The Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1903-1909, 1906-08-21

Brighton Casino, Atlantic City,
March 8, 10. Dearest Dad What an
everlasting age it seems since | left
you and Ted standing on the platform,
waving goodbye to me- cannot be-
lieye that this place is going to do me
much good when | think how long the
weeks will be before | will be back in
dear old Gretna, but shall try hard
to grow strong for your sake.
Aunt Helen is very ST., very plain,
and very much Quaker lady" but |,
like her immensely, for she leaves me
so much alone.
To-day | am curled up in one OF
the big wicker chairs at the Casino,
tramping along, or being pushed in
those queer chairs-for all the world
like colony of ants moving to a new
hill
And then, dad there's the sea-not
blue like the books always have it, but
an angry, foaming, grey-green sea,
rolling its great waves up on the beach
where they break and thunder at our
feet. Tomorrow it may be calm
enough, but to-day it suits my mood
and / love it. l saw some one pass
just now who reminded me of-you
know whom | mean He looked so
like him that my heart beat wildly for
a moment. OF course it was only an
hallucination, he is gone and I should
hIt n 1nI Ia oti foa
think I must write to him and then
/ remember it was | who sent him
away to marry the little girl in Italy
who had loved him for so long-I won
der was her love any stronger any
truer than mine? Oh, dad, you've sent
me away from you and I'm longing to
be comforted this minute. If could
not tell you about it, dear, I'd break
my heart, but you're always so ready
to help me.
"The orchestra is playing the "Trau-
merei'-oh. dad, those days in Flor
ence come back and IAdream such dear
idle dreams!
"You will come to me, soon, dad
dear, for I'm desperately lonely with
out you Ted can manage the ranch
for little while.
"Give my love to Ted, and to every
body, but keep for yourself the dearest
love of your girl, JEAN"
Brighton Casino, Atlantic City,
March II, 10. My Own Dad: Thank
you for your good. breezy, loving let
ter; could almost imagine myself
home again. The days have gone by
somehow and | shall look for you be-
fore long-don't disappoint me!
"If only the old sorrow would bury
itself deep down in the sand I might
promise to come home happy and
care-free again, but 1t won't leave me,
dad: If you knew how I've tried to
be glad that I sent him away!
II sit here morning after morning
and watch the ships far out on the
horizon-line, and long to be on one of
them sailing away to Ttaly-and Ralph.
What if he is doing his duty, what If
! did send him away, he is as truly
no, dad, he isn't, Pm all
wrong! It Is seeing so many happy
people that makes my loneliness I'M
bearable BY now he Is married to
that little girl in italy, hope she'll |
love him lots.
Aunt Helen thinks me wild, be-
cause I do not care for the shops or
the elegant leisure of those palatial !
like to sit here and |
think what happy time this might |
have been Oh why did you take me
dad why didn't you let me
live my narrow little life? I would |
have been riding Bee on the prairie, |
now, with the hot wind blowing in my
face, and tn glory Of the sunset |
buried deep ny heart, instead of
sitting here IN the fast-gathering
twilight surrounded by myriad shat
tered air-castles.
There dear forgive me, would
not pain you, you, who, are so patient
with me! Soon will be home and |
will try harder to be brave. Heaven
knows you need all the sunshine I can
give you! Don't think me ungrateful,
but love me, dad, for you're all the
world to your own girl, Jean"
"P. s. Kiss Ted for me, he's the
dearest sort of brother!"
''Hotel Brighton, Atlantic City,
March Is, 49,. Dad Dear: Something
has happened! After all the dark days
I am to be happy. dad, do you hear