The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1905-03-31

especially country girls, will not learn
how to use sachet powder in their CORE
spondence.
That's all right, Bowler" said Low
neY. Don't be embarrassed. We're all
here for that, you know, brothers in the
bonds of Dan Cupid" and he laid daiu-
tily addressed bit of correspondence on
the table where the lamplight showed
"Mr. Richard Lowney, Al West Col
| lege," traced in a distinctly feminine
hand, to good advantage. The rest of
the club added their letters, Bowler tim
idly placing his on top, and then they
| got down to business.
| Daisy Hiscox did mine for me, and it's
a corker," said the junior to Lowney, in
stage whisper, before the latter thumped
with tennis racquet upon the table, and
said: Gentlemen, according to our Gus
tom the one of us who happens to be
president for the evening will read his
letter first, the rest of US drawing for
place. l have the pleasure OF introducing
who has been admitted to our circle by
reason of having become engaged to Miss
Mary Brant of Ponktwasset, Maine, one
year ago last May, and being in the re-
ceipt of at least two letters weekly from
that source, each being of or above the
limit prescribed by the club for member
ship, ten pages" President Lowney sat
down while the club precipitated itself
upon Bowler and rendered him its con-
gratulations.
Then Lowney read his letter. He was
quite proud of it. Darling Dick" he
began. His mouth twitched at the start,
but after he had read few lines he be-
came interested, and handled the rest eff
fectively-possibly unintentionally-but
happen to know that Lowney was aft |
erwards elected to the Footlighters on
the strength of that letter. Here was
the letter, or the parts of the letter, that
Lutkins remembered:
You don't know how happy your last |
letter made me. No, dear, no one knows
of our engagement as yet. Sometimes |
when | think it over all alone in my
room at night, with your photograph in
my hand-you look so manly and noble,
dear, in that picture-I am frightened to |
say that we are engaged, really belong
to one another. Dick. shall remember !
that last night at the Sloanes's as long |
as l live. You had danced only once |
with me that night. And after that |
dance we sat together under that little
bower on the veranda. | remember how |
funny and ghostlike your tie looked in |
the dark, and there were little bits of
moonlight that crept through the Vir-
ginia creeper and sparkled on your fra
ternity pin. We could hear them finish |
ing our waltz in the ballroom. Auf
Wiedersehen' will always be sacred to
me because of that night"
Lowney stopped moment to clear
his throat. Bowler leaned over towards
him and took one hand in both of his and |
grasped it tightly. And Lowney grew
angry when he heard the junior cough a
little from the window seat. He knew |
that the cough had Begin as a laugh so
he drew his hand away roughly and went |
on. but found it hard work.
"And then, Dick, you said-you loved |
me. l could not have spoken. l was
afraid if did might find it all happy
dream instead of the blessed truth. o |
Dick, if you had left me that night with
out speaking, should have died"
There was lot more of the letter, Lut-
kins said, but he had forgotten it. Low
ney must have written better than he |
knew When he had finished no one said |
anything, and all the funny congratula-
tons that were to have followed his ef- |
fort were lacking. One man finally broke |
the silence by scratching match to light !
his pipe, ard everybody grasped eagerly |
at the suggestion, and filled his briar, for
something to do.
The letters that followed Lowney's |
did not stick closely to the original man.
uscript. The junior skipped whole parts
that he and Miss Daisy Hiscox of the |
town had decided between them the day
before were especially fine. Somehow, l
didn't feel like readingit, said the junior
afterwards.
Bowler came last, and when he began
Lowney would have stopped him, only
he didn't know how. The awkward
he
'just like woman" as SOMEONE said
after it was all over. His honest face
lost its timid look He forgot everything
except himself and the girl who had writ
ten the letter he held in his hand. The
room was as still as death with Lowney
moving backward and forward in his
chair.
Mother and l read your letter to-
gether, Robert, and were glad that you
were we'll and happy. can scarcely be-
lieve that it is four months since we saw
each other. The time has seemed so
short with your letters every week and
thinking about you. Sometimes | am
afraid that l won't be fit to be your wife
after you are educated. know so little;
but l can't give you up, and do know
how to keep house. Mother says so.
God has been very good to me, dear, and
shall try not to be too happy"
1t was the junior who pleaded just
then, 30 Bowler, don't read any more of
that" Lowney's upsetting of the lamp
the juniors outbreak had to be COW
ered-and the consequent darkness af-
forded pretext for the Jones College
Love Letter Club adjourning in some
thing like good order. Whea the only
real member had gone over to his room
in East after some astonishingly warm
misunderstanding because he was
a freshman and grind-there was 81
lencc.
Then said Lowney: 1--WE been low
brute this night, and hope to be for
| r. - l. l.