The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1904-04-22

Amy confidence you may repose in me
will be held sacred, as you know"
She hesitatcd 81 have not quite done"
she added, and her voice sank a little.
II had letter from Arthur yesterday.
Here IL Is" She lifted the envelope
from her lap and drew out the inclo-
sure Then she shifted her chair a liz
tie. so the light was al her back and
her face in shadow Slowly she spread
out the sheet ana very slowly she read
the written words
ISIS, I'm going 10 talk 10 you ags~H
about Jim Warwick. ! suppose being
alone out here-fOr Gresham doesn't
cOunt-wth 50 much sea ana sky 20
took at. and the harsh cries Of the sea
birds In your ears, and the surf for
ever breaking on the sands, fellow
can't help getting ideas in his head.
| and nursing them and turning them
over, ana holding them dear, and keep
| ing tight grip on them when he
begins 10 think he's going mad. And
the idea I've got in my head now
though il isn't n new One-is that you
and Jim Warwick should marry.
| know the end h near, sis It's only a
matter Of few mOnths-may be
weeks. But I'm going 20 keep alive
until ! hear from you and jim. When
! stop my pen-aud yOu don't know
| how the writing tires me-and look
| up at those eternal mountains against
the eternal blue sky. il seems 10 me
that there are wavcring shapes that
hover about the trembling peaks. AMI
they bcckOn. beCkOn. and its a fancy
Of mine that they are waiting there
for me. For you get queer ideas here,
with the surf forever throbbiug in your
ears and the cries Of the birds Earring
on your brain ] want 10 be az peace.
But. somehow. ! don't feel that | can
20 until ] know just how il stands
with you ana Jim. Iou wrote me that
you had met him and that You liked
him-aud that's all. ] can't see how
DC could help liking you. Did you try
10 make him like you. sisF ! know
what il is. It's your money that fright
ems him. Jim would rather die than
have il thought that be was fortune
hunter Honest old jim, DO you know
what I've done? I've gone down on
the beach and turned my face 10 the
east ana I've tried 10 influence Jim
across the trembling waters ana make
him fond OF you-and if there's any.
thing In telepathy I've succeeded. or
course. this is n sick mans fancy. It's
that ana something more. | can't bear
TO think Of leaving you all alone If
you had Jim il would be all right |
tell you, sis. If you had any nerve you'd
take this letter down 10 him and read
IL aloud. II would not be your voice,
you know. II would be q voice from
afar-it would he the pleading cry Of
a passing soul"
She stopped suddenly with low sob
ana the letter slipped from her fingers
Warwick's eyes were on the papers
that strewcd his desk but he suddenly
looked up. Then he softly arose and
closed the door tightly and slowly came
back And the. girl with her hands be.
fore her face sobbcd above the letter.
"Miss OrmSby." said Warwick. Il
cannot begin TO tell YOU how | appre-
ciatc the beautiful devotion that has
yod were Influenced 10y the prayer that
has gone out 10 you from that frail
body pacing the lonely beach. II may
be this influence that cmboldcns me 10
say what | might never have dreamed
OF saying. For Arthur is right, Miss
Ormsby. II is your wealth that has
kept me from you. II is for YOU that
| have tOilcd here, and hoped and
struggled From the first time saw
you knew you were the one woman
In the world. ] am glad TO tell you
this, Miss Ormshy. May I-may |
write il 10 Arthur|
He waited until she slowly raised
her tear stained face
"l-thank you for your confession" .
she softly said, "aud | know You TO be
an honorable man Otherwise | could
not have come" she paused and her
voice trCmbled when she resumed
And why may not that gentle spirit
have Influenced me, too%" she softly
said.
He stared at her and his face sud
denly flushed.
MARY Ormshy," he abruptly said
"will You be my wife"
She put both her hands i'm his.
I'VE viii write that letter together"
she said-W. Il. Rose, in Cleveland
Plain Dealer.