Semi-weekly Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1897-1901, 1901-07-12
THE REFoRMER. BRATrLEBoRo. VT. FRIDAY JULY IL, 1901

AuAGNhooos oo SukCAy shS wac winning
east rehearsing fiction. tell you, Har
ry, you can't make people tell the trutl
In this world. And love without per
feet truth is nonsense. So I'm done
with 1t. shall write her polite littl'
note explaining my absence. How thu
deuce shall explain it, though? You'll
have to help me with that, old man."
He sat down by the desk and at thai
moment his glance fell upon n number
of letters that had found IN our DO,
down stairs. saw him start at sigh
of one of them. Miles hand. There
used to be good deal of it hereabout q
month ago.
Jacks face lighted up with pleasure
Pure instinct made him glad to see the
dear, familiar characters upon the en-
velope. Upon my word, the fellow was
about to raise 1t to his lips when the
true situation of affairs started up in
his memory.
80 she wasn't there after ALL" said
he.
l asked him what he meant
"Why, surely it is obvious" he re-
piled, THAT this note is an excuse for a
| failure to keep our appointment. She
wrote It last evening. ! can see her do
| Ing it. Mile always squirms and
| makes faces when she writes-the
daintiest little faces and the cunning
est of squirms-and I've suspected In
times past that the more fiction she put
into letter the more faces she had to
make at it. She must have been ka-
leidoscope Of beauty when she wrote
this"
But you don't know what's In It,
Jack" said l.
NO" he answered, balancing the let
ter in his fingers as If he were trying
to decide how much postage 1t should
have borne, "and l probably never
shall. If l read it, I'm afraid l shall
believe 1t. And So
He threw the letter into the fire.
The act seemed to excite fierce spr-
it of destruction within him. He turn
ed upon the remaining letters, taking
them one after the other into his hand
for an instant and hurting them Mt the
crate Immediately. This fusillade OF
dainty note paper was accompanied by
such comments as these:
THAT girl never tells the truth. Num-
Der two Is note Of thanks for some
flowers, and she probably told her best
friend that they looked like 80 cents.
This one is addressed TO me in the hope
that I'll carry the news to Hamilton
Teal. And here's an advertising circu-
lar at the bottom of the pile, rs true as
the others, but more convincingly
worded, I've no doubt. So"'
The last envelope fiuttered down up
on the Goals where its predecessors
were smoking and turning brown. Jack
wheeled about and, crossing the room
rapidly, poured out glass Of brandy
at our sideboard. The decanter had
not been disturbed before In three
months.
He had run through this scene in a
vein Of cynical society comedy but
there was tragedy In the background.
Those two overgrown children loved
each other, and their separation was a
sin.
Jack" said l, you'll admit that I'm
a good deal older than you are and that
I've seen more of the world"
You're an oracle, Harry" he replied,
Except in the matter Of girls. Indeed
there was time when | thought you
knew something about them"
Lets pretend that do. and on the
strength Of that pretense III bet any
thing reasonable that Miles letter
stated the exact truth"
Il never make bet when there's no
way of settling It," he replied, pointing
to tie letters in the CRATE that had
burst into n blaze. "As matter of
fact. she pleaded some sort of engage
ment or headache orr
Nonsense. Here's her letter. l res
cued it in time. May read it,
II don't suppose Mile would OBJ
iect." said he. Read it II you wish. !
It's nothing to me-"
"I'll read it aloud to YOU" | answer +,
ed, with this understanding, which !
shall 20 for bet: If the thing is obvi- |
Dusly true or can he proved to be true, |
you agree to 60 and see her and apollo
giZe. If not, I'll take you to Bermuda |
FOR month and pay all the expenses"
"If the story can't be proved, you |
osef" he inquired.
"Right-supposing that it needs any
proof"
II take the bet" said he.
The envelope, crisp with the heat, al
most opened itself in my hands. And
his is what l read:
Dear Jsck-I shall not 60 to the old seat in the
lark tomorrow. 1t would be useless For my
wn part care nothing for the pledge made
o me ! loved you, and cared not a penny for
ny fact in nature except that you loved me. The
lotion that dstrusted you was wholly in your
wn mind.
As to my promise, II is Of consequence ]
ould say only what have said many times ]
ave nothing to alter or retrsct. But YOU would
lot believe. There is no human creature pal
ably sincere, there is no pledge nor vow 50 sol
mn, as to convince man who has the cause and
Ssence OF distrust in his own nature You would
oubt because you doubter. not because the
natter is debatabe.
When you have gained a different mode Of
bought. ] most certainly believe you will,
ONE to me. ! shall be Just the same. but per-
APPS shall seem TO you TO be more nearly the
ioman whom you could love and trust. Come
Don. yet not until you are sure. MILE.
Heaven gave me the grace to read
! y