Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-11-22

l O1 beauty never nope to see aRaln! l | stood embarrassed in one corner because I knew not enough Spanish | to ask one to dance with me. But you came to my relief, cavalier like, at the first opportunity by sending your servant to offer your partnership. How sweet of you and how happy 1 you made me. I was the happiest man in christendom just then. We l danced and ! saw the lovelight in your eyes, but perhaps you have now | forgotten the overgrown lieutenant who was once an aid to Lee? I hope not for 1 have remembered you con. stantly and with a hope that l trust may be realized some day.
 'In closing I have but to ask that you in your gracious way will deem these incoherent ramblings worthy reply; just two or three lines will suffice in which to say you remember me, and that have not mistaken the understanding between us at that time of war, pestilence and love-mak ing, and I shall be happy in my days of waiting, Blanche, for you" {
 Long days of impatience followed the mailing of this letter, which was posted about the same time as the one to Dorothy, in which he had ta- ken occasion to ask release from the engagement, yet, in closing he had whimsical1y hoped she would some day come to the Philippines to be his wife. Most men, while in love, arc inconsistent, and Murray was no ex- ception.
 He waited for three months with considerable fortitude before he com nenced to expect reply and his anxiety was manifest only on arrival of the mail by pack train. The sol diers, to the man, never failed to get letter; but there were none for Capt. Murray--that is none from New York or Cuba-and all others didn't count.
 Tho captain finally gave up all hope of hearing from Dorothy and said with remorse that she had accepted his terms; perhaps that very thing was what she had wished and even longed for. Then the captains thoughts turned to the little southern beauty in the far-off Antilles and he wondered what her answer would be. Surely the senorita would not fail him? Senoritas didn't receive offers of marriage every day from Americans and especially popular captains in the army. 1
 In his dreams he could see a dainty perfuned envelope bearing the Cuban postmark, and containing an endear- ing letter, perhaps in Spanish, for that was the native language of the senorita despite her English educa- ton and the nativity of her sire. In this letter she would tell him how grateful she was for his recollections, his admiration and his love. But then folks say that dreams are always the opposite when produced in real ity. Anyway two letters, both ad- dressed in refined, feminine hands, arrived for Capt. Murray just four months from the day his letters were mailed
 One was from New York and the other was from Cuba.
 Murray's face was lighted with the light of joy, yet his hands trembled as he studied either envelope crit ically before deciding which to open first. Evil forebodings haunted h!m. Undoubtedly the one from New York brought bad news and it might be distasteful to the extreme, while the other must be full of love and ten- der feeling. He decided to stimulate his courage by reading first the mis sile from the fair one of the south seas and he tried hard to assure him self that after all Blanche O'Hallor- ans letter was the one dearest to him.
 The ragged end of an envelope fell futtering to the floor and the cap tain commenced to read.
 From the complicated net woven by the wrinkles on his clouded brow there must have been something un- pleasant in the very beginning. How ever this supposition proved erro- neous as he read aloud somewhat slowly. The letter was written in Spanish as had been expected and the captain was translating as he pro ceeded.
 "My Dear Captain the letter ran, "T have the goodness to make reply to your very happy letter and to thank you for the compliments yo1l' pay me therein; l. who am so inferior to an American. being miserable balf-breed born and reared in my dear but primitive old Cuba. True ] can claim some advantage in the education New York gave mo but still I have the instinct of my mothers people.
 'How my heart huttered and leapt at your endearing words and it made me think of all the pretty things you whispered into my ears that night at the ball. You seemed different, so superior to the Cuban caballeros who were my suitors from childhood, and my heart went out to you. loved you only as a southern woman can love and even hoped you would marry me; marry me and make me q wo- man of the grand country from which you come. But what foolish child I was to cherish such hope for my poor heart was doomed to suffer