Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1904-09-21
MY CONFIDENTIAL
FRIEND
Iorisinall

fOrlgtnaLl
July, 15-weIl. u has come at last.
Walter came out from the city yester.
day. and after tea we climbed the hin
and sat Ia the summer house. There
he proposed to me. haven't the
slightest idea what he said. He had a
hard time in getting IL out. and
dldn't help him BIT. He made sew.
erai attempts before he was success
fni; then II came out incohercutly. AS
soon as he began knew what was
coi4ing. and that was III cared about
il. lie talked on. while was In de-
iirium Of joy and never heard word
| don't believe he could repeat sen.
tence % what lie said, and I'm SIRE
couldn't.
When we went hack to the house We
felt obliged TO go into the library.
where the family were. felt 50 hap
py wanted to tell them all about 1t
then and there. but Walter locked az II
he had been stealing sheep cant un
derstand why men are SO ashamed Of
giving way to their gentler emotions
July fS.-Ailss Graves came yester.
day. She Is TO be with us week /
wish she had stayed away. She lis
tened duhlopsly TO all | had to say
about Walter and our engagement,
then threw a bucket Of cold water over
me at least she might as we'll have
done so. She said she had beard OF so
many cases where men had deserted
the girls they had profcssei TO love
that she had at last kept record of
engaged couples and found that 6at OF
twenty eases only FIVE resulted IN mar.
riage. In the others Il was the mans
fault every time.
wonder how she knew that the man
was always TO blame.
Sept S.-We are to leave for the city
tomorrow. II has been the most de-
llghtful summer / have ever spent
that Is. since Miss Graves left. She
never sympathlze1 with me in my con
iideuce in Walter. always listening 10
what | said of him with an III sup
pressed sneer. She said she hoped
would not be disappointed, but her
statistics indicated that there were
three chances In four that would
Sept. love came home yesterday. |
Walter II unfortunately away on bust |
ness. I'm sure be Is away ON business. |
though Miss Graves says that the prob
ability Is lac has goneto the country 10 |
see some other girl What nonsense.
But wish she hadn't said IT,
Sept 20.-I am very miserable I |
was suspicious of Walter when he re- !
turned and showed II by being cool 10 |
hIm-that Is. wasn't at all demon |
Straaiye. / am not satisfied with the |
reason be gave for his absence He |
admits that he spent one night at the |
seashore aud that an old friend OF his. |
Laura Goodwin, was there. Walter |
and l parted eoldly.
Sept. % Miss Graves told me she
had heard that Laura Goodwin apd |
Walter had once been on the eve Of an |
engagement. She has convinced me |
that there IL something In this matter |
and that Walters visit 20 the seashore |
was for purpose. Miss Graves has |
no faith in men whatever and advises |
me TO be very careful what do. She |
kindly took me into her confidence and |
told me that she had had lover who |
treated her exactly as Walter is treat
ing me-that Is, as she thinks he Is |
treating me. Her lover walked off de |
liberately and married another girl |
This was ten years ago. | suppose | |
ought to rely on her more than | do. |
she IS so much older than | and has
had 40 much more experience.
Nov 12--it is All ever. Our engage
ment Is broken. Walters visit to Laura |
Goodwin last September did IT, AT least
that started it, Besides. Walter has been
very jealous of Amelia Graves and has
warned me repeatedly TO keep away
from her II his conscience was clear
he wouldn't mind how many friends |
might have TO ''spy on him." for he
says that's what Amelia is doing How
unjust. She is simply giving me the
benefit OF her experience. Heigh-hoi
What miserable world to live In,
To think that Walter should have re
leased me so easily. When / told him
he was welcome to marry Laura Good
win he said that she at least didn't
have any bosom friends to advise her.
and she would trust him implicitly. IL
he marries her l don't know how /
shall be able TO refrain from murder
Dec. 3i.--1 am so mad that would
like to tear the shingles of the roof
That woman. that thing. that meddle-
some creature, Amelia Graves. has
ruined me. Just listen TO this:
Dearest Helen-I have the great Joy 70
announce to you my engagement to Mr..
Enoch SpeiiEneyer twhat horrid nsmel.
my lover that l told you about But /
didn't tell you that his wife was dead
We met week ago, and he told me that