New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-02-26
EIOira, and Her LoOe Letters.
BY CLAUDE AsKEw.

village street the giri prattled gayly NOW that the
await with serenity her lovers return and Dc hapPy
ln These prrparau"n5 fof her Ea-Iltse' oGt We
pain o. tiafinaa- She was going to lose her ehl'o
HE shDyped layisEly and with certain fierce
veHefnenee. Elvir1 should come out bride in the
h. sostg Eis feathsr N should long be reuen-
bred What did 10 Pr9e mater hen ths Snla
lonely OLD woman needs uttle 20 support life.
Anne Hardy. her mouth ran q pins. draDed tbs
silk round the graceful young figure, $500.
Hakes. ais Zane. she nurrnqred In frank .< az,
mlfl'lpu. II Just g1"e1 there vii never 3e sl-n
bride ~ dress sssH here again rs real pe''uFe
- make 20 I,.,ifaI'h.i y - 49,, ,,,-- e,+.erv.
hli "d Cafi7st sat 1nm'Fed- were H'- 1---
Time passed and Gilman never wrote. Twice
oay Eigfa n1sd- pilgrimage % ne D9st2i1ee, 80 an
white strained face that clariss2 felt sick al
n guess therein BE- letter tomorrow" she said
furfivey. not daring % looas her own wrath -1@
yes tomorrow" answered Eivira. obedientiy;
/ but CIar3zaa heard her weeping during the niEn-
' CAS- sf .5Ssd ,a Te r.. sd Il grew clos. TO
welding cay. but sfi- 70 letter from GHnan.
| The wedding dress came home. Ltus Ans me- :.
/ fie1 u herself bat E.sira turned cean Eniss ss
W. II - 5,lt ~ 49,, Ser yysr5ro5s and 50
/ win tie dainty ralElius and the wedding oonnsI
frer u, brought Lef yreseas the faintest and most
pathetic pause b-t C-aTissa would hustle ana a.
/ and ginger wine for the donor
! Ttrr ne wedding day cane Elyira rose up
| go res5ig,e sle even tried % make some poor
/ show ~ eating breakfast-theu she went up 70 her
HeighDor called, entering cautiously. ard a. II
Ilytra' she pr9aolacsd. n a slow. dismal voice
| ''Yolu see. Mis- Lane. she % 20 OF IN a decline.
| Just az her mother Glt-if she don't hear news o.
| after TIE lapse q many years. heard froIn her
relative Ciartssa wrote % ask her 20 90 "a sell-
/ tLgly simple commissioner one over Wn.-A ILs
| 4 few days later Clarissa marched uP- rom the
postoffce carrying letter addressed 70 ElylEa II
:eeTns ss n tHis niglt be from Gilman E1vira 20
I announced the aunt IS she entered the house Fl
vra had been sitting lstlessy or the rocking char,
but she spranE o. her feet and ran 10 Clarlss@
she read the letter through. hurrisdly. first OF
ITS all right Aunt CIarissa.' she exclaimed.
letters wrong. and they've just been returned %
him. lie wrote p,ostpen.ns our Wedding business les.
kept him--but he'll be here soon. her voice was not
boat you Ike your letter. Amt # all rightT
asked CIarlssa. after moments pause -
@66 us not Ike Gilman a tit- she sighed. i'm
patiently 'f g,e real H., '9 r h5Tio th51s6 sht
C'laIissas jaw feiI hopelessIy. and look OF pair
hlckered over her face Then she coIored a warm
Next dav brought Elvi-a another letter The CIR
was looking better. Hope. the beauliher. had al
ready done MS WorA WIN ner 5aI 10 S 49,, ~
little gursles OF laughter and smiles coming and
IT'S tust sweet letter. IS ever could b.
fust Ike some one wiring 70 IitJle tiny girl lie
says he's coming she added with sigh. but
he gives no date and no time. Aunt ClaTlssa' When
''soon-I guess soon" answered the other n a
her letter again, and breaking once more into low
iaxed somewhat and her eyes grew less strained
Weeks passed Letters never failed 10 come. put
si fifr1 no 2yH ~ no. TeytlTs thew were meat
and drink to her. and she slept with the last one
Ciar!ssa grew very nervous ard haEsard. She
avoided going % meeting and lost her speech on
t. III q
neighbors and she had the mien Of one oppressed
doting: IT seemed II she could not do enough for
the giri and her tenderness was WONDERFUL -.
Ciarissa was Aunt CIarissa-k ind-devoted-
her love letters those letters so formal and cold.
which had now worked up into letters fun OF pas
the girls heart Ieaped under the words She read
| a dav wondering more and more how her lover.
miles away. seemed TO understand 50 completely
One DAY two letters came for EIvira. each bear
ing the New York postmark. CIari5sa 9ad ietcGed
| piteousiy a. She handed them up.
| "Flvira.' she gdsped hes written. written at
EIvira hardly Eeedsd her. aunt. She gently
| pushed aside the envelope held out 70 her. taking
! up instead the letter directed in the handwriting
| she now knew So we'll She broke tho seal and
read the letter slowly laughing and smiling as she
did so evidently well pleased with t. All this
while the old woman watched her: her race looking
| lvid and her lips Jwitching ominOusly. At last
Elvira remembered the other letter She took II up
and opened u carelessly' out at the HFSt line she
0i5 C1arissa staried too: then her lips moved as
| II IN prayer What she had longed for and dreaded
| had come at last.
| Aunt Clarssa." E1vira's voice was the mere
| shadow OF a voice. weak and wonder filed it
| was: this letter is from Gilman 90
The other bowed her head; she could not speak.
| He over the day he arrived in New
| York and badly injured. lie has only just recov-
cred enough to understand things-but he is coming
| her next week.
] CIarissa's dry lips framed the words. Thank
Cod
| Aunt Clarissa." there was note in E1vira's
| voice that her aunt had never heard before. who
! wrote these letters-that did not come from Gil
mann The girl rose like young judge-or the
| spirit OF justice
| old face working. all her ugly showing.
| plain In her plain gown, q picture OF w!thcred
| wOmauhOOd
| Il wrote those letters she said. firmly Ives.
/ Elvra !. cody woman. wrote those lies. SHINING
I against God and man But for sake. nv
/ dear the voice sOftened "fOr your sake-and as
/ God Is my JUDGE would do the same again
/ Elvra gaZed her aunt. then with great gasp
! OF she for one supreme second into all
the full glory Of the others lovet soul She gave
/ a sudden cry. and to old CIarissa. hnging her
| arms round her wildly-"Oh. Aunt Clarissa Aunt
Clarssa." she sObbed- dear dear. Aunt Clarissa %
| The folded her into warm embrace and
for a few moments they chung together and kissed
So the rpeness OF Clarissa's harvest Of love
| -Iady's Pictorial