Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1907-05-17
Thanks to the
Weather.. X
By JOANNA SINGLE.
Copyright, 1907, by f. C. PARCELS.
By JOANNA SINGLE.

1t was the weather in the first place,
thought Edith very drearily as she
watched the rain beat against the win
dow. If she and Richard had not been
caught in sudden shower to the ut
ter ruin of her very pretticst dress, she
would never have been irritable and
quarreled with him about nothing at
all, and she would not have expected
him to take the fault upon himself
when she alone-after the weather
was to blame And now it had rained
for nearly week, and the inaction
was driving her wild She could only
think. think and vainly try to over
come her pride and send for him.
For the thousandth time she drew
from her dress his last letter and re-
read it,
Dearest-We have been friends and
neigh ors and sweethearts all our lives
and should not let anything come between
us. l love you. and II you will just send
one word saying you want me l will come
at your call and forget the nothing we
Quarreled about. Should we let anything
so childish part us? l look for word
from you. If II does not come ! shall
know that you really meant to break our
engagement and shall OF course not trou-
BILE you. But you couldn't have meant It..
Edith? Fraternally yours.
RICHARD COPELAND.
That was all, but she had sent him
no word, thinking that in time he
would come anyhow, and then she
would let him coax her out Of her
anger. But he had not come, and she
foil 10 raf
ing to be played with.
So she was very wretched and
blamed her own pride and the weather.
The rain beat down warmly and inter
mittently, and all nature expanded and
throve under its moist influence. Edith
looked across the fields to the south to
Richards home. which one day was
to have been also hers, and saw him
out In the rain on his horse, coming
from the town a'few miles away. How
often they two had ridden about the
country together. And now ii was all
over. He would never come back to
her-unless she sent for him. Could
she do It? 1t was early In the after
| noon, and she might send her little
brother over with a note. She hest
| tated; then she went to her room and
sat down to her desk. 1t would be a
relief to write to him, even if she
| could not bring herself to send 1t to
| him.
Dear Richard-Will you come TO see me
tonight? I was horrid. and l am very
sorry. II l had not been wet and cross
should not have thought OF caring be-
.t.l n
| course you could not help her overtakine
you. She always was forward. Forgive
me and come back. You know that
| love you-always. EDITH.
She sat looking at 1t. Then her hear
misgave her. 1t had been two long
months since they parted, and he nigh
no longer care for her. He might care
for Fay. The neighbors had said ht
had been to see her. The letter was
altogether too unguarded. She could
not tell him she loved him. So she
carelessly thrust it into her dress witt
the letter from him.
| She tried to busy herself about the
house, but somehow she could no
work. She was restless and felt as II
her mother and sister saw it and wOuit
know that she fretted for Richard. She
tried to read In her own room, but i
seemed like prison.
| Along about o'clock she felt as Il
the day had been years long. Sh'
could bear 1t no longer. She put OF
some heavy shoes and an old water
proof riding habit, wound her fair hail
closely under little cap and stood be
fore the glass thinking what frigh
she looked and rather rejoicing in thu
fact. What was the use Of being beau
tifui when Richard no longer loveC
her?
She slipped out to the barn and sad
died Ginger, her little mare, mounted
and rode quickly out of the gate an(