The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1913-04-12
Tam looking for = letter, an old let.

Tam looking for = letter, an old let.
:er one of tha /, boys left here" ex.
planned Muriel.
"Ah. indeed" muttered the tramp
Valuable, ma'sm?"
:. will pay for: ito RETURN
"Mebbe I'll find It," said the man.,
and Muriel left the place hoping the
wind had blown 1t away among the.
rubbish at the rear Of the lot.
"Oh. Aunt .turiel," said Willie, as
they reached home, II Just remem-,
bered! The man l gave the letter to-
looked a good deal like that photo.
graph noticed in your desk"
Muriel flushed, with a new pang at
her heart ut the allusion. She tried
to hope that one letter was lost and
that the other would be tossed aside
unread. She sat on the porch that
evening, trying to forget the distress
Ing incident and Ranald Dyer, when
some one came up the steps. 1t was
the tramp she rad net that day.
about that letter now" he began
with leer. "What will you give for
it,"
"Have you found it," inquired Mu.
riel eagerly. Il will gladly pay you
ten dollars" ,
"Why, ma'am," derided the tramp.
"in these days of sensations any news.
paper would give one hundred dol
lars, Just to show its readers how a
real genuine love letter reads, don't
you see?"
The covert insinuation appalled, Mu-
riel. Not that the letters contained
anything but the most respectful and
commonplace sentiments of love. She
shrank from the thought of others per.
using these treasured epistles. sacred
to her as the heart breathings Of a.
man she had loved devotedly.
TITS hundred or nothing" added
the tramp menacingly.
mot q cent" interrupted a ringing
voice that thrilled Muriel through and
through.
And then the tramp was seized by
the collar by q vigorous hand, was
pulled over the porch railing. arrest
threatened, the letter demanded and
produced, and the blackmailer sent
headlong into the road.
His ready .captor returned to the pet.
rified Muriel. He lifted his. hat cour-
teously, but very gravely.
"1here is the letter that man had,
here is one a little boy handed me to-
day. passing out letters he called it.
"Ranald-Ranald Dyer" murmured
Muriel weakly.
Eyes, it is l." replied her lover Of
the past. Il came to visit the old town
after my long absence. You seem to
have thought enough of those old let
tiers of mine to preserve Them
Her head sank low, she could not
utter q word. It was strained stu
alton.
IF SO, why them" proceeded Ranald,
Ibid you not make some reply when
sent word by my friend, Edward Ross,
seven years ago?
IL never received It," spoke MI
riel quickly. And then: "He was not
your friend-I sect all now!"
She recalled how suddenly Ranald
had left the town with no word of ex.
PLANTATION. She remembered, too, how
Edward Ross had proposed to her. and
had been rejected a month later.
NE was dead now, and she did not
with to PROVE his ,falseness. It came
out reluctantly-the story.
"Mur'el," said Ranald. leaning closer
to that pleading, longing. beautiful
face, "a true man tells his love once
and never regrets 1t. Is 1t, then
somebody else's fault that we parted
Can it be possible that all these years
you have thought Of me as of old?"
"Would I have treasured these let
ters otherwise?" asked Muriel softly,
and the next moment she was clasped
in his arms.
Copyright, 1918, by w. G. Chapman.)