Danville intelligencer. [volume] (Danville, Pa.) 1859-1907, 1905-10-27
MELISSA'S
LETTER
By Martha McCulloch- Williams
Copyright, 1905,
by Martha McCulloch- Williams

1t was rainy within and without.
the. streamy window panes, the long
slant lines outside. Her aunt Judith
viewed them instead with satisfaction
they would serve SO well to excuse
Melssa's nonappearance at the ceme-
terry. Nobody, indeed, would 60 there
but the men of the post, the fifers and
drummers, and maybe few fool poll
ticians, intent on catching the Grand
Army vote Thus thought Aunt Judith
to herself.
AS Miss Hill and later Mrs. Bent,
Aunt Judith had not spent fifty odd
years in Carmel town without finding
herself able to forecast rather accu-
rately what the townfolk would or
would not do.
Until this season she had been stren-
uous in observing Memorial day. Even
yet, Notwithstanding her quarrel with
the Earrings and all their tribe, she did
not mean openly to slight the occasion.
She did not mean either that Melissa
should go along, the pet of thinning,
gray bearded ranks, her arms full of
flowers for the quiet green graves.
Melissa wasn't child any more-go-
Ing on nineteen and with her head full
Of love and marriage.
Neither Melissa nor Aunt Judith had
kith or kin In the cemetery; there had
been no man Of their blood to go off to
the fighting. All the same, Melissa had
| always saved her choicest blossoms for
one especial mound, Private John
| Earrings grave. John Farlng Sd, the
private's great-ncphew, had seen her
do 1t, with openly worshiping eyes.
'He's your Uncle John. too," Johnny
had said, over and over, because as
soon as we grow up your name will be
Melissa Faring."
When very young man proposes, his
elders often dispose-otherwisc John
and Melissa had found that out when
Miss Adrienne Day came on the scene.
That was six months back. Miss Day
had temper and big nose, but she
also had fortune In hand.
Judge Faring and the madam were
migltily taken with her, as she in re-
turn was taken with their sou. So
they had set to work to break off that
| childish affair between John and Me-
lissa. They were not mercenary, only
thriftily ambitious for their one child.
Therefore 1t seemed to them hard and
cruel the way Mrs. Bent took fire at
their well meant suggestions. Sell
them her house and go away indeed
She would have them know IL there
was any moving done fhey might do 1t
themselves. She would have them re-
member also Hill had founded Car
mel; also that the Earrings of that time
hadn't amounted to much. But they
were not to think that she was for
hanging on to Johnny Farng. Good
ness knew, Melissa could have better
chances simply for turning over her
hand. She (Mrs. Bent had felt all
along that with her looks and her
blood Melissa ought to look higher.
But as to telling the child what to do
well, that remained with herself. Still,
If Melissa had any Hill blood In her, 1t
was mighty unlikely she would go into
a family that didn't make her well
come.
The Inevitable outcome was break
and pair Of sore hearts. Then fate
took up the running and In cruel kind
ness gave Melissa fortune-a fortune
twice as big as Miss Adrienne Day
could show. Johnny Farlng did not
give up hope until he heard of it. Then
he turned very white. and after a
sleepless night shook the dust of Car
mel from his feet He could never go
to Melissa and make her hear reason
now that such going would seem
shameless fortune hunting.
As yet the fortune had made little
l outward change except that there