Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-06-03
The letter that followed this was very

The letter that followed this was very
short wy
Dear James-The package Of letters has
been received. God help me to bear this
shock TO all my hopes and the death of all
my gtrlsh beliefs. / am not angry. Only
those who have something left TO hold to in
life can be angry
My father tells me he has received a mack
Ct, too II contained 5000 in ten 500 notes
James! James! was not my love enough
that you should want my fathers money.
tool
l have begged my father and he has
promised ma to keep the cause of this rup-
ture secret. No one shall know from either
OF US that James label has any flaw in his
nature.
The next letter was dated some months
LATER. Ii was 10 Philemon:
Dear Philemon-The gloves are FOO small.
besides, l never wear gloves l hate their
restraint and do not feel there is any good
reason FOR hiding my hands in This IittIa
country town where everybody knows me-
W ny not give them 70 Hattie Weller? She
likes such things, while | have had INV
III OF fnery. a girl whose one duty is to
care for a dying father has not heart for
Yanities
Dear Philemon-You will have my hand
though have told you that my heart does
not go with it. 1t is hard to understand
such persistence. but if you are satisfied to
take a woman of my strength against her
VIII; Jheh God nave mercy upon you, for
l will be your wife
But do not ask me to go to Sutherland
town / shall live here. And do not ex-
peCt 10 Keep up your intimacy with the
labels There is no tie of affection remain
Ing between James and myself but il | an,
10 shed that half light over your home
which Is all can promise and all that YOU
can hope to receive. then keep me from all
liiiuehce out your own That this in time
may grow sweet and dear to me Is nv earn
est prayer today. for you are worthy of a
true wife. AGATtJ.
Dear John-I am going to be married
MY father exacts il, and thers is no good
reason why l should not give him this final
satisfaction. At least i do not think there
Is. but If you or your brother differ from
me
Say goodbye 10 James from me. I pray
tHa' Ms NE may De peaceful l know that
II will be honest AGATHA
Dear Philemon-My father is worse He
fears that If We wait till Tuesday he will
Not be able t. see us married Deride
then. what our duty is; 1 am ready to
abide by your pleasure AGATHA
The following is from John label to his
brother James, and is dated one day after
the above:
Dear James-When you read this l will
he far away. never to look in your face
again unless You bid me. Brother, brother
meant II for the best. but God was not
with me. and l have made four hearts
miserable without giving help to any one.
"hen read Agatha's ietter-the last
Tor more reasons than one. that | shall
never before what l had done to blast your
two lives For the first time l realized to
the full that but for me she might
have been happy and you the respected
husband OF the one grand woman to be
found in Portchester. That | had loved
her so hercely myself came back TO me in
reproach, and the thought that she per
hdps suspected that the blame had fallen
where il was not deserved aroused me to
such a pitch that L took the sudden and
desperate resolution OF telling her the
truth before she gave her hand TO Phile-
mon. AMI never paused till l reached Mr.
Gilchrist's house and was ushered into his
presence.
He was lying on the sitting room lounge
looking very weak and exhausted while
OF one side of him stood Agatha and on
the other Philemon, both ntemplating
him with ill-concealed anxiety. l had not
expected 10 find Philemon there, and for a
moment I suffered the extreme agony of a
man who has not measured the depth of
he plunge he II about to take, but the