The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-03-23


'Ah they did not dare to let her re-
ceive another of my letters! So a clerl
returns it unopened" he cried.
And a great lump rose In his throat as
he thought of the scenes of the past two
weeks. The old fever and the old longing
came rushing over his PROSTATE sou
now in resistless torrents: How dare q
strange hand touch a message to her!
could strangle him. We will see who
wins the fight" He set his lips with
determination, packed his valise, and
took the train for home without wore
of farewell to the companions of his
revels.
When he reached Hambright he felt
sure OF letter from her. A strange JOY
filled his heart.
Il have either got letter or she's
writing one to me this minute!!" be eX-
| claimed.
He went to the postoffice in a state OF
exhilaration. The letter was not there
But it did not depress him.
1T is on the way" he quickly said.
For two days, he remained in that con-
dition of tense nervous excitement and
expectation. and on the following day he
opened his box and found his letter!
Il knew it!' he said, with thrill OF
! Joy that was half awe at the remark
able confirmation he had received of their
sympathy.
He hurried to his office and read his
big precious message.
How its words burned into his soul!
Every line seemed alive with her spirit!
How beautiful the sight of her handwrit-
! ing He kissed it again and again. He
read with bated breath. The address was
| doubly expressive, because it contained
| the first word of abandoned tenderness
with which she had ever written to him,
except in the concealed message dotted
in the note that broke their earlier
| correspondence.
J My Precious Darling: I have gone
| through deep waters within the last
three weeks. l became so depressed and
| hungry to see you, felt some awful ca
lamity was hanging over you and over
me and that it was my fault. l could
scarcely eat or sleep.
l felt l should go mad if I did not
speak and so l told mama. She sympa-
thized tenderly with me- but insisted 1
! should not write. She is so feeble I could
not cross her. But, oh! the agony of it,!
Sometimes l saw you drowning and
, stretching out your hands to me for
! help.
Sometimes in my dreams 1 saw you
fighting against overwhelming odds with
strong brutal men, whose faces were full
of hate, and l could not reach you!
l was nervous and unstrung, but you
can never know how real the horror of
it all was upon me.
inbf IN toIo
graph you. | heard someone talking in
side mama's room. l gently pushed open
the door between our rooms, and she
was praying aloud for me! l stood SPELL
bound. I never knew how she loved me
before! When at last she prayed that
in the end l might have the desire of my
heart, and my life be crowned with the
power and the joy of a noble mans love,
and that it might be yours, and that she
should be permitted to see and rejoice
with me, l could endure it no longer.
Choking with sobs l ran to her kneel-
ing figure, threw my arms around her
neck and covered her dear face with
kisses.
1 could not send the message I had
written after that scene.
The next day papa came and she told
him in my presence, Now, general, I
have carried out your wishes with Sallie
against my judgment. The strain has
been more than you can understand. 1
give up the task. You can manage her
now to suit yourself"
There was a firmness in her voice I
had never heard before. He noted 1t,
and was startled into silence by it. He
had long talk with me and repeated
his orders with increasing emphasis
The next day l was unusually depress-
ed, / did not get out of bed all day. At
night / went down to supper. The clerk
at the desk of the hotel called me and
said Miss Worth. l have a terrible sin
to confess to you. l am a lover myself,
and I've done you a wrong. l returned
to young man yesterday letter to you
by request of the general. Forgive me
for it, and don't tell him l told you
That night papa and l had a terrible
scene. l will not attempt to describe it.
But the end was, l said to him with all
the courage of despair: Il am wenty-one
years old, l am free woman. l will
write to whom I please and when l
please and I'll not ask you again. 1t
is your right to turn me out of your
uOuSC, Uul you ohdIl hOb INJURY ny
soul"
Then for the first time in his life papa
broke down and sobbed like child. We
kissed and made up, and l am to write
to you when l like.
Forgive my long silence. Write and
tell me you love me. My heart is Sick
with the thought that l have been cow
ardly and failed you. Write me long
letter, and you cannot say things ex-
travagant enough for my hungry heart.
l feel utterly helpless when l think
how completely you have come to rule
my life. / wish you to rule it. 1t is all
yours
And then she said many little foolish
things that only the eyes of the one
lover should ever see, for only to him
could they have meaning.
When he finished reading this letter,
and had devoured with eagerness these
foolish extravagances with which she
closed it he buried his face in his arms
across his desk and cried.
A big, strong, boastful man, whose will
had defied the world. Now he was cry
ing alone in his room like a whipped
child.
At last he knelt by his chair and tried