The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1913-05-06
Their Love
Letters
b. EDITH v. ROSS


20 humdrum an AFFAIR as married life
Nevertheless the two conditions are
very different and there is no doubt
that love before marriage is like the
wind playing upon the strings OF a
harp. now bringing forth low. sweet
sounds and now the widest strains
1t Is not only the greatness of these
changes. but the suddenness Take the
case of Gus Pickering and Sara Trav.
ers' for instance They met at q barn
dance and new at each other a. II
drawn together BY pair Of thousand
volt magnets. Two days later they did
not speak to each other when they met.
In three more days they were engaged.
Then they. hving In different towns.
began that volumlnous letter writing
which never hns been and never can be
equaled BY any other correspondents
than lovers The letters that passed
between them varied daily from one
TO Eve, the one representing ordinary
conditions. the nye when Gus wrote
something Sara did not understand.
Alas. the day came when Gus per-
petrated q joke In one of bis letters
that Sara did not understand. and she
slapped his letter right back at him.
Had he not been proud of his Joke the
AFFAIR might have passed like their
thousa nd and one other spats As II
was. Gus wrote that since Sara had
thought proper to return, one Of bis
letters she might return them all.
To this Sara replied that she was
not &C silly 40 20 leave him In poa.
session OF hsr letters and n he wished
his own the nrst thing for MIN to do
was send every scrap she bad ever
written him. To this Gus replied that
since great deal Of gush had been
written by both. perhaps II would be
well for them to make an exchange
To this sara agreed and said she
awaited the return OF his "gush' and
would thereafter be careful how she
wrote any more Of It to any man.
A number Of very short and pointed
notes passed between them as to which
should nrst return the Others letters.
and no headway was made. Then Gus
proposed that they should compromise
the matter. ''Certainly." was the re.
ply I'm ready for a compromise" I"
"Wen." Gns answered. what shall the
compromise be?" why. you send
back my letters. of course: then III
aend back yours."
About this time an acquaintance Of
Gus was sued for breach Of promise.
This put an idea into his head. he
mad been making love to girl be
didn't know much about and he would
not he surprised II sbe should sue him
for breach Of promise. II she did all
that "g,ish'' be had written would be
read In open court. He fancied the
outlaws Of the lawyers. the jury and
the spectators II Ia very easy for
man to work himself into panic. es-
peciaily II tie feels that be is In the
hands Of woman who is ready to
turn upon him. Gus climbed from one
improbability to another till be fan
cied the girl he had thought he loved
wouldn't scrnpIe to do anything for re-
venge. And how could any one take
greater revenge than BY giving up to
be read to the world such expressions
as my own sweetest, dearest. darling
Pussr' Ugh! How could he have been
guilty Of such folly anyway?
He thought of great many ways
to get his letters into his own posses
sion, but there was weak spot In all
Of them. Finally be proposed an ex-
change through mutual friend.
Every WE'LL" was the reply. "We'll
both give them to Madge Walker.
She'll give you yours aud me mine"
I'm no such fool" he wrote. "as to
place any confidence In one of the fe-
male SEX The gO.between must be a
man" This brought another check to
the proceedings.
Finally It occurred to Gus that he
might take Sara's letters to her and
get his own in exchange Singular,
wasn't II. that he had not thought of
this before? He wrote the girl he had
wildly loved. that he would take her
letters to her and secure his own. after
which there would be parting be-
tween them that would last forever.
The spring was coming on. and the
leaves were beginning to bud. The
crocuses had already come up. The
birds had begun TO build their nests.
These two haters who had been lovers
agreed to meet in a wood back of the
girls home. Each appeared. bringing
. hinge bundle Of letters. They met on
. stile.
Don't you think you owe me an
Dpoloes?' said Sara.
what fory'
! why. that borrid thing you wrote
me that ca used all the trouble"
''Whst did | sayy"
"Why. yon said-you said that-l
can't remember what you said"
Gus thought he saw . tear standing
In her eve. Dropping his bundle, he
went to her. put his arms about her
and kissed her.
But the letters. 40 engrossed were
they with their makeup that they