Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-11-23

under a scrutiny of eyes that cannot be
impersonal and minds that must be full
OF curiosity, perhaps of contempt!''
You make me think" said his host,
"of strange story Neyins, in that de-
partment, told me only 4 few months ago.
1t was about letter thnt was found
some 20 years after it was written"
Twenty years? 1t seems incredible!"
That's what makes 1t interesting" re-
piled the official, "for it was true. You
would never guess how it happened. The
letter was mailed in one of our eastern
towns, but it had got caught some way
in the hinge or in crevice, don't re-
member which, Of the street letter box
1t was put into, being small note in a
small envelope, of course. How it staid
there SO long it is hard to understand.
At any rate, it was found when they took
the box off for repairs or renewal-some-
thing of that kind"
"And did it reach the writer through
the dead letter Officer" Malvern asked.
He was gazing dreamily into the fire of
glowing, broken oak and noticed there
one black, charred stick that projected
from the smoldering pieces. 1t had the
pointed shape Of hunting dogs head,
the jaw seam of red ember from which
thin smoke foated upward, giving the
whole a curious resemblance to small
dragon, and as Malvern listened to the
answer to his question he could hardly
tell for a moment whether the sound
came from that odd fire dragon or from
his friend, from whose lips also wreath
OF smoke was drifting.
mo; they could not find the writer.
1t was one of those confessional letters
you were imagining just now. 1t was
from girl who must have had quarrel
with her lover, probably, very penitent
and all that; began, Nevins said, some-
thing like, Dear John-You had barely
left the house when / realized how utter
ly wrong and unreasonable I had been,'
and SO forth, don't you know! You can
imagine what girl under these circum-
stances would write"
"Yes," said Malvern almost to himself,
II can imagine"
fire darted out tongue of flame that not
only lighted the faces Of the two men,
but seemed to Malvern to be family illu-
mining something in the past as well.
His host, pleased with the effectiveness
Of his story, went on: "She implored him
to come back and forgive her, and SO on.
Neyins said it positively wrung his heart
to read 1t. he fancied he could see tears
falling on the paper"
"But, good Godp' cried Malvern,
springing up Indignantly, 'the letter
wasn't written to him."
His official friend was amazed at his
excitement, but replied: "Of course not.
But can't you understand? Well, the
girl went on to say that she was SO hui
INFLATED by her own wrongdoing in
throwing him over and SO mortified at
having to confess it that she could never
speak to him or look at him II he did not
come back to her at once. Then, woman
like, she said she would wait for him un-
til Christmas or Thanksgiving or some
such holiday, when they were to dine to-
gethsr."
sit was Thanksgiving, wasn't TT" de-
manded Malvern sharply, wheeling away
from the fire and looking earnestly at his
host.
As Il famed by an unseen hand, the
fickering flame on the charred stick grew
into two long bright arms that waved
and beckoned him.
'I'm sure I don't know" was the an.
swer. ut was something Of the kind.
They were SO much interested in 1t at the
department that they took unusual pains
to find out something further and get the.
letter into the proper hands. They adyer-
tised far and near, but It was no use, and
the little note finally went the way Of all
dead letters that cannot be returned-it
was destroyed"
But the person to whom It was ad-
dressed?'
Unknown" said the official, "the ad-
dress illegible from long exposure, but
the girls name, think Nevins said, was
Lily-John and Lilly. That's all that was
known"
"Are you sure the name was John 2"
Malvern inquired earnestly.
"Oh, no, not sure! But it will do as
well as any"
'.Not for me-" Malvern shook his head.
sand the date?"
ask Nevins," returned his host, who
now began to look uneasily at the distin-
guished guest as though suspecting him
of sudden brain failure.
II will!' declared Malvern. "I'll hunt
up Nevins at once"
7 And, disregarding his hosts curiosity
and rising alarm, he babe him hasty
good night and left the house.
Nevins' memory was good. he could
not tell exactly where the note was post
GU, Uut ue QlO reCau LnaC IL was written
not to John, but to Dick, and he was
positive that the dinner was to have been
on Thanksgiving day.
And she said she would waitW asked
Malvern for the third time.
Yes, but that was 20 years ago-to-
morrow" laughed Nevins.
Apparently Malvern heard only the
Eyes" for he did not join in the laugh.
Instead he asked eagerly, "Can get an
express east before morning?"
All night long the iron chorus of the
car wheels sang in his ears song Of
Joy, through which ran minor chord,
chord which sounded like the rustling
of leaves. In his eyes was but one scene
"a girl in pale violet dress, with her
arms stretched out toward him.
In the gray dawn he reused from his
DOING to wonder what he should do il
she should not be there. Could she
really be waiting for him still? There
were yet few glorious leaves Of au.
tumn clinging to the tree branches.
When the sun rose, his confidence re-
turned in full strength. In his saner
day mood he tried to picture her as
woman, matured, but still with the same
eyes, the same voice. the same ways
that had pleased him years ago-a wo-