Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-11

get round to two With the first mo-
ment of her freedom she hurried into
her wraps, and she tingled with excite
ment as she boarded a downtown car.
Once in the great post-office building, her
courage almost failed her, and she found
herself nervously Juggling at her veil as
she took her place in the line waiting
outside the window labeled Unclaimed
Letters for Women"
She wondered what the clerk thought
of her, and her voice was almost inaudible
when in response to the brusk What
name?" she managed to answer: Heck
scher-Miss Mary Heckscher.'
An instant later the letter was in her
hand. She turned the big square envelop
over with Z trembling fngers-yes, it
was certainly hers: Miss Mary Heck
scher, General Delivery, Philadelphia. :"
1t was not such a common name; but
who All the way home in the car she
wondered, yet could not bring herself
to break the seal, until she had reached
her own room and was safely locked
within it's four walls Then she tore the
envelop across, drew out the folded
sheet and read:
Ny DEAR MISS HEcKscHER-I do not
know whether you are still Miss Heckscher.
| am still more in doubt as to whether this
letter will ever reach you; but it is permitted
to a man to do foolish things in this life. and
| am taking advantage of my privilege. More
than ten years ago | babe you good-by in
the apple orchard at your old home in Chester
field and went away happy in the thought
that l had your permission to write the ques-
ton which | could not find the courage to
speak when with you Two days later | mailed
the letter at the post-offCe in Mercer and sat
myself to wait my answer. 1t never came.
The years went by, and l decided that had
mistaken your feeling l came to the con-
clusion that hating to give me pain you had
thought it was best not to write at all. | was
busy absorbed in other things. will be frank
and confess there were times when l forgot
though never for long, and no other woman
came to take your place in my life.
About two weeks ago some repairs were
being made on the post-ofice at Mercer, and
several letters were discovered lodged in the
crack of a board at the back of the letter-boX
on the outside of the building. To cut long
story short, one of them was my letter to you,
and since my name was written the upper
corner of the envelop it was returned to me.
AS soon as 1 could manage it l made trip
to Chesterfield, only to ind that you had been
gone from there for ten years, and the only
information l could get as to your whereabouts
that you were, or had been at some not
distant time, teaching in a school in Phila-
delphia. lust what step l would have taken
next is hard to tell but that night had curious
dream. thought that you came to me looking
much as YOU looked when knew you, only a
little more tired and sad. l thought you put
out your hands and asked me for your letter,
and then you turned away, oh, so reproachfully
On the strength of that dream | am writing
to you to-day. As | said in the beginning of
this letter, l may be fool; but for the sake
of the possibilities that may come am willing
to risk that. If this ever reaches you-if you
are still free, if you willing to let me come
and try to win what l asked for long ago,
then send me only one line, and | will come
to you wherever you may be.
Faithfully yours,
JoHN WINSTON.
The last words swan mistily before
Miss Heckscher's eyes, and then as she
turned once more to the opening page,
there was soft hurried rapping at the
door.
q 1t is me-Emily and I'll only keep