Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-08-13
DAILY STORY
A RETURN OF LOVE LETTERS.


ing between Seldom Reyburn and his
fiancee, May Hildreth, was ten week.
In eighteen months the aggregate
weight of these letters was forty
pounds. The couple were desperately
in love, and the letters were written at
high pressure. Mr.. Reyburn avowed in
glowing terms that he had met hun
dreds of girls without being in the
least influenced by them. 1t was only
when thrown in with one who was the II
soul of honor, q model of amiability, II
an angel in the flesh, that he had sue
cumbed. Miss Hildreth declared that |
she could love no one less than no Il
bleman of nature, and her dearest Sell |
don was one of natures kings. She /
felt that her happiness was as safe In |
his hands as if he had come down from .
heaven to assume its care.
They quarreled. 1t would be impOssi |
BILE to state the cause, for, since neither |
of them remembered it, no one else |
could be expected TO know it. Conf
dence having been destroyed, the idol |
each had set up was at once shattered. /
Suppose" remarked Mr.. Reyburn to |
himself, that she should sue me for |
breach of promise and produce my let |
ters TO be read in court" Il have no |
doubt" unused Miss Hildreth, that |
such Il man would show my letters at |
his club"
Mr.. Reyburn wrote her a cold, cut |
ting note, saying that he supposed she
would want her letters returned. This
was with view TO securing his own.
''If you had been a gentleman" re-
piled Miss Iildreth, you would have
returned them instantly"
II supposed you would have first re-
turned NINE" he wrote. 1T is the
lady's privilege to break finally and
forever with a gentleman. Then
would have returned yours"
''Send me my letters at once" she
wrote. Zone who has acted as dis
honorably as you would not scruple to
read them TO others. | have no doubt
they have already gone the rounds of
your friends
There was silence for a time after
this. Reyburn was thunderstruck that
a woman he had loved would stoop to
make such charge and was we'll sat
isfied to have broken with her but he
felt all the more anxious to get his let
tiers. \ girl who would make such an
accusation would not herself hesitate
to show letters that had been written
her, so he reopened the question of eX-
change and proposed sending the pack
ages by express. Miss Hildreth at first
assented, but on inQuiring thecost found
pnIl1 Il IL Iu
with the money required She wrote
Reyburn that the letters might be lost
Then he suggested Il mutual friend.
Miss Hildreth feared that the friend
might read the letters, but if he would
consent that one of her own sex should
be the bearer she would agree to his
plan. 'NO, thanks" he wrote. My
experience with women would not JUS
tify any such procedure"
And | have discovered. that men are
too dishonorable for anything" she re-
piled.
Then it was arranged that on q GER
tain night each should hide package
in hollow tree just outside the wall
surrounding her home, and each was
to take the package the other had left.
Both stood off and watched for the
other to make the first deposit, and the
| scheme fell through.
81 knew l couldn't trust you" she
| wrote.
"a pretty scheme to get all and give
nothing" he replied.
BY this time ReybAn felt sure the
girl was keeping his letters for Il pur-
| pose. Every time he thought of their
| eXtravagant phrases being perused by
| others or printed in the newspapers
| he became panic stricken. He resolved
| to secure them at any cost. Then it
| occurred to him to take her letters to
| her himself and receive his own from
| her hands. He wrote asking if such
a plan would meet her appreciation.
She replied that she supposed there
| was no other way.
| 1t was murky afternoon when he
| called, and large flakes of snow had
| begun to fall. He carried the letters
| done up in brown paper, to which was
fastened a wood and wire handle. They
made u package the size of a large
| bureau drawer. He was not used TO
| being seen on the street Juggling mer-
chandise and was much mortified at
meeting number of his acquaintance.
| 1t was the enormous bulk that dis
tressed him. He was ushered into the
little parlor where he had sat with
Miss Hildreth so often. A bright fire
blazed on the hearth, contrasting pleas
antly with the cheerless scene without
Miss Hildreth was standing before the
fireplace, her face lighted by the flame
She heard Mr.. Reyburn enter, but did
not turn her head. She was dressed
becomingly and looked very pretty
not at all like an adventures who
would sue him for breach of promise
He could not assume a proper dignity
carrying some twenty pounds of LET
tiers. He was embarrassed.
; He cleared his throat to announce
his presence, and she turned her beauti
full eyes upon him. Something TOLD
him that he-they-had been making
| <ofY To