The Western news., 1902-09-10


ter, but when the heart would be most
eloquent the tongue is silent and the
pen refuses to be fluent. Thus it is
with my pen tonight. 1t will write
nothing but what has rung in my
thoughts long, long time; Mira. love
over again. Write to me. dear. and
tell me- If you can (and oh, hope you
can0, that l have not been deceived in
thinking you not quite Indifferent to
me- Yours, for life, death and for
ever, Caleb Thomas"
She had answered his letter. Yes,
she had answered it with words that
came straight from her heart, and told
him of the love she bore him, and that
she would be proud and happy to be
his wife. And-that was all. He had
never written to her again. and when
he came back to Brentley they had met
as though his letter had never been
written and answered.
She raised her head wearily and con-
tinued her search. At last she found
coat that had belonged to her brother
George married now and living in a
distant state,, and several other gar
ments with which she could part, and
making them into a parcel sent them
with one or two articles of furniture
and various other things to the hall
where the rummage sale was to be
held.
ySynS 1n f>F 1,te srxl,%
October day that the sale was to COM
| nence. The town had been ransack ed
from end to end, a little judicious adj
vertising done. all the articles collected
| and arranged. and now, with sigh of
| relief and anticipation, the maids and
nations of Brentley stood and looked
| a moment on the work of their hands
ere they went home to snatch hasty
supper before returning for the open
| ing of the sale In the evening.
Among those who dropped in tina,
evening to 'see how the women folks
were getting along" was Caleb Thom.
as. He passed down the hall. exchang
ing a pleasant word with an acquaint.
anca 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 part of the
clothing and merrily exhibited her as.
sortment. commenting gaily on each
| At last she held up 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 1t came over in the May.
flower and hadn't seen the light OF
day since; and, indeed, 1t must hav.
been laid away for ever so long, for
| She"
"Tll take It," interrupted Caleb short
ly. "How much Is it!'
"Flfty 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 but 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
stroked it tenderly. almost timidly-it
was something Mira had touched.
Arrived at his bachelor home, he
spread his purchase on chair and sal
down facing it. Somehow, the sight OF
something connected with her brought
thronging back the old pain. the old
question, "Why?" Why had she neve,
broken her proud silence?
With the question still echoing in his
heart he took the coat and slowly put
it on. 1t fitted WE'LL He remembered
that her brother George had been abou,
his size. He ran his hand over it In
an awkward masculine way, pattine
1t ahstractedly. 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 to him that there must be
| something between the cloth and
the lining, and searching carefully he
| found a rip and 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. It was