Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1899-03-10

@N>2
VI kno,U-I kno,c all nO,ri AfD dear, dear,
dcdrp'
which he had felt for Olga. was absent.
There was no illusion, no pain, no ro-
nance in David affection for her. 1t
was quiet, we'll balanced, wholesome.
She knew she was the passionless choice
Of his calm, wise moments.
Nora came in, muddy letter in her
hand.
1.-THE fool of postman to save cool
ing his feet put this under the mat in
stead of ringing the bell. It's sorry
looking letter it Is now." and Nora
dried it on her apron before putting it
in Anne's outstretched hand.
1t was from Donald. Her eyes bright
ened as she took 1t quickly and drew the
rustling pages from the envelope. She
read:
DEAREST ANNE-It's very quiet where sit
tonight writing to you. The short twilight has
disappeared into dark blue night. the south
ern cross Is in the sky, and the few other stars
are bigger and brighter than the many at
y
how never felt so alone in the wilderness as
do tonight. A longing to see you eats at my
heart. There Is no voice in the world as sweet
as yours. love your eyes, the way your lips
look when you laugh Oh, Anne, Ammo, II
could see you nowl
These fancieS are wild, you will think may
be. Oh, but do love you sol A Niger some-
where in the darkness outside Is playing pas
sionate tune on tin flute, and the savage
notes 60 through me, racking me with miser-
| able sort Of happiness, they are so like the
ache feel to see you. to touch you'll
I've worked very faithfully. The men I'm
thrown with. Armitage and Morgan, are bully
good fellows and, like me. are hoping and toll
ing for prosperity under another sky as the
reward. like them both immensely. and
think they like me pretty we'll
wish you could zee your two books. You'd
hardly know them, they are SO thumbed. al
most know them by heart. There's bright
future for you, Anne, dear. Oh, hope you'll
have all your dreams realized, every onei But
there's bitterness in the thought for me. ! see
more and more how much aspire to in loving
you, how mad the dream that maybe But
can't go on. Nothing can alter the fact that ]
do love you and, though you go quite out Of
my life and marry and are happy without one
thought of me, must still love you. Nothing
can alter that.
Oh, wonder will you ever love met Will ]
y
Will dareY What you've been to mel Only
today as ] stood watching the negroes among
the coffee shrubs thought Of the night in the
mines when VIC sat with our hands clasped in
the blackness and / talked TO you Of my
| wretchcd self as I'd never spoken TO nny living
being and the night when Joe died and / tried
to tell you all that was In my heart. Do you
remember 1t us dor kissed your hair that
night. You didn't know il. Aflerwnfd, when
you laid your check against my arm, your
beautiful face white. and whispered. "Ill
remember, Donald" thought my heart would
burst with pain and Joy. Oh, how wish
could have my life TO live over again and be at
this moment the man God had meant me to
be, not full OF bitter memories, still half afraid
after fighting the habits Of ycarsl II away back
In the past when was q little chap could
| have known that one day I'd meet you. love
you. need you 60, how little all that was mis-.
cradle would have seemed-only time Of dark.
ness to be lived through somehow with happi.
ness awaiting me at the endi
These are thoughts which haunt me all the
time, though I've little enough time to think.
There's 30 much to do I've grown very prac.
teal. But it's SO quiet here tonight, and you
are 30 very far away, and / do crave with
physical pain for one sight Of you, and the
nigger's melody has fred my blood, and q
queer bird outside my window utters now and
then a soft good night note as sad as death.
Oh. to have you beside me in this little room
just for a moment. to bless it for all the days
to come with tho magic Of your smilel love
| you dearly. Anne; need you more.
suppose you are very much at home again
in your old rooms. can fancy the year you
| spent In Waverly place was deadly dull. al.
has bought the old mansion from the doctor
and regularly settled down there. wonder
| why he does this unless he intends to remain
| hermit or marry again.
Do you know ! feel sorry FOR DavidY Yet
don't think it would please him TO think any
one felt pity for him. / used to think in the
dark days before you came to me 1t would be
the sweetest moment in my life to see him in
| some position where / could pity him. He
used to antagOnize and attract me in the one
hour. But that's past and done with. There's
not tinge Of envy In my feeling for him now.
| Since his wife's death he's written to me very
seldom. Do you think he loved her very
muchf Does he make you his confidant now
~ he used to dDf You and he were great
chums once. I hated him then. And once
shall tell you'll thought that maybe he
might love you and win you. II he had,
think I'd have gone mad with grief. David's
had every thing all his life and had 1t before
my longing eyes. But II you'd loved him.
Anne, would have suffered panRs too intol
| cradle to think Of without agony. can lose
| you to another man and bear my disappoint
ment az well as can. But to David Temple-l
can't bear to think Of it. 1t would seem toe
wretchedly consistent with all that's gone be-
| fore. But you're not going to marry him, &c
I Ill stop tormenting myself this way.
How long will 1t be before see your Oh, ]
| do want to see you'll have succeeded moder
ately. have paid David his loan and made some
| money besides- One year more Of this and III
be able to 60 home Homel One yeari And
thenf Well. you know all dream Of. You
are everything to me. You seem near to me
some days. wonder II your thoughts stray
| to me now and then and feel themp Oh, dc
think Of me and as tenderly as you cnni Dc
| you understand how love your Do you know
what you are to mei cannot write more
Good night. DONALD.
The letter slipped from Anne's fingers
and lay small, white patch against
the whittier hem of her gown. She thrust
her hands out invitingly. Her eyes had
the look Of a child's in the dark waiting
for the coming Of the light. The breath
came and went unevenly through her
parted lips A happy smile broke over
her face.
She picked the letter up and pressed
1t to her lips several times before she
spoke to it. as il to one who listened:
II know-I know all nowi Ny dear.
dear, deari''
TO BE CONTINUED