Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1901-02-27
ny kaoa11e e. Pickett,


home and greatly as I need the safe
shelter it gives me- and tenderly as l love
the dear little heart that has been sent |
to comfort the sadness of my soul, yet l |
must leave all and go again into the |
world which has no place for the DESC
late and unfortunate, and broken-heart |
ed? Nay, because I so love all these |
things that came to me through you, |
my best friend, l must relinquish them |
all.
For a great love has come to me-a
love that is in my own heart alone and
awakens no answering thrill in any other
heart. He loves none but you-thinks of
none but yOu-seeks me out only to talk
to me of you-likes to have me in his
home merely because you are my friend,
and trusts me with his dear child be-
cause l came to him through you and
therefore must be worthy of his conf
dence. And ever in my heart is the great
pain that fills it aching full and the wild
thrObbing that makes me faint with ter
rOr
80, l must flee from myself out into
the world, filled with unknown dangers,
because I love and am not loved"
Mrs. Warham thought in sad silence
for a few moments and then her face
lit up with sudden resolution. From
the impulse which came to her she wrote
swiftly and without pause:
My Dear Friend:
You know that my heart is in heaven
with linn who possessed it on earth. You
know there is no more life here for me.
| With you it is different. You have a
strong and beautiful life which springs
| anew from the ashes of the sweet and
| joyous past.
| Because you are the soul of honor,
because your heart is lifted above all the
worldly things that are trivial and base,
l am writing to you in confidence. I en-
| cCse this letter which l nave just re-
| ceived knowing that however your heart
may direct you, the holy secret of a wo-
mans soul is safe your keeping l
reveal that secret in the most sacred
confidence and in the perfect knowledge
| that it will be sacredly kept.
However you decide, please return the
enclosed letter.
'MILDRED WARHAM."
She enclosed the letter with the one
which she had received from her friend
| and addressed them to the colonel.
Then she went downstairs with her let
| ter in her hand. No one but herself
should carry that precious missive. No
other hand should touch the covering of
a secret SO sacred until it had gone quite
beyond her reach and she could no longer
protect it.
AS she opened the door strong wind
drove snowtlakes into her face. She
shlvered as she stepped down into the
street. Was ever the sky SO gray and
the wind SO keen? She walked rapidly
! to the letterboX at the corner and thrust
in her letter. Then she went into the
house more slowly as if all the warmth
had gone out of the world
A few days later the letter she har
| enclosed came back to her but with no
word to tell how it had sped on it's
mission. A short time she waited and
then came the tidings for which she
looked-a letter from Aletha:
MY Darling:
II am so happy! He loves me-poor-
poor little one who have nothing to give
| Inn save the love of a devoted heart.
| How blind | have been I thought it
was you he loved-you, so far above us
| all. 1t is only to test my love that he
| talked to you-to see by my words and
my face if l could care whom he loved
or whether he loved at all Now that
l know the truth all the clouds are gone
and the sunshine makes the days all
! bright. I am to be married to him very
soon and then I shall have a beautiful
|
see how happy l am in the life you have
given to me, for if it had net been for
you should never have known him. Are
you not glad for me?
Oh, yes. She was glad. $50 glad and
thankful" she said ecstatically.
She recalled the time, such a little
while before, when he had said to her:
MY heart is yours. Yours forever.
can never love again."
She had replied:
my heart is in heaven. I can never
| love on earth"
She had wished then that the lonely
man might be wrong and that he might
find some bright and lovely woman te
make his desolate life once more glow
| with light. Now the time for which SHE
had longed had come. Yes of course
she was very glad. Why not?
| In proof of which gladness she flung
herself on the sofa and wept bitterly