Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1902-05-02

cry that letter writing has its limits.
and needs the supplement- of personal
intercourse to perfect its delights. Will
anyone be astonished to learn that six
months later Mr.. George w. Miller
himself arrived at Colorado Springs,
one September morning, with three of
Isabel's last letters in his inside vest
pocket, and pre-occupation SO great
that he paid no attention to Pixies
Peak at all? Isabel, on her side. was
not in the least surprised when he was
announced at No. - Cascade avenue,
for his last letter-well she was quite
ready to welcome him, and prepared
to descend the stairs without any
symptoms of astonishment, except that
her heart was beating with most in
convenient QuickEess, and her cheeks
were as red as the heart Of June
rose.
This being the state of rhe yonng
peoples feelings it Is somewhat strange
to be obliged to chronicle that when
Miss Brown entered the drawing room
and Mr.. Miller rose eagerly at her ap-
proach. they should have stood looking
at each other as if turned to stone.
For fully two minutes not word was
interchanged; then the lady, with a
gasp, sank down in the nearest chair
and covered her face with her hands.
while the young man, bending over
her. murmured awkwardly:
Il beg your pardon. Miss Browns
1t Miss Brown"
Eyes, it isv' returned the girl. sit
ting up defiantly, her blue eyes ablaze
and her slender figure full of angry
grace. What right have you, sir, to
ask me such question. when you are
masquerading under somebody else's
name yourself?"
L was baptized George Wharton Mil
lcr," returned the young man, with
equal bitterness, laid my parents are
therefore responsible for the masquer-
ading.'"
"Wharton?" cried Miss Brown. 81
never heard Of you before. never
wrote to George Wharton Miller-the
right name is George Washington Mil
ler"'
Mr.. Miller sat gravely down in the
nearest chair-she was certainly dis
tractingly pretty-and regarded her
with a return to his Philadelphia calm
ness of manner.
"Your letter was ddressed to George
w. Miller" he said slowly, land the
postman made a natural mistake. since
our firm is the most important of the
name. Probably there are ten George
Washington Millers in Philadelphia.
But that doesn't explain how Miss 1sa-
bel Brown, of Colorado Springs"
"Oh - why, Of course-I never
thought" cried the young woman, en-
barrassment succeeding anger-"that
is, of course, thought your answer
was to me; but my cousin, Isabella
Brown, used to live in Colorado Springs
until two years ago, when she-she
married. you know, and went to live
in Chicago. l never thought, of course
oh, isn't it dreadful! And where is
George Washington Miller-he ought to
be in Philadelphia. somewhere!
Il daresay he is, at this moment" re
piled George Wharton Miller, with in
creasing mastery of the situation. And
l don't see anything to do but to leave
him there. and leave Miss Isabella
Brown, that was. in Chicago. and think
no more about them. Our correspond
ence has been with each other, after all,
you see, and not with them"
OH" said Isabel. "But-but I've
known George Miller, really, for years
to Wit To
Il don't believe" said the other
George Miller, judicially, that you
know him half as well as you know
me-"
Miss Brown blushed. She did not look
angry at all. and was, decidedly, pref
tier than ever-much prettier than Isa-
bella had ever been. Had he really
known Isabella at all? No, certainly
not; Isabella had never corresponded
with him.
Il am sure" he went on, rather STUN
blingly this time, that l know you bet
ter than l do any other woman in the
world. Haven't told you-well, just
everything, in my letters? And you
really cared. you know-you said so.
It's the personality, the-the soul, that
goes into a letter. We know each 9th
| er, and I-why, can't let ycu go, just
| because I'm not acquainted with you!
Don't you see-don't you feel"
YES" said Isabel, family. But
but-you're such a perfect stranger,
you know"
And then, suddenly. a mirthful twin
kle sparkled in her blue eyes, dis
| tracing dimple hovered in her cheek.
and she began to laugh, which swept
| the young man along in its merry cur
| rent till he finally joined in heartily.
They laughed until the tears came to
their eyes; they could not stop; the in
exhaustible perfection of the joke open
| ed before them in new waves Of merri-
ment 1t was laugh of deep and sym
! pathetic comradeship: and when they
| ceased, exhausted with mirth, and look
ed into each others eyes, it was as i
! they had known each other for years.
But wasn'tit queer" SAID Isabel. an
| hour or so later. that Isabella should
have met you at Mackinac, and should