Oxford Democrat., 1913-09-09
Miss Bears
Letter
A Question Of Owner
ship.
By CLARISSA MACKIE

The three Misses Bean were eating
breakfast In their prim dining room
overlooking the flower garden.
sarepta was enjoying cereal. coffee
and dry toast; Sophia was almost pur
ring over a bowl Of oatmeal and cream.
while Sarah. the eldest Miss Bean,
drank strong green tea. with rolls and
q chop. Sarepta was thin and dark
and delicate looking; Sophia, her twin
sister. was plump and rosy like gray
and white kitten, and Sarah was tall
and bony, with sandy hair and eager
dark eyes. Once she had been very
handsome. but that was long ago.
Hannah. the black cook, padded
heavily into the room with a letter
held between thumb and forefnger
'Ephie done brung de mail. maam," "
she said. placing the letter beside Sal
rah's plate. IAN dey want no mon
dat one letter"
"very well. Hannah" said Sarah.
adjusting her glasses to scan the su-
prescription on the large, thick. square
envelope. AS she read her face grew
quite red, and she looked ut the others.
Its for me. think" she said uncer-
tainly.
Sarepta bristled instantly.
1T might be for me-" she said tart
ly, unless 1t is addressed to YOU"
"In that cuse there would be no
doubt at all whom II was for" gig
gled Sophia. sprinkling sugar on her
oatmeal.
ut says Miss s. Bean,'" said Sarah
with dignity. From its appearance !
should Judge It was for me-"
LET me look at It, please; am ex-
pecting letter." snapped Sophia. hold
Ing out her hand for the missive.
Sarah surrendered the letter and
was irritated to note that Sarepta's
dark face glowed strangely.
"It's the one I've been waiting for"
declared Sarepta. with the handle OF a
spoon slipped under the flap. II rec
ognize the handwriting"
$50 do l." was Sarah's obstinate re
ply. "You have no right to open 1t.
Sarepta. until you are sure 1t Is yours y
IT am sure"
Sophia blinked her blue eyes and
looked up from her empty bowl.
LET me see the letter. 1t may be
for me. ! am Miss s. Bean also;
you appear to forget that fact. she
said fussily.
"Why, it's Mr.. Gray's handwriting
girlsw she exclaimed bluntly. Il think
It's for me- have a great deal or talA
and correspondence with him over
over-church-and personal matters.
she ended, with simper.
Sarah's mouth hardened.
"The letter is for me, Sophia. It's
all nonsense your thinking Mr.. Gray
would bother to write to you about
church matters. Ministers are very
busy men"
Sophia looked ready to cry.
~ think he's US likely to write to
me as to you or sarepta-more likely.
I understand why he has been calling
here regularly all winter"
Sarepta laughed shortly.
81 understand why. too" she said'
with hidden meaning In her tone.
at is nonsense for us to bicker over
this letter." said Sarah impatiently.
ut must be opened. and 1t is my place
as the eldest to do 1t. | can tell In
stantly by reading the first line whetb-
er It Is for me or not"
$50 can l." retorted Sarepta.
"And l." shifted Sophia. dabbing at
her eyes with q snowy cambric hand
kerchief.
"Well. the best way to find out Is to
inquire Of Mr.. Gray whom 1t Is for,
decided Sarah judicially. 81 will send
Eph over to the parsonage with II
note"
The letter was placed on the mantel'
piece behind the Chinese vases. and
Sarah wrote the note and sent 1t OF
by Eph. the black boy.
Ten minutes afterwad he rushed
into the sitting room breathless with
excitement
"Marse Gray done gone away In u
turrible hurry. Miss Sarah. yes'm
Seems lax he had a telygraft last
night that his paw wore killed on de
railroad, and Mr.. Smif said he guessed
1t would be a long day afore de pahson
come back, fer dey was gwine to give
him q good vacashun to git over de
shock. He's gwine clean to Californy
whah his paw lives
II was characteristic Of the Beans
that not one Of them would relinquish
her claim to the letter. and so 1t stood
on the mantelpiece day after day. un'
opened. waiting for Mr.. Gray to re
turn and divulge the Identity OF the
Miss 8. Bean" to whom the letter be-
longed.
In the bottom Of each maiden heart
there was q firm belief that the letter
contained a declaration Of marriage
for Mr.. Gray had called with marked
regularity every Thursday evening dur
Ing the winter. His attentions to the
three sisters had been distributed with
careful nicely and exasperating uncer
tainty. When their niece. Estelle Bean
from Little River, had visited them the
minister had sung to them while Els
telle played upon the old square piano.
and the songs he chose were disquiet-
Ing to sentimental ladies.
When he lifted his handsome head.
with its noble crown Of graying hair.
and sang about "Annle Laurie" Sarah
knew that II he dared the parson would
substitute her name for that Of Scotch
Annie, while sarepta and Sophia were
quite as certain that he meant them
individually.
As for Estelle, she was meek,
.nouselike little person with sweet
gray eyes and a gentle manner. and
she was much beloved by her three
aunts, and she loved them In return.
She never looked at the middle aged
minister when be sang. Her cheeks
always grew very pink. and she bent
her blond head over the keys until
Sarah chided her for bashfulness.
Then she lifted her head and was
quite guy until Sarepta took her aside
and told her not to act $50 shallow"
Five months went by. and the letter
remained unopened on the mantel-
piece.
One golden September day Sarah
and sarepta and Sophia climbed into