The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1913-03-21


Of his life, his plans, his dreams. And
promptly with the post came Lucy's
But n thing old Rogers had not
found courage to tell. He had not
told her that he was fifty. For he
knew that the romance would be shat
tered. People thought a mar of fifty
could not love-the fools!
He had asked for her photograph,
but she had not SEN it, nor alluded
to the matter again. And then old
Rogers dared to hope that she might
be homely-perhaps she was SCARED
or MANNED, 30 that he might after all
take her and shield her from the
world and its cruelty.
Slowly, very slowly, old Rogers ham,
mered out his purpose. He was re-
solved to put all selfish thoughts aside.
He would let her go, let the CORE
spondence cease. But when he came
to die the girl in Egan would find
that she had fallen heir to all his
money. And he would work like a
mailman all his days to accumulate a
fortune for her. So he ceased to an
swer her.
She wrote less often. But one day
came a despairing note in which she
confessed something perilously like
love. And then old Rogers knew
that he had no alternative. So he
wrote back, a wild letter such as he
would not have been capable Of a
voor hoforo IN which ho told hor He
told her that he was an elderly a
that he loved her with all his heart.
but had not courage to ask her to
be his wife. And SO their correspond
ence must cease, and because he had
been a fool and a coward he would
suffer in remembering her all the
rest of his days.
Then a week passed, and then her
answer came. 1t was a little note, the
shortest that she had ever written
him except the first time, and 1t said
simply:
Come up to Egan. The third house
from the depot. LUCY"
On that same afternoon old Roger
drew his money from the bank, paid
the rent and gave notice to his land.
lord, to the utter establishment and
dismay Of that gentleman, who had
left old Rogers's apartment to molder
into decay untouched and implanted
during the past decade. Then he
turned his back upon Thirteenth street
forever and set forth for Egan.
He reached the little place at five
on an autumn afternoon. 1t had not
changed as he had expected. A few
houses had sprung up along the rail
road, but otherwise 1t was just as it
had been during the past 30 years.
He descended at the depot and
walked slowly toward the cottage.
There was no mistaking it, that little,
ol~d-fashioned building with its cling
ing ivy and Virginia creeper and the
carefully tended lawn and garden.
1t was just such a place as he would
have imagined for an abode for Lucy.
So he passed through the latched gate
and knocked at the door. A pleasant.
gentle-looking lady of about forty
years opened to him.
Il am James Rogers" said the Wis
itor simply. 81 have come to e your
daughter" He said the last word with
a tone of interrogation. Yet he felt
sure that this was Lucy's mother. This
was just such a mother as he would
have expected Lucy to have. And yet
it was strange that she had never
mentioned her in her letters.
Come in. Mr.. Rogers" said the 9th
er. "Sit down in the parlor until ]
light the lamp"
She showed him into a quaint, old
fashioned parlor and then began trim
ming the wick. But she could not
finish. She set the shears down
hastily and anne up to him. Old
Rogers rose.
i Il am Lucy Morrell." she said. trem
bling.
Old Rogers looked at her incredu
lousy, and then 1t was all &c
different from what he had expected
But he saw her eyes filled with tears
and her head bowed in shame-and
then, quite clumsily, for old Rogers
had had no such experience during hi
fifty years-or during the last thirty
of them. at any rate-he took her II
his arms and kissed her.
He knew then that he loved her thu
more truly because she brought II
him a mind ripened by experience
and a love whose strength was onl.
the deeper for the passing of tn
years. And she had feared as he ha'
feared, when the correspondence, be
gun in Jest, had ended in earnest
And then his letter had come!
But there's one thing l can't ur
derstand, dearest" he said that eve
ming, as they sat before the fire
why did you write your name on tn
paper and put it in the bottle o
peaches? could imagine that OF 20
as a young girl, but not now"
my dear" she answered, smiling
81 bottled those peaches 20 years ago.
Heaven bless old Holtzapfel!" wa
Rogers's remarkable ejaculation.