Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1904-10-09
BEFORE
T HE,

room young girl was lying. her
arms under her head. lost in dreams
It was Il O'Clock in the evening,
aui as the clock struck she looked
toward her sno wwhite bed on which
vas spread out wedding dress of
vllToFy satin. a long veil and wreath
= orange blossoms
lie dressmaker had brought il in
a2rF in III" evening and sha had not
- pat it away because she was too
ta-T to get up from her comfortable
position
sote felt strangely confused and al
most in a humor to cry--iomorrow all
he dreams would come to an end.
People called II love match. be-
caCSe they Judged from appearances
Only. a rich no longer young mer-
chant had fallen in love with a young
s.r nf Is. whose parents were not
even wealthy and as he was quite
Go0d looking and of pleasing man
rer>. ii was of course only natural
tdat she also loved him. everybody
satd.
! .lt fire had almost gone out in III =
GEen fireplace She shivered little.
as1,1. slowly. and took bundle OF
tGt 5ers from her little desk. turned the
gas on full and sat down near the
dying fire TO read the old letters.
faint perfume reminded her of
something in the past. and smilinGly
she took one of the letters and read:
''Mv Own Darline-So my dream
have always loved you. If | were
IL heaven my happiness could not be
greater. Oh. my darling Spring how
I should be happy to carry you on my
bands through your whole life
She dropped the letter into her lap
and opened another. 1t contained al
uost the sama endearing terms. as
did also the next Then came bulky
heavy Letter of eight pages.
'Your coldness has hurt ne-yon
can never imagine how much DID
you not receiv.a nv last letter? Why
do YOU not answer Your silence is
killing me-
She smiled at the thought Of her
silence making a man unhappy when
she, had never spoken to or seen, o.
whose name she was even now igno-
rant
Tired of the mono,ony Of every day
life she had ahou, year ago an
swered personal in daily paper III
which an educated. refined gentleman
wanted TO correspond with a young
lady possessing the same qualities
II had cost her quite little to begin
the correspondt &c, and when she
I'D she had a friend copv her letters
p, she did Not want him to poss IS
Aar Handwriting.
No one had ever suspected her Sc
Get, aud for many months the letters
from this bright Intelligent though
unknown man. had mad her perfect
l. happy. until she met her present
bridegroom.
lust at that time her correspondent
declared his love and besou2ht her
t8 drop her inco@nito, She let MN
snspect that she also loved him. but
wanted a formal promise of marriage.
He carefully avoided this in all ms
later letters. and her letters became
cold and devoid of feeling, and at
last. cruelty disappointed, she nae
written him that she did not wish to
continue the correspondence.
Bitterly disappointed. she had con
sented to become engaged 10 the colo,
uufeeline, practical business mar
who had asked for her hand.
During the four weeks OF their en-
eagement she had never told her IL
ance ANYTHING about her secret. why
should she? His practical, cold-
blooded nature would never be ahie
to understand h"r, and he might even
break off their engagement.
The last spark of fire had died out
Lost in thought she still held tue
letters in her hand. Suddenly she
thought of something.
She mad mailed her last letter to
her unknown lover on Wednesday
On Thursday she had become en-
gagged.
Was this right? Had she nothing
to ask her fances pardon for? Had
she really acted correctly? Had she
any right to keep any secret from the
man whose wife she was going to be
the next day
She had no love for him-but ne