The Press., 1902-12-04

"A device of the late MT. Sargent, who was not noted for constancy." re- piled Graden. '"Fhere was rich wid- ow whom he hoped to win. and she sometimes waited in his office. just as you were waiting in mine. Muriel."
 And if she had found the letters with no names on them." said Muriel, ''he would have told her that they were not his, just as you have told me that they are not yours. Arthur, cannot believe this story. I think you ought to tell me who this girl is, and then can judge'-
 He checked her by pleading, hope. less glance and a weak wave of the hand. Y
 'I must" said he-"I must tell you who she is. see no way to avoid it. am amazed that you do not know. You can't be unfamiliar with your cousins writing"
 Muriel turned white.
 Annie! My cousinn' she cried and snatched up one of the letters. "Yes it is hers. l never saw much of hel writing. We didn't write to each oth. CT. And it is she-Arthur, I can't be- lieve this."
 q knew of it or at least guessed it, ,'' said Graden. with returning calmness "I saw that she was drifting toward Sargent, and warned her against him before went west"
 ''Mr. Sargent?" she cried. "Do you still expect me to believe''- ''Muriel, Muriel," he interrupted iu the voice of one deadly sick at heart, "dO you not see? Do you not remem- Der one word? These letters that you have read are all stolen. told you that l was amazed by my first glance at them. Muriel, they are mine-my letters to you, line for line, almost word for word. She has taken what ] wrote you when I was in Chicago. all the 'stuff,' as you called it; all that thought was the true word of love though you said 1t was pretty sick five minutes ago. l don't know wheth. CT you gave her my letters to read or whether she pried into them. haven't had time to take these silly effusions back to her. But in any case, liking my style of stuff she has faithfully cop fed 1t. changing only so much as was necessary to make it read as if writ ten by a woman. Yes, Muriel, that's my love talk to you. The words you have just read aloud to me are the same that you have been accustomed to read over and over again before go- ing to bed and repeat softly to yourself while waiting for slumber to wait you away and repeat again when you woke in the morning. An, Muriel, you must have loved those letters!"
 Muriel was panic stricken. Her gold en palace was tumbling about her ears. She was frantic.
 Arthur" she cried, they were beau tiful! I did read them! An, how I loved them! And do remember! But was so excited, so jealous! remem- Der every word. How could l have been so crazy as not to know this that have read thousand times?"
 She snatched up one of the letters from the desk and read at random, and it happened that she lit upon one of the few passages that were truly original with Cousin Annie!
 Graden got upon his feet and looked at her. He looked her through and through. Then he turned and went out of the office.
 When he came back from abroad about year later. the Ballantynes were no longer i'll our city. He went humbly to the house of the girl who loved him and was worthy of him. and Constance told him truly that she was very glad he had come back.