Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1897-10-19
COLONIES ROMANCE.
HOW A LOVE LETTER HAD BEEN HID
DEN IN TREE FOR YEARS.

They sat Ia their usual places around
the grocery store and smoked pipes and
cigars OF peace. The colonel had just
returned from visit TO his old home 10
Ohio, and Was telling the boys about Il.
''It's q curious feeling" he said, ''to
90 back TO the old home after an absence
Of twenty years. Things have changed
completely. II IL like raising ghosts to
be among people you have not seen for
so long. The impression made upon me
IL one that will never be obiiterated. A
strange thing, too, happened while | was
there.
The others filed their pipes airesh and
settled themselves to listen, for they
liked to hear the colonel talk.
"when I got to the old town." he
went on, III CARED about me In deepcs:
wonder. The streets seemed narrower.
the houses smaller and meaner, and
every prospect seemed to have shrunken
and lost It's old familiar aspect. met
men In the streets by whose side | hal
grown up from boyhood, and they pass d
me with either curious stare, or care
less glance.
"But the worst was to come. There
VAS girl once upon time In the old
town whom loved better than any,
thing before or since. 0ac day I clipped
away frsm everybody and went down
into little grove where used to meet
her. asked no one about her, whether
she was alive, dead or married. Som, :
how felt that could not. knew that
fste had arranged our lives and that
there could never be any closer relations
between us.
~ went down the very path We used
to tread. The oaks along the lane had
not changed. The little blue flowers on
each side might have been the same
one. used to pick and place In her
hair. Our favorlte walk had been along
line Of thick laurels, beyond which
ran little stream. AZ walked there
those old hsppy days came back to me
again. There was little change In the
old lane TO Cypress my heart. IL seemed
to me that II I waited little longer
she must surely come down the path
sgsio, tripping so lightly through the
grass, with those starry eyes aud nut
brown hair. And then, she loved me,
too. IL seemed then that nothing could
have parted us-no doubt, misunder-
standing or fslsehood. But Who can
tellt
Il went TO the end OF the path. There
at one side still stood the old holio "
stump, where we used 10 place our love
letters. What sweet words that old
stump had known, II IL could only tell.
| thought that during my knocking
about the world my heart had grown
cslloused, but when saw the place that
once was 40 sweet and dear TO me, nv
heart grew very soft and food OF ten
der memories came to me.
~ looked down into the hollow stump
and saw little speck OF something
white. Curious to know what Il was,
fished II out with stick, and saw q
folded sheet Of paper, stained and yell
low with age and exposure to the ele-
ments. ! opened It carefully and reid
with difficulty:
"'DEAREsr RICHARD:
"You silly old boy. " course I will
marry you. Come around early to-
night. ALICE
gentlemen, l stood there holding that
little piece OF paper In my hand like
one In a dream. had written her n
note asking her to be my wife, and tell.
Ing her to leave her answer In the Old
tree. She had done so, and II must have
slipped down into the trunk and never
got IL, and all these years had rolled
away since she placed II there. Can you
imagine how felty'
The crowd was silent. The major
wiped his eyes, the squire shifted q
little, ard the grocer, who was tender
hearted man, turned away and pretend
ed to be arranging something on his
shelves. They were strong men, but
they had all known what love Ia.
And when you didn't get her note"
said the squire, ''y0u left home and
never saws her again."
NO." said the colonel, IL was around
ut her house anyhow that night, and got
her answer all right. Two months later
We ~ere married. She aud the five kids
are down at the house now. Pass the
tob icco. please"
You are the doggondest man | ever
saw" said the grocer, Indignantly
New York World.