Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1901-03-22

y
want to feel stronger. want to talk
while feel this way. l feel chastened.
This has been providential; the loss
of this dear creature is meant to show
me what hard woman have been.
l thought Of Tom Gordon last night.
| thought of that letter."
Miss Martha cleared her throat.
81 suppose she said, grimly, 81 am a
rather unbending woman. But be-
liece | think once in awhile, too. I
also thought of him last night, and l
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. mot
weaker than | now know have been
all these years." she answered. at
is 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. 81
WILL" she said, "if you think it is mine
to destroy"
Miss Matilda's eyes dried at once.
"If you doubt that" she returned, 81
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, a
stranger should open and read it and
understand"
Miss Matilda cried out; she had not
thought of that.
Burn it," she said, "burn i'll"
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.
81 never meant to be unfair" she
said. 'IIe always called me Matte. -
"Shall take-it out of the drawer?'
repeated Miss Martha.
But it was Matildas hand that
caught up the yellow paper and held
it to the flame. Then she drew il
back.
"Wait." she said. "Sha'n't we oper
it?"
"lIave | the right to answer that
question:" asked Miss Martha.
suppose" answered Miss Matilda
Suppose l-should say yes!"
81 should then" queried her cousin
) "be opening it for you?"
She dashed her hand on the table
making the flame of the candle shaLe
r 'What foolery it all isl" she said
'and / never saw it like this before
Yes, will open it for you"
, But" hesitated Miss Matilda
=, maybe il was intended for you.
Miss Martha looked at her. "Wha
p difference does it MAKE now?" sh
, asked. "0h, what fools we hav,
BEEN" she cried; "what fools!" Sh
grasped the letter and wrenchcd /
, open and held it under the lighte,
candle.
Dear Matte" they read, "you ant
> your cousin have been so kind to m
that feel like making confidantes o
= both of you. Let this note be fare
well, as | shall be too busy till I star
!, west to make any calls. And tn
confession? There is little girl on
there / never spoke of to you. lav
a letter from her to-day. She had re
fused me, and | was sore, when tn
beautiful friendship Of you two mad
my life little happier, your sympa
thetic manner drawing me to vol
But Mary Fenton's letter tc.da
: changes my sadness to joy, for sh
;, writes that she will marry me"
The paper fell to the floor.
"Matilda!" Miss Martha said in a
> awful voice.
Miss Matilda threw her arms aroun
= her.
:, Martha, Martial" was all she saic
over and over again. "Marthi
Martial"
II was some time before Mis-
= Martha could quiet her, which sh
= did, evidently, by saying: "Burn IT
burn it,"
Then Miss Matilda took up the le
ter and held it over the candle.
=" "And even now" she said, hyste,
ically. "we do not know which it wa
p intended for. Let me say it was &c
c me; / deserve it, though never wa
hultiNs hutl nv iIBht W VIC uh'ht
T. | took it because | cnvied you ever,
Il thing"
r "No. no." corrected Miss Marth
& quickly; 81 was not as pretty as yor
u ! was older; there was pathos aLo:
you being an orphan with only a
q uncle's house for home-in my 81
cret heart ! may have thought thu
l. the letter as we hoped it was we
meant for you"
&c Her eyes were on the paper tn;
l. shriveled under the fame until
IS futtered to the table, mere blac
tissue.
e Mattel" said Miss Matilda.
N Mattel" said Miss Martha.
And then they both exclaimed Fl
Il, pattering sound was in the haI
and there stood Towser. shamefacc
'e his tongue hanging out, his ia
waggng tentatively.