The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-05-17
CHAPTER IL.
Continued.

Sara nne have lived all their lives III
Clare Market. and have never in all
probability spent a day in the country
have perhaps never even seen the
country-what a capital thing it would
be to have them down here for a little
while"
"It would be a capital thing, Wally."
"That it would, dad"
That is how it came about that be-
fore the week was out, the postman.
with a sharp double rap at the doc OF
the house in Clare Market in which
the sisters lived. asked whether Little
MakeBelieve lodged there.
in course she do" said the woman
who answered the door.
Is she in?"
perhaps she is, and perhaps she
mint"
Would you mind seeing?"
He had a desire to give the letter
himself into the hands of the girl with
a name SO strange.
There is a legend that there exists in
the force one who is at the same time
a poet and a policeman, and that this
remarkable individual has actually
written songs for the music halls.
The present postman. who was new
10 the Clare Market district. may have
been the man. and his poetical tenden-
cies may have caused him to be cur
ious about q person addressed as Little
Make-Believe, and have inspired him
with an idea that he might make a
song out of her for a Lion Comique.
"Ill call her." said the woman. and
she screamed down the stairs at the
top of her voice, Here, Make-Believe!
Yer wanted"
Up q Little Make-Believe. and con-
fronted the postman.
"Are you Little Make-Belieye"
asked he.
Eyes, that's me-"
"Well, here's a letter for you"
"a letter for me! Go on! Yer gam
moning!"
There it is, at all events"
And he pushed the letter into her
hand, and continued his rounds.
He had not derived inspiration from
her for a comic song.
Little Make-Relieve stood for a mo-
ment or two in q state of stupefactlon
with the letter il her hand.
A letter for her! 1t was an event
so strange and startling that it took
away her breath.
Never in her life had she received a
letter; she could scarcely believe that
she was awake.
Win she had sufficiently recovered
she made her way downstairs.
What was it," asked Saranne.
: "It's a letter." said Little Make-Be-
lieve, solemnly.
Saranne looked up and laughed.
tYou're pretending" she said.
"Not this time, Saranne. Here it is"
; Thanks to the good officers Of Wal
ter, both of them could read and write,
and had the letter been in his writing
they would have recognized it. but it
was Mr. Deepdale who had written.
Little Make-Believe laid the letter
unopened on the table, and the sisters
gazed at it, half frightened.
WHO'S it from?' said saranne.
"Wba can it be about? l hope it amt
something bad"
Suddenly she clapped her hands, and
danced in her seat.
Somebody's fell in love with you'
and has sent an offer of marriage"
What was it that made Little Make
Believe tremble and turn red and
white?
open it-open it," cried saranne,
sand let's see"
OF the Two Saranne had proved by
far the aptest scholar.
She could read and write much bet
ter than Little. Make-Believe, and she
spoke much better also.
It was not that Little Make-Believe
did not take as much pride in the les
sons given by Walter as Saranne did,
but she was the breadwinner, and a
less time on her hands and something
more serious to occupy her mind.
Saranne, therefore, being the prize
scholar, Little Make-Believe opened
the letter, slowly and nervously, and
gave it to her to read.
1t was simple, terse ard to the point.
Dear Little Makc-Believe and Sa-
%ranne," it read, I'VE are, as you Know.
in the country, where We shall stop TIL
summer is over. cnd my son has al
idea in his head, which perhaps will
please you. You don't see much OF the
country, which just nov is very beau
tiful, and if you would like to come
and stop here for a few days it would
do you good. You have only to say
yes and so to Mr.. Dexter, who will
arrange everything for you. A ram
bic or two in the woods will make you
strong. Your friend,
"W. II. DEEPDALE."
ooh, ny"
That was al they could sly for sew
eral moments.
Saranne'S face was scarlet with eE-
element and Joy; Little Make-Believe
was no less happy, but she showed it
IL a different day.
Her face was very pale, and her eyes
were full Of tears.
Lets read it again" said Saranne.
So they read it again. and read it a
third time, and then Saran@e cried:
ut amt no dream! It's ltai!"
Undoubtedly it was real. tut for all
that nothing would have surprised Lit
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