Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-08-23
DAILY STORY
THE LETTER THAT
WAS NEVER SENT.
[Original.l


yard There is nothing like beautiful
summer morning to make one feel Il
delicious gladness. There was more
slan this to make Littlefcld glad. lie
had come home to spend a two weeks
vacation after a very busy season III
the city He had for months been
working, not only days, but nights, and
when at last it became eXpedient for \
him to knock off he was presented with |
handsome check by his employers |
and a considerable raise of salary.
These blessings led up to another pos
sible happiness. When Littletield went
to the city he had left at home a school |
friend or love; he did not ut the time
exactly know which, but had since |
learned that the latter word better eX-
pressed his feelings. He had been far |
seeing for boy of eighteen and had
contented himself with enjoying Louise
Phillips cOmpanionShip without max
ing complication between them. He
was going to another field to make
tluence or means, and he felt that he
had no right to enter upon an affair
that might stand in the girls way
matrimOnially. But now he was to
receive n competence for two he had
returned anxious to meet his old school
mate and see how she appeared to him
after an absence during which she had
| passed from sixteen to twenty-one.
Swinging II cane i'll his hand, he step
| ped down from the porch and out on to
! the walk that lined the road. 1t was
not the best time of day TO make Il CALL
| especially on his old companion. In
deed, he was especially averse to haste.
| He would devote the two weeks before
him to renewing his intimacy. studying
! his own desires and those of Miss Phil
| lips. If at the end of the fortnight all
was propitious he would tell his story
and abide the result. But, though he
did not intend to make Il call at .
O'clock in the morning, his steps nat
urally fell toward the home of the per-
son who occupied his thoughts. He
had not gone far before he saw coming
woman whose walk was familiar As
she approached he saw that she was
Miss Phillips. But the buG had opened.
Every yestige of the child had dsap-
pearcd. He saw a vision Of loneliness
that made his pulses throb.
Miss Phillips:" he asked, raising his
hat.
Mr.. Littlefeld" she replied. start
ing. Indeed. she appeared confused, so
much so as to drop letter she carried
in her hand. Littleficld picked it up
and handed it to her. He noticed that
it was addressed to man. He took
fright at once. To whom could she be
writing? The castle he had erected in
his mind tottered. Then confidence was
momentnrily restored. Why assume
that she was writing to Il lover?
when did you Gomez" she asked.
Last evening. May I join you? I'm
only strolling''
Certainly. It's a long while since
I've seen you. You've not been home
since you left. l believer"
Yes. once or twice, but you happen
ed to be away"
She was fumbling the letter in her
hands. Presently she dropped it again
: Frank restored it to her.
as the letter hot?" he asked.
"Hot? How could it be hot?"
"It seems to burn your fingers"
D A deep scarlet spread itself all over
:; her face. 1t was the breaking of {
+ signal flag. That the man knew vel
= enough. But what was the intcrpreta
Il ton? Littlefield, with Il lovers prone
ness to panic, read, 'The letter is t.
my fiance." Then hope came and sug
gcSted that perhaps il was an accept
auce of 4 fiance. At any rate, it was
plain to him that instead of taking ;
fortnight to look over the ground ht
must exert himself to save the day If
indeed, it was not too late.
Il think" he went on, that you ha(
better let me put your letter in my
pocket, not having a pocket yourself"
, He took it from her, she not resist
9 ing, but instead of putting it in hi
pocket he took it in his hands prepare
tory to tearing it in two.
What are you going to do that for?
. she asked.
Something tells me that you hav,
: written this letter without sufficien
deliberation-that you don't wish t
Y send it"
mo; I deliberated a long while
There is every reason why 1 shoul,
send it."
''But one"
S tWhat's that?"
e Glove, or, rather, the absence of it.
n Again the signal. This time it wa
= not Il crimson flag. but a troubled lool
@ He tore the letter in halves, then /
quarters, then in eighths and kept o
ad infinitum. 1t seemed that he coul
not get the parts small enough.
. "What right have you to do thatY'
i "The right of possession. It's min
q points in the law"
\ Il can compel you to write anothe
q I'm its stead"
y ''That l shall be happy to do"
3 you don't know what to say
i 81 can fix it so that there shall be q