The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-03-31

| sidered by many as classic in their sim
| plicity and their tender pleading for the
right that was her due.
Her last letter to her lover, written
| few days before her fatal trip to Big
| Moose was particularly pathetic. Il
have been bidding goodbye to some
| places today" she wrote. There are so
! many hooks, dear, and all of them so
| dear to me- l have liveo here nearly all
| my life. First, l said goodbye to the
| spring house with its great masses of
green moss: then the apple tree, where
| we had our playhouse; then the Bee
! hive a cute little house in the orchard
and of course all the neighbors that have
! mended my dresses from a little tot up
to save me a thrashing L really de-
served
GilIette's Life.
Gillette had been more or less of
| rover up to the time he became fore
| man in his uncle's shirt mandatory
in Cortland. N Y. He had led a some
what gay life but was given to under
| stand upon his arrival in Cortland that
he must conduct himself so that his
| wealthy relatives might at least recog-
| nize him. He soon became interested in
| church work. made many friends and
| apparently conducted himself with pro-
| priety.
| Grace Brown was a farmers daugh-
| the same factory with Gillette. Although
| he did not pay her unusual attention her
| companions were not long in recogniz-
| ing that she was somewhat of a favorite
with the young foreman. He began to
| call on her at the home of her married
sister, who lived in the city, and soon
won her trust and affection. The girl $
confidence in Gillette and his promise Of
marriage eventually led to her undoing
! and in the summer of 1906 she went home
| to prepare for her wedding, which she
felt could not long be postponed. 1t was
during her stay at her home in South
| Otsellc that she wrote lin the remark
able series of letters which were found
| among Gillette's effects after has arrest.
Faith In Her Lover.
! In these outpuorings of her soul she
| bteathed the poignancy of her sorrow, ana
Ter sweetness of girlish youth, faith and
| self sacrifice We're ever apparent. In her
| misery she pleaded with ier lover to come
| to her, saying that she had been brave,
but was beginning to feel discouraged. In
! site of her suffering she thought first of
| ali of him, anu how she might lessan any
burden that he was destined To bear
Il am as lonesome for you as-oh, as 1
thought I'd be. l don't believe you've
even missed me- she wrote soon after her
arrival home' [ did not think all the
/
| They ate me up, and if you ever have
thought l was spoiled, dear, | don't know
| what you will think of me when l get
| back. You or any one else wont be able
| 10 do anything with me-.
| A few days later she wrote: Il have
Gone nothing but cry since [ got here. If
! .Cu were only here / would not feel so
| BADLY l do try to be brave, dear but
low can | when everything goes wrong ?
| will nc
fer me, but then | say you can't be so
| mean as that, and. besides, you told me
| you would come f,nt you have never dis
| appointed me when you said you would
let
Chester, there isn't girl in the world
! as miserable as l am tonight she wrote
| in her next letter" and you have made
| re feel so. Chester, i cont mean that
| dear; you have always heen awfuily good
to me, and [ know you Will always be.
! You Just won't be a coward, [ know.
! You must write more often. please, and,
| Gear, when you read my letters, if you
| think [ am unreasonable, please do not
| ln.nd it; but do think l am about crazy
With grief and that : don't know just
/ 'Ehat to do"
Letter From Girl Friend.
In her next letter she told of receiving a
| letter from a girl friend. "rhis girl wrote
| me-" she said, that you seemed to be
| having an awfuliy good time, and she
| guf ssed that my coming home had done
| .ou good, as you had not seemed so
| cheerful in weeks. l should have
Known, Chester, that you did not care for
| inc. But somehow l have trusted yol
| rnLre than any one else. Perhaps you
| don't think, or you can't help making me
gr.eve, but l wish things we're different.
You may say you do, too, but you can't
pcs sbly wish so more than !. have been
very brave since { came'hone, but tonight
| ! am very discouraged. Chester, If
could only die. / know how you feel
about this affair, and ] wish for your
! cake you need not be troubled. If 1 die
! rope you can then be happy"
The GOODNESS of Gillette's replies to the
/ girls fervent pleadings caused her to say
In her next letter:
1T was glad to hear from you and sur
prised as well. 1 thought you would
rather have my letters affectionate, but
yours was so business-like that l have
come to the conclusion that you wish
mine to be that way may tell you
| though, that | am not business woman
and so presume that these letters will
not satisfy you any more than the 9TH
ers did. think. pardon me, that I I'M
derstand my position and that 1t is rath-
err unnecessary for you to be so fright
see my position as keen as anyone
! think You say you were surprised. but
you thought / would be discouraged.
don't see why I should not be discour-
| aged. What words have I had from you
since l came home to encourage me?"
i seIf-sacrificing Spirit.
Then further along in the same letter
the girls spirit of self-sacrifice asserted
! itself and she wrote:
Chester, | don't suppose you will ever
| know how I regret being all this trouble
to you. / know you hate me and cant
blame you one bit. OF course, it's worse
for me than for you. but the world and
| you, too, may think l am the one to
blame but somehow / can't, just simply
| can't, think that am, Chester.
my little sister came up just min
! ute ago with her hands full of daisies
| and asked me if didn't want my fortune
| told. ] told her / guessed it was pretty
| well told now"
Plans were arranged by letters for q
meeting at DeRuyter and Gillette Sc
| cured leave of absence from the factory.
l He arrived at DeRuyter on the evening
of July IS and registered at hotel as
Charles George. The pext day Grace
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