Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1905-09-07
MELISSA'S
LETTER
By Martha McCulloch- Williams
Copyright, 1905,
by Martha McCulloch-Will

1t was rainy within and svithout.
Melissa looked through dim eyes at
the streamy window panes, the long
slant lines outside. Her aunt Judith
viewed them instead with satisfaction
they would serve so well to excuse
Melissa's nonappearance at the ceme-
terry. Nobody, indeed, would go 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
Faring's grave. John Faring Sd, the
private's great-nephew, had seen her
do it, with openly worshlping 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 a very young man proposes, his
elders often dispose-otherwise 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 n fortune in hand.
Judge Faring and the madam were
nightly taken with her, as she in re-
turn was taken with their son. 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 it seemed to them hard and
cruel the way Mrs. Bent took fire at
their well meant suggestions. Sell
them her house and go away indeedI
She would have them know IL there
was any moving done they might do 1t
themselves. She would have them re-
member also a 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 Faring. Good
ness knew, Melissa could have better
chances simply for turning over her
hand. She NIrs. 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 a break
and a 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 Faring 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
outward change, except that there
were no more customers coming to the
Bent house, the old Hill homestead.
Aunt Judith hustled about helping the
maid of Vall work, the while keeping
q covert watch upon her niece. After
a little she said, speaking half medi-
tatively:
"Come on up in the garret, Melissa.
A rainy day like this always makes
me want to rummage. Besides, I've got
to get out the flags. Well 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 in face of such storm,
but 1 just can't let the day pass same
as any other. Even If the flags do get
spoiled we can afford to buy new
ones"
"Yes," Melissa said absently, "but-
l don't feel like rummaging, Aunt Ju.
1 think I'll go write some letters in
stead, if you don't mind"
HIN! Who to?" Mrs. Bent asked
sharply.
Melissa smiled wistfully. lizard
Iy know" she said. Maybe I shan't
write any-only sit and sew. It's
about all l can do. I think there will
be no getting out today"
"There won't be. Take care Of your
self. Don't NOPE" Mrs. Bent said,
hustling away.
Melissa went softly to her own room,
Sened her desk and swiftly wrote
three lines. Then she huddled into
her waterproof and stole out very
softly with what she had written
tucked safely in her breast. She crept
through the garden, longing, yet not
daring, to take the best Of its bloom,
darted through the gate and almost
ran to the cemetery.
On the way she stopped here or
there TO pluck roadside blossoms
white clover, folded dandelions, big,
blue, scentless violets. All these she
bound into a knot with a blade of
Srass. 1t was not big knot. 1t
would hardly show in the long grass
over a sunny grave.
AS she bent at last to lay it on the
grave she thrust into it the note. Then,
without backward look, she hurried
away. In little while she was home
again, with her absence undiscovered.
She sat down by the window, but her
eyes were no ionger dim. Instead
they looked out at the rainy world,
bright and full OF expectant hope.
John Faring Sd had come home for
Memorial day and in spite Of the
storm went out to the cemetery. The
post had come and gone-all the old
fellows in carriages heaped with flow
ers-but somehow the graves did not
look as he remembered them. The
flowers were bumped and Jumped and
L. 4