The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-08-13

which had grown heavy with blossoms when n,o+bn-
same same nome after an errand down the street She
handed me an envelope 1t held the letter we had
sent to Gibraltar. 1t had returned unopened We
wrote another letter and enclosed the first one a
year old also something Sudie and L had spent win
Ter evenings IN making-two splendid valentines Be
fore the letter sealed we added some pink roses
from our porch and heavy-headed yellow rose from
a superb bush in he Holbrook yard which alwave
thrust its blossoms through our fence
send your letter to Australia to await the arrival
OF the kennebeck, advised Lawyer Gerrish 'The
f1oiDrooks viii get there sometime in February"
Mails travelled slowly in those DAYS Il was worth
waiting however, for the letters covered with Aus
tralan stamps, which came for Sudie and me in the
late summer They held the gladness of forgiveness
the Joy OF friendship made whole again. the anti
clpatlon OF meeting. The "Kennebeck' was COMING
nome, the Holbrook house would be opened and the
olo hdppy lie would begin again We sent letters to
each port where the "Kennebeck' was due dur;no
months to come letters filed with simple village news
sGao9l gossip everything there to tell Zoe and
Martha covered sheets and sheets of flny paper with
the story of their travels
oudie and were sitting the little porch with its
snadowlng honeysuckle hot afternoon in August
a boy ran up the street We heard him shout, SThe
hennebecks In She wharfed half an hour AGO !"
Suaie and / dashed Bareheadcd down the street At
we caught glimpse inside of Captain Holbrook He
looked old and worn We turned back; the carriage
ola ana empty, was leaving the Hobrook yard when
we ran past our little brown house
!. Old Emma, the housekeeper at Hobrook's was
opening shutters the front porch
Ian Zoe see soon I" I cried breathIesslv
Emma turned her kind old face toward me The
tears had made long burrows on her nIumn ro .sv
cneeks thought she would never answer me "Zoe
WIZ VI never see you again.. A sob broke her voice
zoe VIII never stopped and turned to look
at Sude. She staring at me with frightened
Emma's voice broke once or twice with sobs while
sne told the story Zoes been struck blind in the
glare @ the Pacific Ocean. She's lynn UP there
cue pointed TO Loes room with its suffered windows
as white an still death The captain turned the
ship home as fast as it would GO They STONED a.
oan FRANCISCO an took her to great doctor there
$50 ne SAID, Take her home quick as you cam
Zoe blind We did not speak Old Emma went in
and closed the door. We crept home through fine
binding sunshine It seemed journey miles long
PACK TO the shadow of the porch and its green honey
suckles Sudie tried to comfort me while sat I'M
needing in the wide old rocing-char It was not at
the White hot dusty street sat staring seemed ~
see little girl, rosy-cheeked, with bright ewes and
nying curis, little impatient girl with her Jacket
nall on Houndering through the snowdrifts and cry
ing cheerily Wait for me Lettice Please wait for
me Iii catch up with you in second" Then she
dashed after another girl Aingng her arm about her
waist The other girl turned upon her with cold in
dignant eyes and freezing glance which seemed to
XIII instantly happy friendship
Zoe loves you dearly STILL cried Sudie, brokenly
"You know it."
Two days later Martha came to see us-a new
Martha-sad and wan, whose voice broke into sobs
Wfile she tried to say comforting words She brought
little box which opened slowly "Thcse were little
tnlgs Zoe gathered for you, Lettce," she said "She
was thinking of you everywhere we went don't
know when you can see her. SO she told me to bring
these across and tell you she loves you very very
much"