The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1912-10-03
THE LETTER
LONG MlSLAID
Romantic Story Of a College
Boys Love Affair.

At nineteen / fell desperately IA low
The object Of my aRection was Mis-
Wlnifred stirling. aged twenty-nins
I was too young. too sensible Of IA
inferlorify. to make love to her In
; deed. there was little opportunity. 70
she had hosts OF admirers among mel
who were OF a suitable age for her.
While l had not the courage to thrus
myself forward among 50 many suit
ors. could not forbear telling my love
or. rather writing Il. for even had
plenty Of opportunity i could not have
spoken H. So without having express
ed admiration or having % much az
sent a handful Of flowers / sat down
and wrote love letter. ending with a
proposition Of marriage.
The mail IN which q reply should
have come did not bring Il. nor the
next. nor the next A week passed be-
fore gave It up. Tive weeks after the
writing Of my epistie ! went back 70
college for my second year
Ten years passed The lady OF my
love had been replaced by the ladies
Of my loves. was not married and
had no expectation OF being married.
Ny attentions TO the fair sex had been
Ike the two ends Of q barometer, one
end OF which goes down a. the other
goes up. As grew IN age the girls
fRncied were OF more tender years At
twenty nine fhncied maidens Of nine-
teen.
One morning. hearing the postman's
whistle. went to the door. where be
had been dropping the letters through
slit into box inside. TO get my mail.
I dropped a package and on stopping
% pick 4 uD saw the white corner OF a
letter between the bottom OF the box
and the door. ! pulled II out. and an
other followed Frying the box away
from the door. q dozen letters dropped
to the door. picked them up and
found them Of various dates. running
back for a number Of years. On open
Ing them I found one that startled me.
Il was signed sWinifred Stirling" Il
read:
Your letter was q great. but I admit.
pleasant. surprise. confess that have
admired Tor long while one whom have
been used 10 consider tho soul Of honor
md whose youthful enthusiasm contrasts
With the worn emotions % older men.
TouId accept your proposal but for one ,
'eaaon-when you are my age twenty
line. ! WIN b .thirty-nine WIN you then ,
owe me a. you DO noWf leave II 10 you /
arr4I 1H4m I'm
nd see ne tomorrow evening II not let
= drop the matter here.
Was ever test 90 put upon a man IN
be very nick Of time7 saw Il all
ad not called. and she had supposed
had come 70 a negative decision.
He'd to picture how she would look I
{ this advanced age. I could form no
mage except the one remembered.
read again the words zone whom I q
ave been used 10 consider the soul OF
onor." had made a proposal. Il
as not the Iady's fault that / had not
,celved my reply. I was unmarried
ID fancy free. There was nothing
u me to do but proceed as I would 1
I'VE proceeded ten years before or
Te IN her contempt. as I had doubt
So lived for the past ten years. Ny
n0ur propre triumphed. was the =
me individual. with the same sensl- =
Feness. ! learned Miss Strings ad-
was stfll Miss Stirllng-and / n
rote her the explanation Of my long n
ence- She replied By inviting me
come and see her.
found a woman attractive IN what 81
Institutes attractfveness In women Of
r age-that Is. intelligence, tact.
mpathy. indeed. al traits except
auty. There was still enough OF
mans witchery about her to lend a
arkle to her eye at my position,
Itch seemed to amuse her immensely.
We meet" she said. '5ust IN time to RI
al the terms Of my letter. Moth n
! could be more to the point. Look -
me and tell me n at twenfy-nine -
] can love a woman Of thirty-nine.~ -
! can" said. with my tongue call
up what resolution I could to screen
falsehood.
What a valiant liarF she exclaimed.
Ching You're splendid. Why ala
fate put you ten years ahead Of
instead Of ten years behindr
Because fate wished to prove that
re are certain men whose hearts.
e fixed, never change" was my
rdy reply.
BravoF she cried. clappine her
de. you should have lived in the
3 Of knight errantry. Be seated
tell me all about It. would give
Ids to have seen your face when
read my letter. Let me see: you
just entering upon that age when
first begin TO delight IN the 'buda.'
eteen is the age for you now. Ev-
few years you will drop a year TN
get down to fifteen. There you will
here had been something about Miss -
ling that had filed me with rap -
/. and the essential features OF that
ething we're with her yet. I began 4
'onder n, after al. II would be 40 ~
to play the part Of lover 70 this y
IRE woman. left her, but was
content I'LL saw her again. She