Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1902-05-23
STORY OF A CORRESPONDENCE

e'oS ago, to be sure but then 1t
was a promise-that some day | would
write n letter to you. To-day seems
good time TO do II. ] am In very blue
spirits, aud decidedly irritated against
HE in general. The thermometer Is 10
below zero. and the avenue Is filled
with racing clouds OF dust. Here. In
Colorado Springs, when the wind
blows, everybody quarrels with life,
and | am no exception. And rs you
used to be very bracing person to
quarrel with, the idea of writing to
you seems a happy one even after four
years.
II take for granted that you are still
In Philadelphia Philadelphia Is 80 UNI
like Colorado Springs! People live In
Phlladelphla-they spend whole exist
ences there, and are buried there when
they die Here, In Colorado Springs
people visit; they don't live. In four
years everybody changes; ones whole
visiting list fades away like dream
and changes, like a kaleidoscope, Into
nm entirely new set of acquaintance
and intimates. | have had thirteen In
innate friends In four years, and all
lost to me now forever,-is not that
striking reminder of the transformers
of life? One Is In Mexico, one In
Rome. one in n convent at Paris. two
In New York. one In India, one In
Louisville. one on the Nile, two In
Chicago, and three have died. Every
body who does not die here goes away.
before long TO the ends of the earth.
as you see. In comparison, Philadel-
phia must be place of solid and Ell
during social relations. | am In the
mood to-day to envy the rooted secur-
ity Of Phlladelphian
do you remember how you used to
laugh at my fathers investments in
mining stocks out here, four years ago?
Well, they have turned out a stroke of
financial genius. after all, and made
our fortune. 1t Is rather exciting be-
Ing rich-and rather dull, too. And
now, having kept my promise most
generously. to the extent of six pages.
1t is time to stop. hear you echo the
sentiment-but | am, notwithstanding
Cordially yours,
ISABEL BROWN"
The young man smiled as he laid
down the letter on his desk. amid the
business papers that crowded 1t.
'She was a bright girl" he said TO
himself, but never thoughta she
would write that sort of letter. Too
impersonal, somehow. She writes
very pretty hand. though"
Perhaps it was the four years per
spective into which the attractive ac-
quaintance of a summer Mt Macklnac
had receded. that gave this effect to his
mind. At any rate, he remembered her
as she was that last afternoon. when
they stood in the old fort, looking over
the houses of the picturesque, gay col
ored little town, to the blue lake water
beyond They had not been imper-
sonal at all that day but very much
more than at the time how very near
he had been TO being In love with her.
and how much one week more of intl
macy might have meant 10 them both
How he had hoped that she would
write-though she had only smiled Mt
his request aud promised that some
day she might He had not forgotten,
and he had really never liked any 9TH
er woman so well And now she had
written. Why? Was 1t just one OF
those Inconsistent little impulses of
hers that he had found so charming
four years ago-or did It mean more?
The only answer TO that question man
ifestly. was TO answer the letter at
once And though the business CORE
spondcnce WAS attended to promptly
that day yet summer afternoon. and
speaking pair of dark eyes. were
more in the writer's thoughts than was
at all necessary.
1t was surprising. after his answer
was sent. and the correspondence be-
gan thus tentatively, how soon 1t grew
and throve. and increased. Miss lisa.
hel Browns postman. Fastening along
the wide aud dusty avenues of Colo
RADIO Springs. brought Mt shorter and
shorter Intervals, longer and longer
letters from Philadelphia; while Mr.
George W. Miller's disk in the large
city offices of that wealthy firm OF
which he was junior partner was never
long without specimen of Miss
Brown's handwriting. 1t was reve-
lation, at both ends OF the line. how
much one could put on paper for
sympathetic reader, and how intimate
81 knowledge one gains OF a special cor
respondent, from week to week. Mr..
Miller soon learned that he had never