Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1901-08-30
MAY.

Ill
SS the housemaid brought the pack
ct to him. The girl entered timidly,
with furtive glance at her master,
for whom her heart was bleeding.
No sign of tears-either past or pres
ent-was visible In the young mans
eyes. They were hard and bright.
Hard, also, was his face, and the
clenched lips like adamant.
He took the thick envelope, glanced
at the clerkly writing, and at the back,
upon which was stamped in blue let
ters, 'W. Robinson & Co." Then he
flung it on the table, and as the servant
left the room, the sound of harsh
laughter broke upon her ears. She fled
to the kitchen, and with scared face
whispered that she thought poor Mr..
Ord must be going mad.
+ He had written few days before to
William Robinson for those patterns
that he might choose the materials for
his wedding suit. May was so particu-
lar about what he wore. He used to be
a little careless about his dress once.
appreciation, he had overdone it in the
opposite direction, sporting collars of
absurd height, and impossible ties, en-
during like a martyr the pinch Of pat
ent leather shoes a size too small for
him, and getting himself little chaffed
by appearing in suits which were un-
mistakably in advance of the fashion,
May, with gentle tact, had changed all
this.
He had written for the patterns from
portant suit should be needed, as he
wanted to have Mays opinion with re-
gard to the materials. He consulted
her about everything. He had no Sis
ters, and until the last year-when the
death Of an uncle and the inheritance
!. of a fortune had made him his own
master-he had lived a solitary life in
a remote country town with the rela-
tion by whose sudden death he was en-
riched.
After that laugh of harshness which
had so startled his servant, Laurence
! Ord went back to the study of Mays
portrait. A sob of anguish broke in q
.groan from Ord's pale lips. He had
tried to realize that those dancing eyes
were closed forever.
The idea of May-May, the merriest
little person in the world-lying cold
and silent was too much for the young
man who last had seen her having a
wild game with kitten on the deck OF
a friends yacht.
He had dreaded that little cruise more
than he could say. He had all but ask.
ed her not to go, but from this he had
refrained, deeming it mere selfshness
You don't mind me going, Laurie
do you" she asked, when the trip had
been first suggested, and with a little
pleading look in her eyes which was
irresistible, especially as he had not yei
the absolute right to give or withhold
permission. "Pl1 only be gone three
weeks, and then-if you still have 6
mind to-you may take me and keep me
forever. A large order, Laurie! Shal
you want me for so long, do yor
, think?'
He had gone to see her off on board
the Orchid, and she had stopped in tn,
/, middle Of one of her airy whirls will
Z the kitten and piece of scarlet ribbon
Mind you have the patterns ready
, by the time 1 come back"
4 THE yacht Orchid, which wal
4 wrecked last night on the dangerou,
! reef outside Alwyn Bay, is the proper
ty of Mr.. Grifiths of London. All OF
board were saved except the unfortu
nate lady whose body was washed
ashore early this morning. 1t has beel
!. Identified as that of Miss May Garden.
:. This was the paragraph which hat
caught the eye of Laurence Ord as b.
4 had run over his morning paper a
u breakfast. Afterwards he had com
y upon the first and longer account, bu
= this was evidently little paragrapl
inserted when further information ha,
i been received.
n His senses had at first been blunte,
u by the shock. Now they were awaken
Z ed to full consciousness Of the immeas
. urable pain. He laid the miniatur
down, and began to walk about tn
: room. He moved things here and there
He wound the clock-then his nerveles
fingers dropped it with crash. He le
it lie where it had fallen.
He began mechanically to settle tn
things on the table, to fold up the news
papers, and open his neglected letters
He was fighting his pain. The letter
were read without his being whit tn
wiser as to their contents. The packe
of patterns was the only thing that re
manned.
With another of those pitiful laugh
he ripped open the envelope. The laug
changed into an indescribable or,
There were no patterns in the envelop,
Instead there were three thick sheet
of nOtepaper, each of which had "Wa
ter Robinson & Son, Solicitors, Alwy
Bay" printed upon it. The writing wa
a penciled scrawl-a dear, familia
scrawl
: Laurence read it on his knees, sol
bing out his thanks to God. Three SCI
tences and the signature will sufficien
ly explain:
81 was brought ashore half -drowne,
Mr.. Robinson, lawyer, hs
kindly given US shelter. NJ
Griffiths is addressing this.
Your loving May."-San Francisco A
gonaut.