The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1905-08-09
MELISSA'S
LETTER
By Martha NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Copyright, 1875,
by Martha McCulloch-W Williams

they would serve SO well to excuse
Mellssa's nonappearance nj the come
terry. Nobody, indeed, would 70 there
hut the men of the post the tifers and
drummers and maybe few fool poli-
ticians, Intent on catching the Grand
Army vote Thus thought Aunt Judith
10 herself
As Miss lin and later Mrs Bent.
Aunt judith hnd not spent nifty 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 siren
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
klth or kin In the cemetery; there had
been no man of their blood To 70 Off To
the fighting. All the same, Melissa had
always saved her choicest blossoms for
one especial mound, Private John
Earrings grave. John Earring 81, the
prvatc's great nephew, had seen her
do II. with openly worshipng eyes
Hes your Uncle John, too" Johnny
had said, over and over, "hocausc as
soon us we grow up your name will be
Melissa Earring"
When n very young man proposes, his
elders often dispose otherwise john
and Melissa had found that out when
Miss Adrlcnne Day came on the scene.
That WAS six months back Miss Day
had II temper and II big nose but she
also had fortune In hand.
Judge Earring and the madam were
nightly taken with her. as she In re-
turn WIS taken with their son So
they had set to work To break off TINT
childish affair between John and Me
lissa. They were not merccnary, only
thrifty ambitious for their one child
Therefore ii seemed To them hard aud
cruel the way Mrs Bent took fire mt
their well meant suggestions. Sell
them her house and 90 away indeed.
She would have them know If there
was any moving done they might do II
themselves She would have them re
member also II lin had founded Cg-
mel; also that the Earrings of that time
hadn't amounted to much But they
4
hanging on To Johnny Earring 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 ms To telling the child what 10 do
well, that remained with herself still,
II Melissa had any Hill blood In her. 1t
was mighty unlikely she would 20 into
IL family that didn't make her wei
come
The inevitable outcome twas Il break
and II pair of sore hearts. Then fate
took up the running and imcrucl kind
ness gave Melissa II fortune II fortune
twice as big as Miss Adrbnne Day
could show Johnny FnrlnE did not
give UP hope until he heard of IT. Then
he turned very white, and after
sleepless night shook the dust of Car
mel from his feet He could never go
TO Melissa and mike her hear reason
now that such going would seem
shameless fortune bunting
As yet the fortune had made little
outward change, except That there
were no more customers conlng'to the
Bent house, the old Hi homestead.
Aunt Judith BUSTED about helping the
maid of all work. the while keeping
covert watch upon her niece. After
little she said. speaking half medl-
tatlvely:
"Come,on up In the garnet. Melissa.
A rainy day like this always makes
me want'to runmage. Besides, FFe got
to get out the flags Wen put one
right on the peak OF the porch and the
other over the front door OF course
nobody'll see 'em. Even this town
won't turn out,iu face Of such Il storm
but just can't let the day pass same
as any other Even If the ltngs do get
spoiled we can afford 10 buy new
ones"
yes" Melissa, said absently, but =
i don't feed llltcjrummaglng, Aunt Jul.
| think I'll go write some letters In
stead, If you don't mind"
"IIm! who. to-" Mrs Bent asked
sharply.
Melissa smiled wistfully. 81 hard
Oh, ,t,t4
write any-oItly sit and sew. It's
about all can bo. thinlt'th Will
be no getting out today"
'1here won't be. Take,care OF your
self. Don't NOPE" Mrs. Bent said,
hustllng away.
Melissa went softly to,hcr own room,
opened her desk and swiftly wrote
three lines. Then She huddlcd into
her waterproof and stole out very
softly with what she had written
tucked safely In her breast. She crcpt
through the garden, longing, yet not
daring, TO takei the hest Of tts bloom.
darted through the gitte alpl almost
ran to the cenDetery.
On the way she stopped here or
white clover folded Landelbons, big,
blue. seentlessr ylolets. All these she
bound into 'knot with n blade of
grass 1t was not II, big knot. 1t
would hardly show iintthe long grass
over n sunnWigrave-
AS she bent. at lasttto lay 1t on the
grave she thrust inO ut the note Then,
without a backward look. she hurried
away In ailntle while she was home
again, with her absence undiscovered.
She sat down lry the window, but her
eyes were 10 longer dim. Instead
they looked out ut tlG rainy world.
bright and full of expectant hope.
John FiTIns I'D had come home for
Memorial day and IN spite OF the
storm went outD to the,cemaery, The
post had, come land gone zali the old