Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1901-03-14

much last night" Miss Matilda went
on, in tears; 81 thought of him. It
frightened me-"
Miss Martha's lips thinned. Drink
your milk" she said; "youll feel
stronger" "
"No," sobbed Miss Matilda; II don't
want to feel stronger. want to talk
while feel this way. I feel chastened.
This has been providential; the loss
of this dear creature is meant to show
me what hard woman I have been.
thought of Tom Gordon last night.
thought of that letter"
Miss Martha cleared her throat.
II suppose" she said, grimly, II am a
rather unbending woman. But I be-
lieve I think once in awhile, too. I
also thought of him last night, and
thought of that letter."
Miss Matilda freed one eye from
her handkerchief. "Did it make you
feel weak?" she asked.
Miss Martha shook her head. "Not
weaker than I now know have been
all these years." she answered. ct
is a preposterous thing to keep that
letter; it should have been destroyed
years ago."
"Destroy it now" Miss Matilda said,
with avidity.
Miss Martha drew herself up. "r
WILL" she said, eff you think it is mine
to destroy"
Miss Matilda's eyes dried at once.
IF you doubt that" she returned, IT
will destroy it as my property"
Miss Martha fumbled at her watch
chain.
MATILDA" she said, "Towser is
dead. He thought as much of me as
he did of you"
Miss Matilda rose to her feet.
what has that got to do with it,"
she asked, sharply.
Miss Martha's chain snapped in her
fingers.
"Let us destroy it together" she
said. Suppose, after we are dead,
stranger should open and read it and
understand"
Miss Matilda cried out; she had not
thought of that.
''Burn it," she said, "burn it!''
She was in fever. Her cousin
could not light the candle speedily
enough, for Miss Martha meant to
deal fairly-to take a lighted candle
to the hall table and burn the paper
on the neutral ground.
Miss Matilda was there before her.
Miss Martha set the candlestick on
the table. "Shall take it out of the
drawer?" she asked.
Miss Matilda, looking into her white
face, fell to trembling; she had not
before noted how old her cousin
looked.
II never meant to be unfair,'' she
said. ''He always called me 'Mattie.'"
"Shall take it out of the drawer?"
repeated Miss Martha.
But it was Matilda's hand that
caught up the yellow paper and held
it to the flame. Then she drew it
back.
"Wait!" she said. "Sha'n't we open
it?'
"Have I the right to answer that
question:" asked Miss Martha.
Suppose" answered Miss Matilda,
suppose I-should say yes!"
II should them" queried her cousin,
''be opening it for you?''
She dashed her hand on the table,
making the flame of the candle shake.
''What foolery it all isl" she said;
land 1 never saw it like this before.
Yes, will open it for you.'
"But," hesitated Miss Matilda,
maybe it was intended for you
Miss Martha looked at her. "What
difference does it maize now?" she
asked. ooh, what fools we have
been," she cried; "what fools!" She
grasped the letter and wrenched it
open and held it under the lighted
candle.
''Dear Mattie," they read, "you and
your cousin have been so kind to me
that feel like making confdantes of
both of you. Let this note be fare
well, as shall be too busy till I start
west to make any calls. And the
confession? There is little girl out
there never spoke of to you. + lave
letter from her to-day. She had re.
fused me, and I was sore, when the
beautiful friendship of you two made
my life little happier, your sympa.
thetic manner drawing me to you
But Mary Fenton's letter to-day
changes my sadness to joy, for she
writes that she will marry me"
The paper fell to the floor.
"Matilda!" Miss Martha said in an
awful voice.
Miss Matilda threw her arms around
her.
"Martha, Martha!" was all she said,
over and over again. martha,
Martha!'
It was some time before Miss
Martha could quiet her, which she
did, evidently, by saying: "Burn it!
burn it,"
Then Miss Matilda took up the let
ter and held it over the candle.
"And even now" she said, hyster-
ically, tive do not know which it was