitter
ly long.
At last, when endurance was becom-
ing habit, there came a shock-a shock
of JOY. just business matter, Just
money, just repentance to the amount
of five hundred year out of an erst-
while unforgiving uncle. But 6 800 a
. year to little governess, to waiting
, lover! It was ecstasy.
The schoolroom was as paradise that
morning; the voices of the children as
r angels songs. For the waiting, the
, drudgery, the anxiety were over. Bliss
lay within blue envelope; Joy was in
scribed in straight lines of copper
: plate caligraphy. But the girl uttered
no word of happiness; it seemed too
q wonderful, and she wanted to realize it,
, and think.
e A deed of gift. An anonymous deed
of gift-that would be the thing, the
r girl decided. She would not keep one
/, penny of it back. There seemed some
r thing calculating and mercenary in set
ting aside part for herself; besides, it
|, would be all the same in the end. A
+ deed of gift Of 6 500 year to BERTHE!
1t was worth all the waiting and the
e pain and the work. This was her re-
" ward
J. So the girl carried out her secret
1 plans with a light heart and a happy
brow, and the joyful message went
rs across the sea to the man, in the copper
IL plate caligraphy of the lawyers clerk
I while the girl herself-in the willful
d ness of near bliss-sent over the sec
% also just scrappy little letter, th'
20 most matter-of-fact she had ever sent
is cheerful and friendly, telling of outside
'e pleasures and daily trifles, of littl
picnic in the wood and village concer
le "a little letter which would bring bacl
loving remonstrance in the midst o
u, the tale Of good fortune, and whicl
T. would be joke against her afterwar'
n when the happy secret was known t
m the full. And she smiled as she scale.
Id and sent it on its way. And then sh
at waited.
e. There were four and twenty days o
the waiting, and the girl never forgo
m them-never quite lived down the strai
" of the painful joy, the rapturous an
or guish, as she pictured her lovers pleas
ure and endured all the minutes whic
1g were bound to pass before she woul
II. receive sign.
ou what will he say? Will it be wor
III der2 Will it be only happiness? Wi
ne it be-himself?"
~ At last it came-the first sign of he
&c sacrifice. It was a letter, rather shor
because written in a hurry by bus
ne man; and the girl was able to read it i
We the ten minutes which were hers befor
=, morning lessons:
=. Dearest Ursula: This letter will be onl
IL a scrap, I'm afraid but know that yo
will forgive that. and will make 1t U
", next time. Truth to tell, I am dreadful
T pressed for time I've had q little windfa
=, left me in rather an odd way. and I've a.
IL cepted it. Some one has taken fancy
me, suppose. (You can understand tha
:" can't you?) So I am going off on a goo
ITO long tour. to see all the places I've wante
so long to see-Italy, Greece, and don
no know where else It's jolly to have
mt little money at last. Rather large par
of us are going-the Gleesons, the moth
:. and daughter I've written about sometim
i", and some friends Of theirs know fair
nd we'll; so expect we shall enjoy ourselve
ice So glad you are having such good tim
,e my dear. Picncs and concerts are plea
I'VE ures which seldom come my way. l W
write again as soon as I can, but am u
, , certain when and where we halt Your
49, in haste. BERTHE.
.ra "a little windfall!" "And have a
,rd cepted it,"
.ha The woman's limbs shook and h
%. face became awful as she read. The
,;rI she shivered; and then the childrt
NO came in to lessons.
40 One more letter crossed the sea fro
~ the woman to the man on his wande
w, l.x-N