Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1900-03-20
Mrs. Luther Wilkins.

CO he postmaster smiled little
when he passed out the mail. but
~ Luther Wilkins did not notice.
lie was trying to remember whether 1t
was yeast cake or pound Of cheese
he had meant to get at the store.
He went out of the postoffice still
ponderlng and ended by forgetting both
articles, his attention being diverted by
the sight Of two boys playing marbles
on the sidewalks This was the first
sign of spring Luther had seen, so it
was no wonder that his memory played
him false.
After he had got home and had eaten
his supper he thought of the mail in his
oyercoat pocket. He brought it to the
table and sat down to examine it. There
was the weekly county paper, poul-
try journal, an agricultural monthly
and last Of all letter.
"Well, now" said Luther, picking it
up, II wonder who's been writing to
me. don't know when I've had a let
ter"
He looked at It eagerly, held it nearer
his eyes, then farther off. He removed
his glasses and polished them in nerv-
Gus haste. After replacing them on his
nose be picked up the letter again and
scanned it narrowly, then he looked
over his glasses as If at some person
and said:
Il suumw
He sank into a revere, ont Of which
no reused himself with start to study
the envelope with renewed interest.
MRS Luther wilkins" he said, Mrs.
Luther Wilkins. And | an old bach
elor who never so much as hardly
thought of getting married! Mrs. Lu-
'her wilkins, why, where is she? And
who is she?'
well ! guess I'll see what's in It."
lie inserted the point of his knife under
the corner Of the envelope flap then he
hestated.
what business have l opening Of
her letters?" he asked himself. Il never
did open other folks letters, and
guess won't begin now" He rose to
his feet and carrying it to the mantel-
piece leaned it up against the clock.
He settled himself to his papers, but
thoughts of Mrs. Luther Wilkins kept
intruding on what he was reading
about patent nest-boxes, and. under
draining and the news of the village
Thereafter during all his waking
hours, Mrs. Luther Wilkins was often
in his thoughts. She even haunted his
dreams ut times He wondered what
She was like, and he thought Of the
kind of woman be would wish her to
be, and enjoyed himself very much in
imagining how it would seem to have
her meet him at the door when he came
in from the fields, and how nice it
would be not to have to get his own
meals
At first he was 4 little cynical and
told himself that the imagining was
much more satisfactory than the real
ity would be, but after awhile he
changed his mind, and would sigh
heavily when he came into his lone
some house.
The letter by the clock too, began 10
trouble him. He had a devouring curl
0sity to see what was in it, and be-
sides it did not seem just right to keep
it so long before delivering it.
One evening in June Luther put on
his best clothes and walked three miles
10 see an old schoolmate who .had an
unmarried cousin living with him. II
seemed TO him that Eliza Elliott fitted
in exactly with his idea of Mrs Luther
wilkins.
lie came home quite early very much
disappointed. Eliza wouldn't do at all.
he worked doggedly for a month,
trying hard not 10 think of the dis
quieting subject. 1t was no use, and
toward the end of July it was observed
that Luther was becoming very neigh
boriy. He spent his evenings at differ
ent neighbors' houses, he accepted In
tations to tea. he went to church regu-
iarly and to all Sunday school picnics
And still he could not find suitable
owner for the letter.
Il must me terribly fussy," he sighed
awe got acquainted with about all the
women in town; they're nice women
every one Of them, but somehow they