The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1912-04-08
By M. DlBBEIL.

her arms piled nigh with garments,
Depositing them on the table she re-.
marked:
room. He told me some time ago that
II | knew anybody who needed some.
thing warm to wear, he hoped / would
bestoW his extra sweaters a2d coats
on them, but had forgotten all about
it till / saw them. He only went away
day before yesterday"
'Oh, that is Splendid" Ella Walden
cried They will be just the thing for
some Of the men who have very little
left for clothes after the family is fed
I She handled the articles almost caress
ingly, for She had soft place in her
heart for the hard working Long road
men.
Mrs. Bond began to feel in the peck
cts of the coats. Leslie is such a care
less fellow she explained 1T would
be just like him to leave something
valuable in an old coat pocket.
Seven handkerchiefs, watch charm,
also the chain to which the charm be
longed, and purse containing severai
dollars, rewarded her search. Last OF
all she drew from the outer pocket OF
4 sack coat letter, and her friend
who was laughing over Leslies pocket
collection, was startled at the look
which came into Mrs Bonds face
What is the matter?" she queried
In dismay.
''The matter Is that Leslie's forget
fulness may have spoiled the rest of
bis life for him. gasped Mrs. Bond
and tears filled her eyes. He has
forgotten to mail the letter | wrote to
Eva Herding. o, why didn't tell him
how much her receiving it might mean
to him."
Ella Walden strove to comfort her,
and at last her calm was restored.
Il shall tell you all about it, said
Mrs Bond when she could speak. u
must have advice from some one, and
you always liked Leslie"
d, Indeed | have" said Miss Walden
warmly mo one could help liking
such a dear boy | only wish ] might
help you somehow" ~ 4@
You know that Eva and he have
known each other all their lives, and
we all hoped that some day she would
come nto the family. But last sum
mer she seemed to change in her man
! ner toward Leslle-he did not under
stand It at all. why she should treat
him so coldly, when he had done moth
Ing to offend her. He always came
, to me with his troubles, as wen as his
| Joys, and we were both puzzled / ad
vised him to ask her for an explana
ton, but when he did she insisted that
there was nothing to explain, that
they were simply good friends, and
/ they always had been.
'Providentially, found out the
whole trouble--it doesn't seem possible
I that such things could happen. But
some men seem to have no sense OF
humor when their ,so-called love IL
, concerned, and Jacob Hilbert is that
kind OF man. He wants Eva himself
and he told her that Leslie was making
love to Ada Folwell, and apparently
proved his statement by showing her
q note purporting to be from Leslie
| to Ada. | don't know how he said
he came In possession of the note. but
no made Eva believe that he was tell
Ing the truth.
1t was a dear friend of Eya's to
whom she confided the whole wretch
cd story under promise 0 fsecrecy, who
came and told me. She did not be-
lieve that Leslie was double faced. and
she hoped / might help matters some
how wrote Eva that | knew Leslie
was trne to her, and could prove II
II she would come to me. I gave the
note to Leslie to mail, and did not
speak OF 1t again. This morning |
saw her drive past with Jacob Hilbert
she did not get my note, and | am
sure she is going to marry him, per.
haps today. 0, what shall do?" Mrs
Bond looked hopelessly at her friend
Her surprise was intense when Ella
Walden asked calmly: Where did Les.
lie 80 when he left your
"On one of his business trips for
the firm. But what has that to do
with" I
Her friend interrupted: II think you
are mistaken, Minerva, for brother
John saw him over In Westville yes
terday, leaving the minister's house,
with Ada fFolwell beside him. and the
minister's wife came running to the
door to throw big handful OF rice
after them"
Mrs. Bond had no explanation TO
offer. She stared dumbly at her
luestioner.
Perhaps I can straighten thing,
out q little for you. ELLA Walden,
calm voicet went on, when she received
no answer. Eva has been going abou
with Jacob Hilbert q good deal dur