The San Francisco call., 1906-08-26

the presence OF this sacred grief, Hagar
read the letters written from India by
the absent lover. There were ten or
twelve of DEMONSTRATING letters, full
of pure and undying love. From first
to last there was no sentiment but
breathed devotion and trust The writer
spoke tenderly of his poor blind love;
he promised to make her life happy, to
strew her path with roses, and in every
way to show himself worthy of honor
and affection. Up to the twelfth letter
there was not a hint of parting or of a
desire to break off the engagement;
only In the thirteenth letter-two curt
lines, as Margaret had said-came the
announcement, with the swiftness and
unexpectedness of thunderbolt. 1T is
better that our engagement should
end" wrote John, coldly; therefore
return you the thirteen letters you
wrote me-" And that was all. This
unexpected communication, coming so
suddenly after the feryor of the dozen
letters, took away Hagar's breath.
Excepting in the last | do not see
anything cruel or cold in these letters,
Miss Snow" said Hagar, when she had
ended her reading.
Margaret put up one thin hand to her
head. mo, no." she stammered, con-
fusedly; ''and yet / am sure John wrote
cruelty. 1t Ia so long ago that perhaps
and limited at desire that we should
part. / remember Jane and Lucy read
Ing them to me-
II don't see any hint of that" replied
Hagar, doubtfully; in fact. in the last
two or three he asks, as you have heard.
why you wish the marriage postponed.
Il never wished that murmured
Margaret, perplexed Il wanted to
marry him and be with him always.
Certainly I never said such a thing
when 1 wrote to him. OF that l am
stre."
We can soon prove it, said Hagar.
taking up the other packet. Here are
your letters to John-all of them.
Shall l read them?''
Receiving an eager assent, the girl
arranged the epistles In order of dates,
and read them slowly. They were
scrawled rather than written, In the
large. childish handwriting of the
blind, and most of them were short,
but the first six were full of love and
a desire to be near John. The seventh
letter, which was better written than
the previous enc, breathed colder SEN
timents: 1t hinted that the absent lover
could do better than marry blind girl
who might bo drag on him, it said.
stop. Stop!' cried Margaret. breath
loasly. Il never wrote that letter.
She was sitting up in the bed, with
neT gray nlfT puSaeu OH ner tnln,
eager face; and, turning her sightless
eyes toward Hagar. she seemd almost
TO sec the astonislled face of the girl
in the Intensity of her desire.
II never wrote that letter." repeated
Margaret. in shriil voice of excite
ment; you are making some mistake"
Indeed I read only what is written, .
said Hagar "let me continue. When I
finish the other five letters we shall
discuss them. But / fear-I fear
You fear what7'
That you have been deceived Wait
walt. say nothing until I finish read
ing"
Margaret sank back on her pillow
with gray face and quick indrawn
breathing. She dreaded what was COM
Ing as Hagar we'll knew; so the girl
continued hurricdly to read the letters,
lest abe should be interrupted. They
were all--that is, the last Ave or six
written In better style of handwriting
than tho former ones; and each letter
was colder than the last. The writer
did not want to leave her quiet English
home for distant India. She was afraid
that the engagement was mistake
VIXEN she consented to the marriage
she did not know her own mind. More
over. Jane Lorrimer loved him; she
was--
jane" interrupted Margaret, with a
cry-"what had Jane to do with my
love for John? / never wrote those
last letters: they are forgeriesr'
Indeed. they look like it, said
Hagar. examining the letters; the