The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1907-12-20
A BUNCH OF OLD LOVE
LETTERS.
Ev Anoela MORGAN,

into her new life that should breathe OF
past e%rer enccs or regrets.
She started in with a braNely untlinchins
spirit, resolved to destroy everything. re-
Eardless of sentiment or association.
we women are so foolish. after all"
she reflected. as she followed Buttons
down into the basement storcroom.
cart around a lot of rubbish that can
never be OF use to us on this planet or any
other, vaguely believing that somehow we
owe that tribute to a buried past. i, for
one, do not intend to drag a host OF moth
eaten memories into my brand-new flu
tuTe."
Buttons was the brass-bedecked, ebony
faced individual who opened the door to
callers and incidentally performed such
offices as the present one of assisting Miss
Avery to find her trunk. She had him
bring 1t out into the light. dust and unlock
1t and remove the tray. Then he left her
alone with her "moth-eaton memories"
Stella had intended to be exceedingly
expeditions in this matter. There was
nothing in the surroundings to encourage
reverie. Indeed. when she started out she
had no thought of such a possibility.
But even as she united the first small
packet the supposedly sleeping past awoke
with a start.
Ihe packet contained nothing more i'm
portant than a collection of cards, pro
grams and inNitations-but oh, the past
slSHlIlcanCe OF these things.
What a flock of memories came nutter-
ing back-live. breathing. thrilling things.
"oh, 1 can't destroy these.." she said.
She put them on a cane-seated chair near
py and proceeded to explore further. Ten
der, reminiscent smiles curved her lips as
she went on asserting and examining.
After all, was there anything that she
could destroy without feeling
ton?
NONSENSE" she cried, disguised with
ner own weakness. II must be firm about
1t. Why not have the entire pile taken
out and a bonfire made? That would BIO
the quickest way"
Then she remembered-and the remem-
brance stabbed her. Perry Lawson's let
tiers were in thatstrunk! Perry's letters
Perry's!
The realization of what 1t would mean to
her to burn those letters rushed upon her
overwhelmingly. The mere suggestion set
the old heart-wound throbbing and pain
ing. Every instinct protested p~assionately
against such destruction.
But l must. l suppose she said to her
self after awhile. ut would not be right
to Keep ~theln-now.'
She brought out the package tcnderly.
aandllng It with a sort of mournful reVer-
ence.
1T can't pe very wrong for me to wish
to read them-for it's the last time"
One by one she unfolded the letters,
roasting her eyes and her heart on the ex-
quls1te passages that Still breathed all the
romance OF those departed days. And as
she read she forgot time, place and cir
cumstance. She was no longer the conven-
tlonal Miss Stella Avery, affianced bride of
toward Patterson, but she was simply
stella Louise" and Perry Lawson was
her sweetheart. Oh, those letters-the
sweetness. the tenderness. the depth OF
them! Did any man ever before write
such letters? Could any other man nave
expressed himself as Perry did?
She glanced up at last to find the after
noon light waning and the shadows gath
erlng. Through the grated window she
street above. The noise of the city came
TO ner faintly as from Il distance.
Ihls tangible space of time called the
present-was 1t not. after all, much more
unreal than the past?
Dreamily she sat there. musing, wonder
ing. why was 1T that human beings were
never allowed just the happiness they
wanted? Why must they content them
selves with counterfeit. blessedness-al-
ways? Did any woman ever marry the
man whom she really loved above all
others, as she, Stella Louise, had loved
Perry?
Ihen conscience smote her. She to med
1tate thus-thc affianced wife Of another
man! And she had really professed to
love Howard Patterson-he had every
right to believe that she did sincerely care
for him.
on she murmured now, rather hone
iessly. and with a weary sigh. II do love
him-l do. But not-not as l loved Perry.
1t can never be like that"
Gathering up his letters, she left the
trunk as 1t was and hurried ON upstatrs.
,buttons can attend to it tomorrow. All
have Perry's letters"
Later, in her room. she put them care
fully away. o course, I'll have to de-
stroy them at the last. But l can't do il
yet"
During the days that followed. busy
self of the thought of Perry. The old
recol!ectlons seemed to cling to her as
never before. When. one late afternoon
Buttons brought a card ana she read the
name upon 1t. she stared for a moment
like ono in a dream, then smiled viii %
swift radiance.
II Knew 1t must be.' she told herself.
with bounding pulses.
Ferry Lawson was waiting for her
downstairs-he had come back ror bar
nttef SIX years! After all, had it not been
1he secret hope OF her heart? What mat
tered the preparations for that other we'd
ding? "0
her hands We're cold and her TEMPLES
ieverish as she trailed softly through the
hall toward the reception room. How
"ouid ne look! Would he be iust tho
same Perry? Would he
She paused, as her eyes ca,1rht s,,b, ~
an unfamiliar and rather heavy masculine
ilgure standing at the window, its back
toward her. At the gentle sound OF rus
ting silk the figure turned.
Stella Louise! Well, we'll. I, see,,s
good to see you again."
Perry! ~I-why-1'm glad 10 see vou-1-,
how you have changed"
Almost before She knew n her lin. ,,
uttered the sorrowful cry of her SOM
Perry Lawson laughed as he sat down ~,
the d1van beside her. Have II" he o,nr.
led with no particular resentment. Men
do. "ohicH
He looked hatefully comfortable and COL
orlessly contented. His eyes seemed small
and expressienless, 1t was not merely tbs
TACT OF his stoutness that proclaimed The
change. There We're other thinpsAoh ~
many things. Could this be the man Who
had written those letters? "0
tT l@a~l --r