Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1902-08-26

and various other things to the hall
where the rummage sale was to be
held.
1t was on the evening of this bright
October day that the sale was to COM
mence. The town had been ransacked
from end TO end. little judicious adj
vertising done. all the articles collected
and arranged, and now, with sigh of
relief and anticipation the maids and
matrons of Brentley stood and looked
moment on the work of their hands
ere they went home to snatch a hasty
supper before returning for the open
ing of the sale In the evening.
Among those who dropped in that
evening to ''see how the women folks
were getting along" was Caleb Thop-
as. He passed down the hall. exchang
ing a pleasant word with an acquaint-
ance here and there and amusedly in
specting the heterogeneous conglom-
Grafton of donations. until he came to
a counter presided over by the daugh-
ter of an old friend, who laughingly
challenged him to pick from her stock
in trade the style which suited him
best She had charge of a part of the
clothing and merrily exhibited her as
sortment, commenting gaily on each.
At last she held I'D coat in the style
of twenty years ago. See" she said
gleefully, Miss Almira Hunter sent
this in; how old-fashioned it is! One
would think it came over in the May
flower and hadn't seen the light of
day since; and. indeed, it must have
been laid away for ever so long, for
She
"I'n take it." interrupted Caleb short
~. How much is it,"
Fifty cents" was the wondering
answer The girl watched him with
perplexed. musing eyes as he threw the
coat over his arm and made his way
straight to the door. She wondered
if there was any truth in the gossip
she had heard bus hardly needed,
which called Him an old lover of Miss
Hunters.
Meanwhile Caleb Thomas took his
way homeward. the coat pressed tight
ly to his side. Once in a while he
strokod it tendecly. almost timidly--it
was something Mira had touched
Arrived at his bachelor home, he
spread his purchase on a chair and sat
down facing it Somehow, the sight of
something connected with her brought
thronging back the old pain, the old
question. "Why?' Why had she never
broken her proud silence?
With the question still echolug in his
heart he took the coat and slowly put
it on 1t fitted well. He remembered
that her brother George had been about
his size He ran his hand over it in
an awkward masculine way, patting
1t ahstractedIy. Suddenly, near one of
the pockets, something rustled. He
felt in the pocket, but there was moth
ing there. Still the rustling continued
when he touched that part of the coat
1t occurred 70 Him that there must be
something between the cloth and
the lining. and searching carefully ne
found a rip ard drew out-a letter,
sealed stamped. but not postmarked
and addressed to himself in a hand
that sent thrill along every nerve.
Slowly and wonderingly he broke the
seal and glanced at the date. 1t was
1882. He rubbed his eyes as If in a
dream. What did it mean?
Suddenly, like & fash of light, it was
all clear to him. Here was the answer
TO the. why, the long-delayed answer to
his letter. She had given it to George
to post. and George Che was always a
careless boy had slipped it into his
pocket and forgotten it, and it had
worked its way through the rip and
lain for twenty long years between the
cloth and lining. And. miracle OF
miracles. 1t had at last been deliv-
cred to its rightful owner.
He finished tie letter, folded it care
fully, and replacing it in its envelope
put 1t back in his pocket Forgetting
that he still wore the old coat, for now
his only thought was to get TO Mira,
he strobe out lato the night and hur.
ried. almost raa. down the village
street.
There was a light in Miss Hunters
sitting room. where she sat trying to
read But she could not concentrate
her thoughts upon her book; they
would turning again and again to Ca
leb Thomas
Suddenly there was a step at the
outer door. the latch clicked sharply,
and someone stepped toward the inner
room. Then Caleb Thomas stood be
fore her.
"MIrat' he said simply. Mira
/ Miss Hunter started TO her feet. pale
trembling. speechless. Caleb fumbled
10 the pocket of the old coat and drew
out the letter. her letter. so old and
yet 50 new.
See. dear" h,e said, Il found II in
the coat you sent TO the rummage sale
and which I bought because you had
touched IT. Oh. Mira. say that You
mean il still Say that you will"
He stopped suddenly. for with 8
great cry OF joy she swayed forward
and would have fallen but for the hun
CRY arms which caught her and drew
her home to his breast at last.-Faru
and Home