The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1905-11-30
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Copyright 1905 by Daily story Pub Coz
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Ralph Bishop was heels over head
in love with pretty Helen Easley and
all the town knew 1t, including Helen.
But nothing could induce Ralph to
make the necessary avowal, although
he would have given his ears to DO
so. Bold enough in most things, he
was an abject coward In this, even as
many other brave men have been be-
fore him and many other brave men
will be after him even to the end of
time.
He had courage In plenty, in other
ways, moral as well as physical.
but the audacity of asking for Helen'9
hand and heart quite overwhelmed
him-and then there was the refusal
he feared; IL was wholly impossible
for him to risk incurring that. II
mattered not that Helen gave him all
the encouragement commensurate
with n proper appreciation Of herself
and the dictates of womanly modesty,
but like unto the most of mankind he
was cheerfully oblivious to her at
tempts to help and so the months and
years rolled by, filled with great long
ing on his part, together with a sort
of nerve paralysis, which had become
chronic. In her presence he was
stricken dumb the moment he got
near the subject closest his heart. Nor
was he able to frame his desires in
the form of letter, albeit he was a
writer of singular force and beauty.
So it had become an accepted fact
that Bishop wanted TO but couldn't
On Helens part she had grown some
what bitter at his stupid hesitancy
and had given him up and become
rather brusque in her treatment of
him. This only served to confirm his
belief that he had no hope.
Matters were in this condition of
stagnation when very strange thing
happened. Ralph, while he could not
summon courage to write a proposal
to Helen. was wont to feed his imagi-
nation and provide safety valve for
his bursting heart by writing long and
ardent letters to the object of his
passion, which letters never got fur
ther than the CRATE In his room. Now
Ralph, as has been intimated before,
had a talent for writing. Indeed some
of his things had been accepted by
publications of standing and he was
not without hope of literary career.
At any rate he had the gift of placing
his thoughts and feelings graphically
upon paper and some of his imaginary
letters to Helen were gems of the
first water because they were inspired
by so ardent and SO honest a passion.
One day, feeling especially sur.
charged with his ruling emotions, he
threw aside his other work and busted
himself for an hour or more pouring
out his heart in the most glowing
phrases In fictitious letter addressed
TO MY darling, darling Helen" and
signed Your most devoted lover.
Ralph Bishop" One particularly hap
py phrase-a new one in this growing
series of never-sent letters-pleased
him immensely. IF you will accept
the homage and lifelong devotion of
your true knight and are willing to
trust your life TO his keeping-a trust
he pledges to keep with single-hearted
devotion-simply write the word
Come on a sheet of paper and sign
your name and with this encourage
ment | will fly to your side and tell
you of a love of which l can only
hint ON cold paper"
As he was reading over this burn
ing effusion he was called TO the tele-
phone and was there summoned down
town on an important business mis-
sion-none the less than To meet